I-765 pre-completion OPT, category (c)(3)(A)
Pre-completion OPT: work while you study, and check it before you file
Pre-completion OPT lets an F-1 student work in a job related to their major before graduating, after one full academic year. We fill Form I-765, check your dates and your DSO recommendation, and show you the report before you pay.
No account, no card. Money-back guarantee.
- Part-time while in session
- Dates checked for you
- Money-back guarantee
Last updated
- $99Preparation price
- 20 hrsWeekly cap while school is in session
- 90Days early you may file
- 100%Money-back guarantee
TIME COMES OUT LATER
Every month of pre-completion OPT is deducted from your post-completion OPT. Part-time pre-completion OPT is deducted at 50%, and full-time at 100%. Twelve months of full-time pre-completion OPT leaves no post-completion OPT. Do not start work until your EAD is approved and its start date arrives.
Who can apply
Are you ready for pre-completion OPT?
Your time in status, your school, and your past training decide this. We ask each one, then check it against the rules.
- 01
One full academic year done
You have been enrolled full-time for one full academic year at an SEVP-certified school. Other nonimmigrant time can count toward that year.
MOST COMMONCheck my timing - 02
Your first year ends within 90 days
You may file up to 90 days before the year ends, but you cannot start work until it is complete.
FILE EARLYCheck my timing - 03
You used full-time CPT
Twelve months of full-time CPT at this level bars post-completion OPT, and ICE applies the rule to OPT generally, so confirm with your DSO. Less than that does not block it.
CHECK CPTCheck my timing - 04
You already had some OPT
Earlier pre-completion OPT at the same level reduces the post-completion time you have left.
PRIOR OPTCheck my timing - 05
You are about to graduate
If the work would start after your program ends, you are looking at post-completion OPT instead.
GRADUATINGSee the OPT page - 06
You are in an English-only program
An English-language-only program does not qualify, and the work must relate to your major.
NOT ELIGIBLE
What you get
One Form I-765 built for your F-1 category
Your category controls the questions, checks, and document list.
- PRE-FILING AUDIT
10 checks before you file
We check category and status matching, prior training history, the five category rule sets when applicable, the right category for this application, required fields, and field content before you pay.
Your category saved once
Choose the category at the start. It carries into Form I-765 so you do not answer the same question again.
Dates checked against the right rule
Program end, EAD expiry, and DSO recommendation dates are handled according to the selected category.
A document list for your path
The checklist reflects the school, degree, employer, training-plan, or hardship evidence your category needs.
How it works
Apply for pre-completion OPT in four steps
Your answers save as you go.
Check your year and history
Tell us when you started, any past CPT or OPT, and when the work would begin. No account is needed.
Get the DSO recommendation
Your school official enters the OPT recommendation in SEVIS and issues an updated Form I-20. USCIS does not accept the request before that.
Complete Form I-765
Work through the form in plain English. Your category (c)(3)(A) and school details are filled from your answers, then you read the report.
File with USCIS
Download the packet and file no earlier than 90 days before you finish your first full academic year. Wait for the approved EAD before you work.
Pre-filing audit
See the checks before you file
The report covers one category match check, prior training history, five category rule sets when applicable, a right-category check, and two form-integrity checks.
Status and category
- F-1 status and selected I-765 category match
- No category left over from another work permit
- Prior OPT and practical training history
Category rules
- Pre-completion OPT requirements
- Post-completion OPT requirements
- STEM OPT extension requirements
- International organization requirements
- Severe economic hardship requirements
Form integrity
- Required fields complete
- Field content validation
Compare your options
Three ways to prepare Form I-765
Compare the form, category guidance, checks, and price.
Swipe to compare all three
| Feature | Do it yourself | Immiva | Traditional immigration attorney |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay to prepare it | Free | $99 | Varies by firm |
| Form I-765 | YesThe blank USCIS form | YesFilled from your answers | YesPrepared for you |
| F-1 category | NoYou select and enter it yourself | YesSaved from the category check | YesSelected for you |
| Error checking | NoNo built-in review | Yes10 checks before payment | YesA person reviews it |
| Document list | NoA generic checklist | YesBuilt for your selected category | YesTailored to your filing |
| Preparation price | YesFree | Yes$99 after you see the report | Varies by firm |
Your OPT EAD application
Form I-765, the applicable pre-filing checks, your document list, and filing instructions.
$99The USCIS filing fee is separate and paid to the government.
Covered by a money-back guarantee. Read the guarantee terms
Common questions
Pre-completion OPT questions, answered
Eligibility, hours, filing dates, and how it affects later OPT.
It is optional practical training an F-1 student uses before completing their program, in work directly related to the major. You apply on Form I-765 under category (c)(3)(A), and you need the approved EAD before you work.
You need one full academic year of full-time enrollment at an SEVP-certified school, a program that is not English-language-only, work related to your major, a DSO recommendation in SEVIS, and no 12 months of full-time CPT at this level (that bars post-completion OPT, and ICE applies the rule to OPT generally, so confirm with your DSO).
Up to 20 hours a week while school is in session. You may work full time when school is not in session, such as during breaks.
All pre-completion time is deducted from the 12 months of post-completion OPT. Part-time time counts at 50%, so one year part-time costs 6 months. One year full-time costs the full 12 months.
After your DSO enters the recommendation in SEVIS, and up to 90 days before you finish one full academic year. You may not start work until you finish that year and your EAD is approved.
Ask your DSO for the recommendation, then file Form I-765 with the fee, your updated Form I-20, and photos. Immiva prepares the form and checks your dates before you file.
CPT is training your school authorizes through your DSO as part of your program, with no EAD from USCIS. Pre-completion OPT needs Form I-765 and an approved EAD. Immiva does not handle CPT, and 12 months of full-time CPT bars post-completion OPT. ICE applies the rule to OPT generally, so confirm with your DSO.
USCIS publishes current times and they change, so we do not quote a number. You cannot work until the EAD is approved and its start date arrives. USCIS processing times
Immiva's preparation fee is $99, paid after you see the report. The USCIS filing fee is separate and varies by filing method.
OPT guides
Read this before filing
Timing, the STEM extension, costs, and what to do if you miss a filing window.
- OPT processing time in 2026How long you wait after filing Form I-765, from the DSO recommendation to the card arriving.Processing time
- Form I-765 OPT application guideThe form, category, school step, evidence, and filing process.Complete guide
- Post-completion OPT from start to finishHow to work for up to 12 months after graduation, and the timing rules that catch students out.Post-completion
- STEM OPT extension guideHow the 24-month extension works, including Form I-983, E-Verify employers, and when to file.STEM extension
- STEM OPT eligible degreesHow to check whether the CIP code on your I-20 qualifies you for the STEM extension.STEM degrees
- Form I-765 document checklist for OPTWhat USCIS expects with your application: your I-20, photos, the fee, and proof of your category.Checklist
- I-765 OPT filing fee in 2026What USCIS charges now, what premium processing costs on top, and which older fee figures to ignore.Cost
- OPT filing deadlinesThe 60-day window after graduation, and the 30-day limit tied to your DSO recommendation.Filing window
- Filing Form I-765 after an OPT deadlineWhat to check when the program or DSO recommendation window may have passed.Deadlines
- Why OPT applications get deniedThe usual reasons, and what you can do in the 30 days after a denial.Denials
Related pages
Other OPT and work permit pages
The full OPT application covers every F-1 work category. The work permit hub covers the other statuses.