Lena's OPT (Optional Practical Training) Experience!

Hey guys! My name is Lena Nalchigar. I’m 23 years old and I moved to Santa Barbara around 3 years ago from my hometown in Sweden. After having finished 5 semesters at Santa Barbara City College, I received my Associate degree in Graphic Design and Photography and like most recent graduates, I wasn’t completely sure of what I wanted to do.

Studying abroad comes with plenty of exciting opportunities and possibilities. One of these is OPT (Optional Practical Training), which is basically a 12-month work permit to work in the United States after graduating from college. 

So, how do you apply for OPT? There are several steps in applying to OPT and a lot of paperwork to fill out. First, you need to fill out an OPT application and submit it to your college's International Student Services office. Your international advisor will provide you with a new I-20 and materials/checklist of what you will need to send to the USCIS. You will have 30 days from the date the OPT-endorsed I-20 was issued to send your application, or else you will be denied.

Graphic Design is a broad field and I chose to do my OPT before transferring to a 4-year institution. This allows me to gain hands on experience working alongside professionals in similar fields to get a glimpse of what my future work might look like and ultimately realize what I want to specialize in. Aside from this, many of the world’s biggest and most well-known companies have their headquarters here in the United States, so it is a great opportunity to gain work experience here. Finally, work experience is very helpful for growing your professional network. Learning about networking, strengths, weaknesses, what you’re good at and what kind of career you want to pursue and then ultimately, to deepen your knowledge and gain skills and experience in jobs that are related to your major.

There is a 90-day grace period from when the OPT officially starts to find a job, if you don’t find one during this time, your SEVIS is expired. In other words, you would have to go back home. Apply as early as you can - the earliest you can apply for your OPT is 90 days before graduation, but take into account the time that will take you to put your application together. Get all your forms in order beforehand so that when the day comes, you can just drop your application in the mailbox. Applying early is only about getting your EAD card (the physical Work Permit card required to be allowed to work in the U.S.) as soon as possible. Your OPT period start date—within 60 days of your graduation date—is completely up to you.

(Views from my new job in Santa Barbara)

When I applied for my OPT in February, I was told the process of receiving your EAD could take up to 4 months. In other words, I could be stuck in the US waiting for 4 months without being allowed to work. Luckily, I received my EAD in April. After receiving my card, my job hunt started. After almost 2 months of applying, I was hired at a Social Media Marketing Agency based in Santa Barbara. Right now at the agency, my responsibilities include helping clients with social media campaigns, creating ads, thinking of new and fresh content as well as monitoring our clients social media engagement. It is a very fun job and I learn something new every day. All the stress and hard work finally paid off, even when I thought It wouldn’t.

Looking back at the experience, there is nothing I would do differently. In a way, this is my first step into adulthood, and It has been a stressful, yet great and educational experience that I’ll never forget.