USCIS Update Regarding Applicants Filing Form I-765 for OPT

By: USCIS

The below is a message from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).


USCIS continues to experience delays at certain lockboxes in issuing receipt notices for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, based on eligibility categories described in 8 C.F.R. 274a.12(c)(3), relating to optional practical training (OPT) for F-1 students. While we have made progress in addressing the delays, we would like to provide additional clarifications and reminders:

What USCIS Is Doing

We are aware of the impact the delays have had on nonimmigrant students. The USCIS lockbox workforce continues to work extra hours and redistribute its workload, while maintaining COVID-19 protection measures, in order to minimize delays. Once we open and process your application, we print and mail the receipt notice. We are working to prevent receipting delays from resulting in a payment that is past its validity date. 

The USCIS Service Centers are aware of the impact of these delays and will work as quickly as possible to process Form I-765 applications for OPT. 

What You Can Do

If you have already filed your application and are waiting for your receipt notice, we appreciate your patience. Currently, we recommend that you wait eight weeks before contacting us to inquire about your case status. We are working as quickly as possible to complete the intake of all filings. As a reminder, you can create a free USCIS online account, check the status of your case, and our current processing times from your mobile device, anywhere, anytime using our case status online tool.

USCIS will continue to monitor this situation and will announce any additional changes on our website, www.uscis.gov.  

For more information on USCIS and our programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook (/uscis) and Instagram (@USCIS).

Kind regards,
Public Engagement Division
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services