After Graduation

Per federal Department of Homeland Security regulations, F1 student visa holders can apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) after they complete their US degree.

For more information on OPT, including information on how to apply, please visit our Initial OPT webpage.

Per federal Department of Homeland Security regulations, F1 student visa holders may remain in the US up to 60 days after their degree completion. After those 60 days, you are required to leave the US, if you do not take further action (such as applying for OPT, for a new program, or changing your visa status).

Please be sure to notify our office using the Graduation Notification Form in your International Student Portal if you plan to leave or if you have already left the US. This will help us to properly maintain your SEVIS record.

Please note: If you leave the US without taking other action first, you will need to apply for a new visa type or obtain a new I-20 with a new SEVIS ID number to be able to return to the US. Once you leave the US, you are not eligible to apply for OPT.

Once you complete your degree from WT, you are welcome to apply to a new degree program.

Important Deadlines

Per federal Department of Homeland Security regulations, you must be admitted into and have your I-20 for your new program within 60 days after your degree completion date.

Please be aware of document processing times. Application and I-20 documents are processed in about 5-8 business days.

To Apply for a New Program

1. Step 1: Apply for Your New Program

   • Login to your Applicant Portal
     • If you have forgotten your username or password, do not create a new account. Doing this will create many issues for you. Please email us at internationaladmissions@wtamu.edu and we can provide you with this information.
   • Click the "Application History" tab at the top of the page
   • Complete and Submit application to new program

   Step 2: Submit All Required Documents for Your New Program

   • Once you submit your new application, you will see a checklist of documents that you will need to submit
   • You will need to pay the $90 application fee for your new program

   Documents You Won't Need to Submit

   • Your WT Transcripts & Degree Completion Certificate
   • Proof of English Proficiency
   • Foreign Credential Evaluation (unless you have attended a non-US institution since your previous application to us)

   Step 3: Obtain Admission Decision for New Program

   • Submitted application documents takes about 5-8 business days for us to process. Once all required documents are submitted and processed, we will send your file for admission review to your new program, or make an admission decision for you (bachelor's level only)
   • Once an admission decision is made, you will receive a decision letter by email

   Step 4: Submit Change of Education Level Request

   • You will need to submit currently dated finances for your new program, using the most up-to-date I-20 costs
   • For details on acceptable financial verification documents, please visit here
   • To submit your new finances, you will need to submit the Change of Education Level request in your International Student Portal.

   Step 5: Receive I-20 for Your New Program

   • Once all I-20 documents are submitted and approved, we will issue you a new I-20 for your new program. You will be able to access this I-20 from your International Portal.

Once you complete your degree at WT, you can apply for a new program at a different US institution.

Important Deadlines

Per federal Department of Homeland Security regulations, you must be admitted into and have your I-20 for your new program within 60 days after your degree completion date.

To Have Your SEVIS Record Transferred to Your New School

Please be sure to review our Transfer Out webpage for information and instructions on how to have us transfer your SEVIS record to your new school.

If you will change your visa type within the US, we strongly recommend obtaining the services of an experienced immigration attorney. Our office is not able to assist students in changing their visa status.

If you do apply for a change of visa status, please be sure to notify our office that you have applied.

You will also need to notify us once the change of status is approved (or denied).

You can do this by uploading your I-797 Receipt Notice to your International Student Portal. You will use the Document Uploader request to do this.

The above 2 parts are super important: USCIS does not always properly update SEVIS records, so it's important that you notify our office of changes so that we can properly maintain (and close if necessary) your SEVIS record.

Important Deadlines

Per federal Department of Homeland Security regulations, F1 student visa holders have 60 days after degree completion to take action on their immigration status.

If you will change your visa status, please be sure to start the process within 60 days after your degree completion