On February 26, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced accommodations for students affected by delayed receipt notices for OPT applications. This includes:

• Typically, OPT must be completed within 14 months of graduation. To accommodate for the current delays and allow students to complete their full OPT period (12 months plus 2 month grace period), USCIS will count this 14 month period from the approval date of the application.
• F-1 students who received an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card for less than the full amount of OPT time requested, may request a correction of the EAD due to USCIS error. USCIS will issue a corrected EAD with a new end date, as requested, to cover the full amount of OPT time recommended in the original application.
• Timely filed applications that were rejected due to lockbox delays from October 1, 2020 to May 1, 2021 may be refiled. If you fall into this category, please contact an immigration coordinator at the Office of International Affairs for assistance. All refiled applications must be received by May 31, 2021.

These flexibilities apply only to OPT applications received on or after October 1, 2020, through May 1, 2021. If you have questions, please schedule a virtual appointment or email iss@osu.edu.