F-1 Students' Work Authorization Filing Options Now Available Online On April 12, 2021, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new filing policy for certain F-1 students to receive their work cards in light the past year's extensive adjudication delays in issuing receipt notices and the adjudication of I-765 applications. This pertains to F-1 students seeking optional practical training (OPT), who can now file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, through an online portal if they are filing under one of these categories: (c)(3)(A) – Pre-completion OPT; (c)(3)(B) – Post-completion OPT; and (c)(3)(C) – 24-month extension of OPT for science,