How F-1 OPT students can maintain status by volunteering for a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization

This blog post will explain to you how…

Are you an F-1 student in your initial year of OPT? If so, do you know that you can maintain status by volunteering for a nonprofit organization like RND4IMPACT INC?

All OPT employment, including post-completion OPT, must be in a job related to the foreign national’s degree program. For nonimmigrants who are not on a 17-month extension and where this practice does not violate any labor laws, this employment may include SEVP Policy Guidance 1004–03

Scroll down and click SEVP Policy Guidance on OPT. It will lead to this PDF document

Under section 7.2.1, it is stated as follows:

“Unpaid employment. A student may work as a volunteer or unpaid

intern, where this practice does not violate any labor laws. The work

must be at least 20 hours per week for a student on post-completion

OPT. A student must be able to provide evidence acquired from the