Questions to ask your DSO before applying

Use your DSO meeting to confirm your individual dates, eligibility, recommendation and reporting duties—not just which form to submit. Bring your I-20, immigration records, prior training history and any job offer.

General educational information, not individualized legal advice. Confirm current requirements with your DSO and official sources.

Eligibility and dates

  • What is my actual program completion date, and do my enrollment and prior CPT or OPT history affect eligibility?
  • Which application am I making—pre-completion OPT, post-completion OPT or STEM OPT—and what are my earliest and latest filing dates?
  • What start date makes sense for my circumstances, and what happens if USCIS has not approved my application by then?
  • Do my I-94 and current admission record impose any additional deadline I need to address?

School recommendation and application

  • What documents does the school need, how long does its review take, and when will the recommendation be entered in SEVIS?
  • How do I verify and sign my updated I-20? What should I do if I cannot file within the recommendation's validity window?
  • For STEM OPT, does my degree's CIP code qualify, and who checks the employer's E-Verify information and Form I-983?
  • Who should I contact if I receive a request for evidence, denial, or an EAD with incorrect details?

Employment, reporting and travel

  • What evidence should I keep that my job relates to my degree and meets the hours and employment requirements?
  • How do I report my address, employer changes and unemployment, and which changes go through the SEVP Portal versus your office?
  • Can you review my travel dates and application status before I book, and confirm which documents and travel signature I need?
  • What happens to OPT if I transfer schools, start another degree or pursue a different immigration status?

Leave with a written plan

  • Record the agreed dates, remaining documents and the school's contact instructions. Ask for clarification if school guidance and USCIS instructions appear inconsistent.
  • Your DSO recommends OPT and manages the school SEVIS record; USCIS decides the application. For status problems, a denial or complex travel issues, ask whether you should consult qualified immigration counsel.

Official sources

Next step

Explore the Visa Checker

Explore potential immigration pathways. This tool does not determine OPT eligibility or replace your DSO's advice.

What you can find here