How to change your OPT jobs on your F-1 visa

One of the great things about working on the OPT extension of your F-1 visa is that it’s not employer-dependent. You’re free to make a change to a new employer if you want. All you need to do is:

• Secure a new job offer.

• Report the change of employer to your university.

• Keep all your employment documents.

Can you change jobs on an F-1 OPT visa?

Yes. An OPT change of employer is perfectly legal and does not violate any of the terms of your F-1 OPT visa.

As with all things immigration, there’s still stuff you need to do to make sure you’re on the right side of the law.

When it comes to changing jobs on OPT, here’s what you need to know:

How to change jobs on your OPT visa: things to keep in mind

Whenever your employment status changes while working on your OPT, the most important thing you need to do is to report these changes to your school as soon as possible. This applies whether you take a job with a different company or you accept a new position with your current employer.

Any and every change of job must be reported while working on the OPT extension of the F-1 visa.

Documents required for changing jobs on your OPT visa

While you may only need minimal information for reporting at this stage, it’s critical that you keep all records pertaining to each job (even your previous OPT employment) as you may need to show proof of employment (and that it was related to your field of study) for future visa applications and processing.

In general, you’ll need an employment letter or contract proving:

• your position and job title

• the duration you held that position

• description of your work and responsibilities

• contact information for your supervisor

Believe it or not, that’s more or less all you need to do to maintain legal status when changing jobs on your OPT.

Changing jobs on OPT? Think about your non-collateral student loans

Although there are any number of reasons you might consider a change of employer while on the OPT, one of them is surely the pay check that comes with your new position.

If you’re earning more, now’s a great time to pay a little more towards your international student loan. These extra payments will:

• Reduce the amount of interest you pay and, therefore, the total cost of your loan.

• Help you to repay your student loan faster.

Can you work two jobs on your OPT visa?

The short answer: Yes! You can work multiple jobs on OPT.

You can accept multiple full-time jobs, part-time jobs, or a combination of both while on your OPT. One critical aspect of the post-completion OPT is that there’s no cap on the total number of hours you work. (There are definitely emotional and physical caps, but those are personal.)

So, you can have multiple jobs while working on your OPT. But you and your employer need to meet the following criteria:

• Each job you have must relate to your field of study. And, if your job title doesn’t make it clear that your degree enabled you to take this position, you’ll need a letter from a supervisor on letterhead which outlines your work (and how it relates).

• You must work a minimum of 20 hours per week at each job you have.

• All employment (and periods of unemployment) must be reported to your school.

• If you’re working on the STEM extension of OPT, you must be paid at fair rates for your work. (You can accept unpaid or volunteer work while on the standard OPT, as long as it meets all other criteria - including the relation to your field of study, but not while using the additional 24 months of the STEM extension.)

What if you lose your job while on OPT?

Again, the most important thing is to report this change to your school. While on the initial 12 months (or whatever time you were granted) of the OPT, you may be unemployed for a maximum of 90 days (including weekends).

Once you reach a total of 90 days, you also forfeit the 60-day grace period to leave the US given to those who successfully complete their OPT work period. In other words, you’ll need to leave the country before those 90 days are up.

Keep in mind that you’ll also need to report this information to your school. Leaving without reporting your exit might preclude you from securing visas to the US in the future, should the opportunity ever arise for you to do so.

Above all, it’s critical to report changes to the international office at your school as quickly as you can. And, if you have any questions regarding your OPT visa or what should be reported, be sure to get in touch with your university, even if you consult with an immigration lawyer or the international HR specialists in your office.

The purpose of this guide is to provide prospective students with an overview of the application process for a US student visa and should not be regarded as legal or immigration advice or as a substitute for the official information published by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from time to time or any instructions and/or advice provided by US embassies and consuls. Whilst we have carefully compiled the guide in accordance with the information published by USCIS, Prodigy Finance Limited does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, mistakes, omissions or outdated information in the guide and we encourage prospective students and other readers to consult the USCIS’s website. Prodigy Finance Limited is not authorized by the Department of Justice (DOJ)'s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to provide immigration services and will not provide any additional information or assistance to any person to apply for a US student or other category visa.

If you want to know how to improve your international student credit score, how to show funds for i20, H1-B visas or companies that sponsor H1-B visa, H1-B to green card, or if you are at an even earlier stage and simply preparing to be an international student, check out more great articles in our Study Centre.

For any other information about Prodigy Finance, or our student loan process, feel free to check out do browse our site, or register for a webinar to have your questions answered by one of our team.