A Guide for Filling Out the I-765
Application for Employment
Authorization Online
Applying for STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT)Rev. 3.29.2022

Read USCIS Instructions
 This is a general guide to help you complete Form I-765. It is yourresponsibility to ensure that your I-765 is completed correctly, fully (withsufficient supporting documents and required evidence) and is filed ina timely manner.
 Please read the Instructions for the Form I-765 athttps://www.uscis.gov/I-765
 Following this guide does not guarantee approval of your OPT by USCISand should not be construed as legal advice.

Create an Account Visit https://myaccount.uscis.gov/
 Create an account A USCIS Account confirmation email will besent to you. Follow the instructions in theemail to confirm your account. It is
important that you timely check your Inbox
and/or other folders for the email withinstructions on confirming your account.

Terms of Use

Carefully read the terms ofuse and click “I Agree” tothe acknowledgement.

Password Creation
Follow the prompts tocreate a password andverification method.
Please keep your logincredentials confidential.
Then provide answers tofive security questions.

USCIS AccountClick on My USCIS to begin yourapplication.

Select “I am an applicant,petitioner, or requestor.”

Begin your Application
Click on “File a form online.”
Then select “Application for Employment
Authorization (I-765).” Then, click “Start Form.”Things to Keep in Mind

By filing online, you may berequested to appear in-person for
an interview or provide yourfingerprints, photo, and/orsignature. OPT applications do not
generally require biometrics.
If you receive a notice from USCIS
to appear for an interview orbiometric services appointment,
please contact your OISS advisor.

Getting Started: Basis of Eligibility

For STEM OPT Extension,
select (c) (3) (C) STEM
Extension, from thedropdown menu.

Degree and Employment

Enter your degree level and major.
Ex: M.S. Industrial Engineering

Check with yoursupervisor or HR staff
member to retrieve
your employer’s EVerify information,
specifically youremployer’s name aslisted in E-Verify andyour employer’s EVerify company
identification number.
An E-Verify number is 4
– 7 digits and is NOT
the employer’s EIN.

College Degree
Upload Evidence that your degree meets the STEM
requirements:o Official transcript from the Lehigh University
Registrar's Office- ORo Copy of your diploma that shows your degree leveland program of study* You do not need to upload both, but the evidence
that you upload should include the name of themajor and the degree earned.

Institution Accreditation

This is only required if you are applying for STEM OPT based on apreviously earned degree. If the STEM OPT extension is based on thesame degree as your current post-completion OPT, you would notneed to include this information.
If this applies to you, please contact your OISS Advisor for more
information about how to fulfill this requirement.

Getting Started: Reason for Applying
Selectsince STEM OPT is a different
employment category than your post-completion
OPT.
Selectif your OPT was authorized, but
your EAD card was lost, stolen, damaged, or needs
to be corrected and the correction is NOT due toUSCIS error.

Since you have previously applied for postcompletion OPT in the past, answer.

Getting Started: Preparer & Interpreter
Information

Answer: No.

About You: Your Name
Type your name exactly as it appears. (Note: USCIS has character limits
that may impact longer names on the EAD)

Type any othernames that havebeen used on any
official records or
documents (maidennames, nicknames,etc.).
If you do not haveadditional namesthat have been used
on official
documents, clickAbout You: Your Contact Information
Enter your contact information.

This address is where your I-797
receipt notice, approval
notice, and EAD card will besent. Typically we recommendthat you put OISS’s address:
In care of: OISS – Lehigh Univ
32 Sayre Dr
Bethlehem, PA 18015
If you don’t use OISS’s address,
to avoid documents being
sent to incorrect or oldaddresses. You must be listed
as physically residing there with
USPS or have indicated theperson living at the residence
in the “In care of name”
section.

About You: Your Contact Information,

If you use OISS’s address as your mailing address,
you must enter your physical/residential address
here even if you plan to move soon.
If your mailing address and physical address aredifferent, provide your current physical address.

About You: Describe Yourself
Select your Gender and Marital Status.

About You: When & Where Were You Born
Your city, town, or village, as well asstate or province of birth should betyped as indicated on your birthcertificate.
When completing this section, use thedropdown menu to select yourcountry of birth. If the country’s namehas changed or no longer exists,
select the name of the country as it
was named when you were born. If
that name is not listed, select thename of the country as it is namedtoday if the name has changed.

Remember to use U.S. dateformatting: month/day/year.

About You: Your Immigration Information
Fill in the blanks with theinformation directly fromyour passport.

List ALL of the countries thatyou are a citizen or national.
List the entire I-94
Number found on
your I-94 (from mostrecent entry into theUnited States). You
can access yourcurrent I-94 athttps://i94.cbp.dhs.g
ov/I94
Save your I-94 as aPDF. You will need toupload it later in theapplication.

Use the dropdown menu
and select F-1 Studenthere. *If you are notcurrently an F-1 Student,
please see an OISS
advisor.
Type your current SEVISID number, which canbe found on the top left
corner of your I-20 (itstarts with an N)

About You: Other Information
Please enter the USCIS
number from your postcompletion OPT EAD card.
If you do not have a USCIS
Online Account Number(most F-1 students do not),click “I do not have or know
my USCIS Online AccountNumber.”If have a Social Security Card/Number,and enter the number. Clickclick
if you do not.
If you do not have a Social Security Cardor if you have an SSN but need a.
replacement card, clickAbout You: Other Information

If you do not have a Social Security Cardand clicked “Yes” for a new Social
Security Card, complete this Section by:• Checking “Yes” to the “Consent forDisclosure.”• Type your father’s first and last names.
• Type your mother’s first and last names.

