On February 26, 2021 USCIS announced flexibilities to certain applicants filing Form I-765 for applicants filing between October 1, 2020 through May 1, 2021. Highlights of the memo include:

• Ability to re-apply following USCIS denial: Students may be eligible to re-file the Form I-765 if the original petition was filed between October 1, 2020 through May 1, 2021 and USCIS subsequently rejected it. Please contact ISSO immediately for more information on eligibility and process.
• 14-Month OPT period flexibilities: Students may be eligible to file for an EAD Correction if they were not granted the full 12-months of OPT validity due to USCIS processing times and the requirement that the OPT end date may not be more than 14 months from the program completion date. If you think you may be eligible for this, please contact ISSO immediately for more information.
• Missing signatures: USCIS will send a Request for Evidence (RFE) rather than rejecting the application.

To read the full memo, please refer to the USCIS Extends Flexibilities for I-765 page: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-extends-flexibilities-to-certain-applicants-filing-form-i-765-for-opt