Studying for finals, making travel arrangements home, and enjoying the winter holidays. This is what most Iowa State students deal with during the month of December, but for graduating international students the end of the semester is a focus on determining their future status in the United States.

This is because the months of December through February represent these students last chance at obtaining an OPT form, Optical Practical Training. Only through receiving one of these forms are students allowed to stay in the U.S after they have completed their degree credits, though a job or co-op opportunity.

As international advisor Jessica Fincham explains OPT allows students to work for 12 months after they finish their degree requirements.

“12 months is the post completion OPT, there are four forms of OPT; pre completion, post completion, cap gap, and stem extension,” Fincham said.”Most of the students, if not all right now, are asking for post completion, when they are nearing their post completion OPT and if they are a stem major that will allow them to gain an additional 17 months.”

The students Fincham is referring to are split into categories based on their education and timeline statuses in the U.S.

F status students remain at Iowa State throughout the entirety of their program whether it be a Bachelor’s degree of four years or at the highest six years with a doctorate. J students are part of an exchange program in which international students come to the states, learn and earn a degree, and then must return back to their country of origin to share their gained knowledge. There are also H-1B students who after completing a Bachelor’s degree or higher may work in the U.S temporarily, however out of the 4,000 international students on campus F and J status students.

Though usually misused a student’s status in the U.S through international study is not the same as his/her visa that was used to gain access to the country.

“A visa is the sticker in a passport, immigration status is the status such F,J, or H that they hold in the U.S and they must maintain that status,” Fincham said.”They may stay here legally with an expired visa however their immigration must always be active, once a student graduates they get a new status not a visa.”

Daniel Moraes, a senior in Chemical Engineering and international student of Brazil, is currently in the process of obtaining his OPT and beginning his post education career.

“ A few weeks ago I just accepted a job offer, so I’m going to start working for the company under my student visa, the OPT, so I have 12 months to work for the company,” Moraes said.”During that time the company applies for my work visa, the H-1B, if I don’t get the visa it means I’m going to have to go back home.”

As of recent the STEM extension program, that which allows students of technology, science, or math to stay in the U.S for an additional 17 months, has been in danger of being cancelled cutting down a student’s stay from 29 months down to only 12. Created in March of 2008 by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the program is often very sought after and remains handed out only through a large lottery system.

“It’s a big issue, stress wise, and with many students it’s a very popular topic right now,” Fincham said.

Talk of shortening or all together canceling the STEM program as well as the fear of not being chosen out of the lottery are pressures all too real for students like Moraes.

“When I first came I just wanted to study and wasn’t sure if I wanted to go back to Brazil to work there,” Moraes said.” During my time here I started dating someone, and we’ve been dating for about five years and think that family wise it would be best for us to stay here.”

From that point, finding a job was imperative for Moraes as it was the only way for him to stay in the U.S and start a life with a family.

“It’s stressful on her as well, if I don’t find a work visa I’m going to have to go back home and be on a long distance relationship for awhile,” Moraes said.

The first step in applying for an OPT begins with the application which must be completed 90 days before of 60 days after a student’s program completion. Most students will choose December 18th as their start date and February 16th the last day to apply. This application must be received by the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services in order to stay in the states legally while their request is being processed.

“Advisors will then recommend OPT and it printed on their I-20, they then must submit various documents to our office which is then mailed to the USCIS,”Fincham said.” This takes 90 days to process, they then get an EAD (employment authorization document) which they must have in hand before they start work.”

Having an EAD or even an OPT is not enough to stay in the states once the 12 month program has begun.

“If a student is unemployed for 90 days (after the OPT start date), works less than 20 hours a week, or is in a job that does not connect with their major they will be in violation of their OPT and will have to leave the states,”Fincham said.

Due to strict guidelines regarding job placement and a relatively short window of unemployment allowed before a student’s status is revoked, competition among those applying for positions is common as well as stressful. Moraes see the competitive nature of the lottery as a motivating point to be the best he can be.

“For an employer to like you, you have to be one of the best, there are a lot limitations due to the lottery,”Moraes said.”Because if in the future I decide I want to work somewhere, I really have to be one of the best candidates.”

In order for a student to stay in the U.S once they’ve been employed the company must sponsor the student, granting them a work visa.

“Why would someone want to take the risk of hiring someone that may not be able to stay in the U.S,”Moraes said.” So I get involved on campus and do everything I can to stand out, if they have an American citizen and an international student who are very similar candidates, why would they take that risk? I try to be my best so when they compare me with others they want to hire me even if there’s a small chance I won’t stay.”