An OPT visa is not actually a separate visa. Optional Practical Training is a temporary work authorization that lets F-1 international students take jobs directly related to their major field of study, while keeping the F-1 student status they already hold. You can receive up to 12 months of OPT, and graduates with qualifying STEM degrees can extend that by another 24 months for a total of 36 months of authorized work experience in the United States.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students USCIS reviews and approves each application.
Who Qualifies
You must hold valid F-1 status and have been enrolled full-time for at least one full academic year at a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. Study-abroad semesters can count toward that year, as long as you completed at least one full academic term in the U.S. before going abroad.2eCFR. 8 CFR 214.2 – Special Requirements for Admission, Extension, and Maintenance of Status
The job you take must be directly related to your major. That single rule runs through every stage of OPT. Your Designated School Official (DSO) reviews your academic record, confirms you’re in good standing, and enters a recommendation into the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Without that electronic recommendation, you cannot file with USCIS.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 5 – Practical Training
The Three Types of OPT
Pre-Completion OPT
Pre-completion OPT lets you work while still enrolled. Part-time (up to 20 hours per week) during the academic year, or full-time during breaks and summer. The tradeoff is real: every period of pre-completion OPT gets deducted from your available post-completion time. Part-time work counts at half rate, so a full year of part-time work reduces your post-completion OPT by six months. A full year of full-time pre-completion work wipes out your entire post-completion allotment.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students Most students skip it to preserve the full 12 months after graduation.
Post-Completion OPT
This is what most people mean when they talk about OPT. Up to 12 months of full-time work authorization after you finish your degree, functioning as a bridge between school and the professional workforce.
STEM OPT Extension
If your degree falls on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List, you can apply for a 24-month extension on top of your initial 12-month post-completion OPT. The list covers more fields than most students expect. Beyond engineering, computer science, biology, and mathematics, it includes qualifying programs in agricultural science, certain business analytics degrees, and specific psychology and social science programs.4U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List Your school assigns a Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code to your degree, and that code determines whether you qualify. Ask your DSO if you’re unsure.
The STEM extension has stricter conditions. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and you and your employer must complete a formal training plan on Form I-983 before you apply. The training plan describes your learning objectives, how the job connects to your STEM degree, and how your employer will supervise your development. Your employer also has to affirm that you’re not replacing a U.S. worker and that your pay and working conditions are comparable to those of similarly situated U.S. employees.5Study in the States. Form I-983 Overview If the employer isn’t enrolled in E-Verify when you file, USCIS will deny the extension.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT)
What Counts as Employment
OPT employment is broader than a traditional salaried job. You can work for an employer, freelance as an independent contractor, or start your own business, provided the work relates to your field of study. Unpaid internships and volunteer positions also count, as long as they don’t violate federal labor laws.
For post-completion OPT, any arrangement must involve at least 20 hours of work per week to avoid accumulating unemployment days. Self-employed students need proof of a proper business license and evidence they’re actively engaged in work related to their degree. If you’re volunteering, keep documentation of your hours and tasks; not getting paid doesn’t excuse you from the 20-hour minimum or the field-of-study requirement.
How to Apply
The Deadlines That Trip People Up
For post-completion OPT, you can file up to 90 days before your program end date, but no later than 60 days after it. Miss that 60-day window and you lose eligibility entirely. On top of that, your Form I-765 must reach USCIS within 30 days of your DSO’s recommendation in SEVIS. Blow the 30-day deadline and USCIS will deny the application.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization
For the STEM extension, you can file up to 90 days before your current OPT authorization expires, and your application must reach USCIS within 60 days of your DSO entering the recommendation into SEVIS.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT)
What You File
The application centers on Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. You’ll select an eligibility category code: (c)(3)(A) for pre-completion OPT, (c)(3)(B) for post-completion OPT, or (c)(3)(C) for the STEM extension. Along with the form, you’ll need:
- Your updated Form I-20 with the OPT recommendation from your DSO
- A copy of your passport biographical page
- Your most recent I-94 arrival record
- Two passport-style photographs meeting USCIS specifications
- Copies of any previous EAD cards you’ve received
STEM extension applicants also need the completed Form I-983 training plan signed by both the student and the employer.5Study in the States. Form I-983 Overview
You can file Form I-765 online through the USCIS portal or mail a paper application to the designated Lockbox address. USCIS adjusts filing fees periodically, so check the current schedule at uscis.gov/g-1055 before submitting.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces FY 2026 Inflation Increase for Certain Immigration-Related Fees The wrong fee gets your application rejected.
