OPT Handbook for F-1 Students Office of Global Strategies & International Affairs
KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY IN ALL THINGS EXCELLENCE
If you have already mailed your application to USCIS, a request can be submitted to USCIS to halt processing. Your application fee will not be returned and we cannot guarantee that your request will be honored. Please contact your DSO for help.
If you have received your EAD card and wish to cancel the authorization, notify your DSO of your change in plans. A cancellation in this situation is highly unlikely. OPT applications are not meant to be cancelled.
8. I didn't submit my OPT application early enough, and I realize I might not get the OPT start date I requested. How do I know what date USCIS will authorize?
Unfortunately, it is difficult to estimate. The authorization depends on when the application arrives and the workload at USCIS. If they process your application after your requested start date, they might push back the start date to their day of processing, up to 60 days after your program end date. However, there is no way to predict what date it will be.
9. How long does it take to get the Receipt Notice/Notice of Action (NOA)?
Approximately two to three weeks after USCIS receives your application. You might verify with your bank whether your check has been cashed. If so, the NOA is likely on the way.
10. What shall I do if my application is taking a long time?
If your application has been pending for more than 5 months from the day the US government received your application, we suggest you take the following actions:
1. Check the status of your application on the USCIS website.
2. Let USCIS know that your case is outside normal processing time by submitting a case inquiry with them.
3. You can also call the USCIS Customer Service Center for the status of your application at 1-800-375-5283. You will have to submit your receipt number to them when you call.
If you have taken all of the above actions, 15 days after submitting a case inquiry, please contact your DSO. When you contact, be sure to tell your DSO when you last checked the USCIS website for your case status, when you submitted a case inquiry with USCIS, and when you called their Customer Service Center. Please also include a copy of your receipt notice from the USCIS on your OPT application.