Updated September 2021
- You must sign the I-765 using a handwritten, black ink signature. USCIS will not accept a
stamped or typewritten name in place of a signature.
- One of the most important choices you will make when preparing the I-765 is the U.S. Mailing
Address. This is the address to which USCIS will mail all OPT related correspondence. We
recommend that you select a U.S. Mailing Address that will remain valid for at least the next 6
months. Federal mail cannot be forwarded, so a U.S. Postal Service forwarding request will not
forward your EAD card. If you use a friend or family member’s address, list their name in the
section 5.a. “In Care of Name.” Please review our online training for OPT, module 4, for more
information about choosing the mailing address to use on the I-765.
- Be sure that you are using the most up-to-date I-765 edition date. The current valid edition date
is listed on USCIS’s I-765 website.
Photocopy of the new I-20 with OPT recommendation, pages 1 and 2. Remember that to be
eligible for Post-Completion OPT, USCIS must receive your application within 30 days of the date
the OPT I-20 is issued. You can confirm the date your OPT I-20 was issued by viewing the “DATE
ISSUED” section on page 1 in the “School Attestation” box. If your OPT I-20 recommendation is
about to expire or has already expired, please contact the International Center as soon as
possible for assistance with obtaining an updated OPT I-20.
Photocopies of all previously issued CPT and/or OPT I-20s. Make sure that you have signed and
dated each of your I-20s on page 1 in the Student Attestation section at the bottom.
Photocopy of paper or print-out of electronic Most Recent Form I-94. Please note that if you
changed to F-1 status within the US via a successful in-country change of nonimmigrant status
(Form I-539) application with USCIS and have not since traveled outside the US, the I-94 is
located on your change of status approval notice document (I-797).
Photocopy of previous EAD card(s), (front and back) if applicable. Attach corresponding OPT I-
20s to prior OPT EAD card(s), if applicable.
Photocopy of your passport picture page (the page(s) showing your biographical information,
your photograph, and official passport validity dates and details). If the photo in the passport is
not clear or varies widely from your current appearance, we recommend that you also include a
clear copy of another form of identification, such as a state-issued driver’s license or
identification card.
Suggestions for Completing Form I-765 for Post-Completion OPT
Download the most recent I-765 Form from https://www.uscis.gov/i-765.
Type or write your answers clearly in black ink.
Answer all questions fully and accurately. If a question does not apply to you list “N/A” or “None” as
directed.