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It covers OPT eligibility tied to the student’s major, pre- vs post-completion timing, typical duration, and STEM extension limits using E-Verify. For H-1B, it explains the specialty occupation requirements, annual cap and exemptions, lottery timing, filing timeline, and typical duration. For TN, it summarizes USMCA/NAFTA framework and admission eligibility and evidence presented to CBP.",{"@graph":63,"@context":119},[64,80,102],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":41,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/briefing-information-opt-h1b-tn-quick-facts-and-process/281268/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/briefing-information-opt-h1b-tn-quick-facts-and-process/281268.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Emma Wilson","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-27","2026-09-16",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":101},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",10,{"@type":103,"mainEntity":104},"FAQPage",[105,111,115],{"name":106,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":108},"What is Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 students, and when can it be used?","Question",{"text":109,"@type":110},"OPT is temporary employment directly related to the student’s major area of study. Students can apply for up to 12 months before completing studies (pre-completion/CPT) and/or after completing studies (post-completion), with pre-completion time reducing the post-completion period.","Answer",{"name":112,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":113},"How does E-Verify affect OPT STEM extensions?",{"text":114,"@type":110},"If an employer uses E-verify and the position is STEM related, OPT can be extended up to 24 months. If the employer does not use E-verify, the 24-month STEM OPT extension cannot be extended even if the student received it from another employer.",{"name":116,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":117},"What key steps and deadlines apply to the H-1B lottery and internal petition process?",{"text":118,"@type":110},"The timeline includes agency outreach for petition names in January with a due date in early February, pre-registration document submission by AGO, a $10 registration fee (plus attorney fees), USCIS notification by March 31, official filing starting April 1, and H-1B employment first day no earlier than October 1.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":121,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":123,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":125,"site_id":56},281268,1790024263,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":128},{"doc_id":125,"user_id":129,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":9,"category_id":40,"category_name":41,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":101,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":76,"language":136,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":140,"read_time":9},3848291630094,"https://eur-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_085a072bc5b1113ac321206ff7593b45","Briefing Information– OPT, H1B & TN  \nF-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT)  \nOptional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary employment that is directly related to an F-1 student’s major area of study. Eligible students can apply to receive up to 12 months of OPT employment authorization before completing their academic studies (pre-completion or CPT) and/or after completing their academic studies (post-completion) . However, all periods of pre-completion OPT will be deducted from the available period of post-completion OPT. See attached AGO Fact Sheet for OPT F-1 process.  \nQuick Facts:  \nTypically an OPT lasts for 12 months. If an employer uses E-verify and the position is STEM related a student can have OPT extended up to 24 months. However, an employer who does not use E-verify system cannot extend the 24 month STEM OPT, even if the student has received it from another employer.  \nE-Verify is an electronic program through which employers verify the employment eligibility of their employees after hire. In short, employers submit information taken from a new hire's Form I-9 through E-Verify to the Social Security Administration and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to determine whether the information matches government records and whether the new hire is authorized to work in the United States. E-verify is not legally mandated for employers to use. WSDOT and most Washington State agencies do not use the E-verify system, per direction of AGO. Agencies who do use it are contractual required to.  \nH1B  \nThe H-1B program allows companies in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific specialty, or its equivalent. H-1B specialty occupations may include fields such as science, engineering and information technology. This means that the classification the employee needs to have a requirement of a BA or higher or its equivalent in the specialty occupation – usually STEM field. Our Transportation Engineer classification would be eligible but a Transportation Technician position would not.  \nPlease note the H1B program is a lottery process. See attached AGO Fact Sheet for H1B process.  \nQuick Facts:  \nH-1B Cap: The current annual cap on the H-1B category is 65,000 . H-1B petitions submitted by Higher Education employers are not subject to the annual cap. Neither are H-1B extensions, H-1B transfers (H- 1B petitions for prospective employees who are currently employed in H-1B status with another employer), or amended petitions.  \nOnce the cap number has been reached, the USCIS will not accept any new cap-subject H-1B petitions for that Fiscal Year (October 1 – September 30) . USCIS resumes acceptance of cap-subject H-1B petitionson April 1, 6 months prior to the first day of the new federal fiscal year (October 1), but with a start date of H-1B employment no earlier than October 1.  \nSome petitions are also exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption provided to the first 20,000 petitions filed for a beneficiary who has obtained a U.S. master’s degree or higher.  \nCurrently, employees are able to stay on H1B status for 3 years and then can extend for an additional 3 years (6 years total) .  \nTimeline of Internal H1B Petition Process  \nIf the position meets the above, with appointing authority approval, the division/office can petition for employer base sponsorship through the H1B lottery. Below is an overview of the petitioning process:  \n• In January, Attorney General's Office will reach out to agencies for petition names that we will be requesting for H1B, usually with a due date of the first week of February. (Rafeaah Sok will email HR Managers requesting for names. )  \n• AGO will submit documents for pre-registration on agency’s behalf.  \n• Registration fee is $10. We are also responsible for any attorney fees estimated to be at a mi","cbCailRHu1p9hka8","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCailRHu1p9hka8","pdf",118409,"English","# F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT)\n## OPT overview and eligibility\n## Quick facts: duration and STEM extension\n# E-Verify and employer verification\n# H-1B\n## H-1B program requirements\n## Quick facts: cap, exemptions, and duration\n## Timeline of internal H-1B petition process\n# TN Professionals\n## USMCA/NAFTA background and eligibility\n## Quick facts: admission and required documentation","[{\"question\":\"What is Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 students, and when can it be used?\",\"answer\":\"OPT is temporary employment directly related to the student’s major area of study. Students can apply for up to 12 months before completing studies (pre-completion/CPT) and/or after completing studies (post-completion), with pre-completion time reducing the post-completion period.\"},{\"question\":\"How does E-Verify affect OPT STEM extensions?\",\"answer\":\"If an employer uses E-verify and the position is STEM related, OPT can be extended up to 24 months. If the employer does not use E-verify, the 24-month STEM OPT extension cannot be extended even if the student received it from another employer.\"},{\"question\":\"What key steps and deadlines apply to the H-1B lottery and internal petition process?\",\"answer\":\"The timeline includes agency outreach for petition names in January with a due date in early February, pre-registration document submission by AGO, a $10 registration fee (plus attorney fees), USCIS notification by March 31, official filing starting April 1, and H-1B employment first day no earlier than October 1.\"}]","Briefing Information - OPT, H1B & TN - Quick Facts and Process | PDF",1789565268]