Evidence: Passport Photo
Follow the prompts and upload a recent passport photo.
It must be taken withindays of your application.

It must meet U.S. standards (2 inches x 2 inches)*Failure to submit a correct photo will trigger a biometrics
appointment.

Evidence: Form I-94
You can access your current I-94 athttps://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94
Upload the PDF of your most recent I-94 here, andkeep the PDF for your records.

Evidence: EAD or Government ID

This section is for evidence for yourgovernment-issued photo ID.
Since you have an unexpired EAD card,
upload a copy of the front AND back of theEAD card.
Additionally, you can, but are not required to,
upload a copy of a government issued
identification that shows your picture, name,and date of birth, such as the biographic pageof your foreign passport.

Evidence: I-20
Your I-20 with STEM OPT recommendation will be
you have submitted your OPT
issued to you
Extension request in iHome.
the I-20 and thenYou
upload it to the online application.
For STEM OPT, you must submit your online
application withdays of an OISS advisor issuing
your I-20.

Additional Information
This section can be used to clarify anything inyour application that may be confusing, suchas:• Previous OPT or CPT at a different
academic level• A different SEVIS I-20 number that you usedin the past, include:• Previous SEVIS ID• School name• Program start/end dates on I-20
• Program level• Previous immigration status that was used tomeet the full-year academic requirement(ex: H-4 changed to F-1)

Review Your Application

If you see any alerts orwarnings, address them,
you must address them.
If there are no errors,
you will see the green
check mark to indicate
your application iscomplete.

Review Application Summary

You must save the PDF for your records. You mustalso upload a copy to the OPT Extension request iniHome.

Statement & Signature
Check the statement attesting that you can understanding
English, and that you have read and understand everyquestion and instructions on the application, as well as theanswers to every question.

Check the statement attesting thatyou have read and agree to theapplicant’s statement.

Type your full name.

Then, prepare yourpayment.

STOP – Read these directions!!
STOP:- Do NOT add your signature- Do NOT make a payment- Do NOT submit your application
Please go to iHome to complete the OPTExtension Request e-form. Then wait until
your international advisor tells you what
to do next.

Communicate with OISS Part 1

Submit a STEM OPT Extension Request in iHome and upload the following documents : Your completed, unsigned Form I-765
 Both sides of EAD card
 I-983 training plan: Instructions on how to fill out I-983 can be found here.
 Optional: Job offer letter from a registered E-Verify company printed on official
letterhead.

Communicate with OISS Part 2
1. Now you must submit your STEM Extension Request in iHome and upload thefollowing documents:
 Your completed, unsigned Form I-765
 Your 2 x 2 passport photo I-94 record Copy of post-completion OPT EAD
 Official transcript from the Lehigh University Registrar's Office -or- copy of your diploma thatshows your degree level and program of study Completed, signed Form I-983 (include link to I-983 page on Study in the States) If STEM OPT extension is based on a previously earned STEM degree, provide school’s
accreditation by the U.S. Department of Education and SEVP certification

2.

After you have submitted your STEM OPT Extension request in iHome, yournew I-20 will be issued. You will need to print, sign and then upload the new
STEM OPT I-20 to your online I-765. Then you can continue to payment.
***DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR ONLINE APPLICATION WITHOUT AN I-20 FROM OISS***Ready to submit application!

Now that you have your I-20 with OPT recommendation, you are ready tosubmit your OPT application!
• Log back in to your USCIS online account and go to the Review andSubmit section.
• Remember, you must submit your OPT application withinreceiving your new I-20 with OPT recommendationofStatement & Signature
Check the statement attesting that you can understanding
English, and that you have read and understand everyquestion and instructions on the application, as well as theanswers to every question.

Check the statement attesting thatyou have read and agree to theapplicant’s statement.

Type your full name.

Then, prepare yourpayment.

Payment & Submission

Choose your method of payment. You canpay by electronic check, debit, or certain
credit cards.
Click on the blue
“Pay and submit”
button.

Finalize Payment

If you are using your checking or savings
account, enter your banking information(routing and account, which are at thebottom of your check).

If you are using your credit or debit card, enter
your personal and account information.

After Submission
 You will get a receipt number in your USCIS account right away. You can check occasionallyto see other status updates.
 Your approval notice and EAD card from USCIS will come to the mailing address listed in yourapplication. If your mailing address changes while the process is pending, submit a Change ofAddress with USCIS online or by calling 800-375-5283.
 If you used OISS’s address as your mailing address, please note there may be a delay as mail may
take an extra few days to come to our office from the mail room. We will notify you be e-mail as soon
as mail arrives for you.

 Notify an OISS advisor immediately if you receive a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Request for
Information (RFI). Email a copy of the RFE to your OISS advisor for assistance. Failure to respondto a RFE or RFI will lead to a denial of your OPT request.
 Check your EAD for accuracy (name misspelled, wrong dates, etc). If there are errors, email ascanned copy of the card with a description of the error to OISS.
 If you want to withdraw your OPT application after submission to USCIS and before it has been
approved, contact OISS.