On April 12, 2021, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that F-1 students seeking optional practical training (OPT) can now file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online as long as they are filing under one of these categories:

(c)(3)(A) – Pre-Completion OPT;
(c)(3)(B) – Post-Completion OPT; and
(c)(3)(C) – 24-Month Extension of OPT for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students.

“USCIS remains committed to maximizing our online filing capabilities,” Tracy Renaud, the senior official performing the duties of USCIS director, said in the press release. “The I-765 online filing option allows eligible students to file forms online in a more user-friendly fashion and increases efficiencies for adjudicators.” Optional Practical Training, or “OPT”, provides temporary employment authorization for students with F-1 status in degree programs to gain experience in jobs which are directly related to their major area of study. Online filing is beneficial in that it “allows applicants to submit forms electronically, check the status of their case anytime from anywhere, and receive notices from USCIS online instead of waiting for them in the mail.”

Importantly, USCIS notes that as of now the option to file Form I-765 online is only available to F-1 students filing Form I-765 for OPT. Applicants who submit Form I-765 online to request employment authorization on or after April 15 who are eligible for a different employment authorization category will have their application denied and USCIS will retain the filing fee. USCIS notes that they are continuing to transition to paperless operations and are working to expand I-765 online filing to additional categories.