You Graduated! - Now What?
Your Options
Depart the USA
Transfer
Apply for OPT
Students have 60 days from the program end date to file an application for standard post-completion optional practical training (OPT).
Notes
If you are planning to depart the United States after completing a program of study or post-completion OPT, you are required to do nothing more than depart the United States within the 60-day period, following any required departure check-out procedures at the particular port of departure. The student’s SEVIS record will be automatically changed by the SEVIS system from “Active” to “Completed” after the grace period expires.
If you plan to transfer to begin a new program, please note that you must submit a transfer application start attending classes within five months of the last day you attended classes (or the end date of post-completion OPT) or the next available session, whichever comes sooner.
If you plan to move to a new academic level at Klamath Community College, the level change most be initiated before the completion of the 60-day grace period, and you must start attending classes within five months of the last day you attended classes (or the end date of post-completion OPT authorization) or the next available session, whichever comes sooner.
if you plan to APPLY for OPT, please note that the 60-day grace period is an outside limit for filing the I-765 OPT application with USCIS. The 60-day period is limited by an additional requirement under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(11)(i)(B)(2), which requires the Form I-765 and I-20 in support of post-completion OPT to be received by USCIS no later than 30 days after the DSO updates SEVIS with the OPT recommendation. This means that the OPT application must be received by USCIS on or before the earlier of two dates: 60 days from the program end date, or 30 days from the date the DSO updated SEVIS with the original OPT recommendation. USCIS will deny OPT applications received more than 30 days beyond the date of the DSO recommendation in SEVIS, even if they are received before the end of the 60 day grace period.
All students should meet with an International Programs Advisor during their last term (or earlier) to discuss their options.