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If you do not yet have a Social Security Number (SSN), you will be required to have one for tax reporting purposes. You may apply for a SSN after you have received the EAD card and the begin date on the card has been reached.

If you already have a SSN, do not apply for a new one. Social Security Numbers are for life.

You do not need your SSN to begin working. On your first day of employment, you will be asked to complete employment paperwork. If you do not yet have your SSN, you may write “applied for” in the space where the SSN is to be provided. Once you receive the Social Security Card in the mail, provide the number to your employer.

For important information on travel while you're applying for OPT, refer to the Travel and Re-entry to U.S. While on OPT page.

If your F-2 dependents travel outside the U.S. and reenter without you during your OPT period, they should carry their own original documents along with photocopies of all the documents you are required to carry for reentry. The list of required documents is provided in the Travel Advisory.

It is recommended that you keep documentation of all your employment. In the future, you may be asked to provide proof that your employment during OPT was in your field of study.

Specifically, you should maintain evidence — for each job — of the position held, proof of the duration of that position, the job title, contact information for your supervisor or manager, and description of the work

If it is not clear from the job description that the work is related to your degree, we highly recommend that you obtain a signed letter from the employer's hiring official, supervisor, or manager stating how your degree is related to the work you performed. Keep this in your personal records.

All OPT employment, including post-completion OPT, must be in a job that is related to your degree program.

This employment may include the following (does not apply to students on a STEM extension):

Paid employment

• Students authorized for post-completion OPT must work at least 20 hours per week (full-time) to avoid unemployment. Please see more information at the and the .  

Multiple employers

• Students may work for more than one employer. It is acceptable to have multiple part-time employments which, together, add up to the full-time employment requirement of at least 20 hours per week in order to avoid accruing unemployment. All employment must be related directly to the student's degree program and all employment must be reported via the SEVP portal. Students must retain detailed documentation for each employment for their own records.
  
  Employment during pre-completion OPT cannot exceed the allowed per week cumulative hours.

Short-term multiple employers (performing artists)

• Students who are musicians and other performing artists may work for multiple short-term employers (gigs). The student should maintain a list of all gigs, the dates, and duration. If requested by DHS, students must be prepared to provide evidence showing a list of all gigs.

Work for hire

• Work for hire means that an individual performs a service based on a contractual relationship rather than an employment relationship. It is sometimes called “1099 employment” because people who “work for hire” receive Internal Revenue Service Form 1099-MISC – which shows how much money was earned for a particular year – from the contracting company. If requested by DHS, students must be prepared to provide evidence showing the duration of the contract periods and the name and address of the contracting company.

Self-employed business owner

• Students on OPT may start a business and be self-employed. In this situation, the student must work full time. The student must be able to prove that he or she has the proper business licenses and is actively engaged in a business related to the student's degree program.

Employment through an agency

• Students on post-completion OPT must be able to provide evidence showing they worked an average of at least 20 hours per week while employed by the agency.

Unpaid employment

• Students may work as volunteers or unpaid interns, where this does not violate any labor laws. The work must be at least 20 hours per week for students on post-completion OPT. These students must be able to provide evidence from the employer that the student worked at least 20 hours per week during the period of employment.

Students are required to report changes in employment and address to your SEVP Portal Account. Please see the detailed information on the website page of "Steps to minimize complications - When you Receive the I-797 Approved Notice and EAD."

Students on post-completion OPT are only allowed a total of 90 days of unemployment.

What counts as “unemployment time”

• Unemployment time is counted each day during the OPT dates indicated on the EAD.
• Students who have OPT extended due to the cap gap provisions continue to accrue unemployment time and are subject to the 90-day limitation on unemployment.
• If you have a job offer that begins more than 90 days after your OPT begins, you will exceed your allowable unemployment time. Receiving a job offer within the 90 days is not sufficient, you must be employed in one of the employment types listed above.
• If you travel outside of the United States while unemployed, the time spent outside the United States will count as unemployment against the 90 day limit.
• Permanently leaving the U.S. without notifying the Office of International Affairs result in the accidental accrual of unemployment. For this reason, you must contact the OIA if you decide to abandon your OPT.

What does not count toward “unemployment time”

• If you travel abroad while employed either during a period of leave authorized by an employer or as part of your employment, the time spent outside the United States will not count as unemployment.
• Days of unemployment that occurred before April 8, 2008.

Consequences of exceeding allowable period of unemployment

• If you exceed the allowable period of unemployment while on post-completion OPT, you are considered to have violated your status.

If you cannot find employment that meets the definition of OPT employment, you may have the following options:

• Apply to ������-Dearborn or another university to continue your education by a change of level or transferring to another institution. See Starting a New Program below.
• Depart the United States (be sure to notify the OIA if you abandon your OPT and leave)
• Change status to another legal status if possible

If you decide to abandon your OPT before the end date of your EAD and leave the U.S., you must notify the Office of International Affairs so we can end your SEVIS record.  We will end your SEVIS record effective the date you indicate you plan to leave the U.S. or the date you notify us, whichever is later. If you do not notify us, you may continue to be billed for health insurance.

During the period you are authorized for OPT, you may decide to apply to another academic program, either at ������-Dearborn or another University. Once you are admitted to another degree program, it is important to discuss the situation with an advisor at the Office of International Affairs, as the issuance of a new I-20 will effect/terminate your OPT. Please call the OIA to request an appointment (appointments may be in-person or by telephone). If you are admitted to a degree program at another University, the