I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.
See all posts Frank GogolOPT Trackers – What You Need to Know
Updated on April 10, 2024
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Are you an international student planning to enter the U.S. on an F1 visa? Well, this article is for you! We will go over OPT and OPT trackers which will prove to be highly useful to those enrolling in undergraduate and graduate courses in the U.S.
What Is OPT?
Thankfully, the United States provides enough visa options to international students to enter the U.S., including the likes of J and M categories. However, what is worth noticing is the fact that most international students are enrolled in U.S. graduate schools and colleges through the F1 visa program.
One of the major reasons why the F1 visa is widely preferred is because it allows students to work in the U.S. under Optional Practical Training, also known as OPT.
OPT is basically a period during which international students studying in undergraduate and graduate programs with F1 status who have either pursued their degrees or are pursuing their degrees for at least nine months can work towards getting practical training in the field of their course.
What Is an OPT Tracker?
Essentially, when you apply for OPT under the F1 visa, you are required to get work authorization from the USCIS, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, for joining internships/jobs. However, the entire process is not as easy as it seems. Once you have completed all the paperwork and have met all the requirements, you are still required to wait up to 90 days to get the approval.
What makes this wait worse is the lack of updates. This is when an OPT tracker can help you in sourcing OPT tracking data on the go.
How Does an OPT Tracker Work?
The USCIS provides no tracking facility through which you can get updated on the status of your application. They will never do that, rightly so, because of confidentiality issues. This is where an OPT tracker comes to your rescue.
An OPT tracker provides you with better visibility on your OPT application process. Let’s understand this with the help of an example. Supposedly, an applicant with a priority date of August 17, 2019, is waiting for a decision on their OPT application that is being processed by XYZ Center, and they notice in the tracker that a case was just approved on August 16, 2019, they can rest assured that their case will be processed soon assuming that the applications are being processed in a first-in-first-out manner.
Top 3 OPT Trackers
If you have applied for OPT and waiting for the final nod from the USCIS, you can keep yourself updated with the help of these three OPT trackers:
Trackitt
Trackitt helps you track the status of your OPT application along with various other immigration applications by providing a common platform to its users. Here, users can collaboratively track the progress of their applications, share any updates that they might have, and discuss the progress of their applications.
DesiOPT
DesiOPT is another amazing OPT tracker which allows you to track the status of your OPT for F1 students. In this tracker, you can join the conversation by adding your case and creating an account.
Check USCIS
Last on the list is CheckUSCIS.com which collects data directly from the USCIS official website and displays it to students in an easy-to-understand manner. This tracker also provides you with related statistics to convey you’re not alone because there are many other students waiting for the updates on their application status.
OPT Frequently Asked Questions
OPT is one subject every student has a lot of questions about, especially the first-timers. The confusion is natural as this is the first time students join internships and jobs. Here are a few frequently asked questions that we have tried to answer for you:
What Is the Duration of OPT Employment Authorization?
The average USCIS processing time to issue the OPT Employment Authorization Document, also called EAD, is 3 months or 90 days.
How Long Does OPT Take to Process?
The average time to get the Employment Authorization Document can vary between 90 and 120 days. That said, most students get their cards within 7-10 days after approval.
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The Wrap Up
Joining an OPT is an important time for students. On one hand, they are excited about the new phase in their life, on the other hand, the uncertainty about their OPT application status could leave them worried. If that’s the case, it is highly recommended to stay updated with the OPT trackers that we talked about in this article.
What are your views on this? Which OPT tracker do you stay updated with? Let us know in the comments below.
Frank Gogol
I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.