After USCIS receives your application, you’ll get a Form I-797 Notice of Action with a receipt number for tracking. Processing times fluctuate and can stretch several months. Premium processing is available for I-765 through Form I-907, guaranteeing action within 30 business days for an additional fee on top of the base I-765 fee.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How Do I Request Premium Processing?
Requesting a Social Security Number at the Same Time
Form I-765 includes an optional section where you can request a Social Security number. If you fill it out completely, USCIS sends your information to the Social Security Administration, and SSA mails your card to the address on your application, usually within about two weeks of your EAD arriving.10Social Security Administration. Apply for Your Social Security Number While Applying for Your Work Permit Fill in every requested field, including your parents’ names and country of birth, or SSA may not be able to process the request.
The Rules That Apply Once You’re Working
The 90-Day Unemployment Cap
Once your post-completion OPT start date arrives, the clock runs on any day you aren’t employed. You get a maximum of 90 aggregate days of unemployment during your initial 12-month OPT period. A STEM extension adds another 60 days, bringing the combined limit to 150 days across both periods. Exceeding the limit results in SEVIS termination, which means you lose your F-1 status and must leave the country immediately with no grace period.
Employment must be at least 20 hours per week to stop the unemployment clock. Days accumulate regardless of whether you’re actively job hunting; interviewing or waiting on an offer doesn’t pause the count.
Reporting Changes
You must report any change in your name, home address, or employer to your DSO within 10 days.11Study in the States. OPT Student Reporting Requirements Address and employer updates can go through the SEVP Portal, but transferring schools or requesting travel endorsements requires your DSO’s direct involvement.
STEM OPT carries additional obligations. Every six months, you work with your DSO to verify that your SEVIS record matches your current situation, including employer name and address, employment status, and whether your training plan is still on track. Any loss of employment must be reported within 10 days.12Study in the States. Students: STEM OPT Reporting Requirements
Traveling Outside the U.S. While on OPT
Travel is possible but carries real risk, especially if your EAD hasn’t been approved yet. If your OPT application is still pending and you leave, Customs and Border Protection can deny you re-entry. If USCIS denies your application while you’re abroad, you have no way back in under that status. Most DSOs strongly advise against traveling until your EAD card is in hand.
If you do travel after approval, bring your valid passport, your I-20 with a travel endorsement signed by your DSO within the last six months, your EAD card, and a job offer letter if you have one. Re-entry without evidence of employment can raise questions at the border, especially during post-completion OPT when unemployment days are accumulating. Students on the STEM extension who have a pending H-1B change of status should not travel at all: leaving the country while that petition is pending can void both the cap-gap extension and the change of status request.
When OPT Ends: Grace Period and Cap-Gap
When your OPT authorization expires, you get a 60-day grace period to wrap up your affairs, provided you maintained valid status and stayed within the unemployment limits. In that window, you can prepare to depart, apply to change your visa status, or transfer your SEVIS record to a new school. You cannot work or re-enter the U.S. during the grace period.
If your employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf with a request to change your status, and the petition is selected in the H-1B lottery while your OPT is still valid, you may qualify for a cap-gap extension. This automatically extends your F-1 status and OPT work authorization through April 1 of the following fiscal year, bridging the gap between OPT expiration and the H-1B start date.13Study in the States. F-1 Cap Gap Extension No new EAD or additional USCIS fee is required. Employers exempt from the H-1B annual cap cannot use this provision, since they aren’t subject to the October 1 start date that creates the gap in the first place.