OPT after graduation: timelines, eligibility and the steps that keep your F‑1 status clean

If you’re on an F‑1 visa and graduating this term, Optional Practical Training (OPT) is the main way to work legally in the U.S. in your field. The rules are precise: you only get one 12‑month shot per degree level, the filing window is narrow, and reporting is mandatory. This guide spells out what you can do after graduation, the dates you cannot miss, and how to layer a 24‑month STEM extension or a cap‑gap if an H‑1B is coming next.

Who is eligible and what work counts after graduation?

Post‑completion OPT is open to F‑1 students who have completed at least one full academic year and are finishing a degree. After approval, your job must be directly related to your major, as DHS explains in its SEVP guidance on determining a “direct relationship” between employment and your field of study (Study in the States).

You get up to 12 months of OPT per degree level. During post‑completion OPT, you may accrue at most 90 days of unemployment, tracked in SEVIS; students who later add STEM OPT have a combined unemployment limit of 150 days across the full OPT period (DHS SEVIS Help Hub).

The hard dates: when to apply after graduation

USCIS sets a strict filing window for post‑completion OPT under category (c)(3)(B): you may file Form I‑765 up to 90 days before your program end date and no later than 60 days after it. In addition, USCIS must receive your I‑765 within 30 days of the date your DSO enters the OPT recommendation in SEVIS (USCIS Form I‑765 page). Missing either condition leads to a denial, per DHS guidance to schools.

After your OPT ends, or if an application is denied, F‑1 students normally have a 60‑day grace period to prepare to depart the U.S. or take another compliant action, according to ICE’s employment overview (ICE SEVIS).

Picking a start date you can actually use

Your requested OPT start date must be within the 60 days after your program end date. You cannot begin working until USCIS approves your case and the employment start date printed on your EAD arrives. Filing very late in the window can reduce the time you can actually work if approval comes after your requested start, so build in processing time.

STEM OPT: adding 24 months if your degree qualifies

If your major is on DHS’s STEM list and your employer participates in E‑Verify, you can request a 24‑month extension of OPT under category (c)(3)(C). USCIS allows filing the STEM extension up to 90 days before your current OPT EAD expires. You must complete Form I‑983, a training plan that your DSO reviews before issuing the STEM OPT‑recommended I‑20 (USCIS; Study in the States). During STEM OPT, the total unemployment allowance across your full OPT period is 150 days, per DHS’s SEVIS guidance.

Cap‑gap if an H‑1B is in the works

When an employer files a cap‑subject H‑1B petition requesting a change of status with an October 1 start date, the cap‑gap can automatically extend your F‑1 status and, when applicable, your OPT work authorization so you can keep working until H‑1B takes effect. USCIS clarifies the mechanics, limits, and scenarios when the extension ends if the H‑1B is rejected or withdrawn (USCIS cap‑gap guidance).

The application, step by step

1. Get the DSO recommendation. Ask your DSO to add the OPT request in SEVIS and issue a new I‑20 showing the OPT recommendation. Do not file before this step; USCIS requires receiving your I‑765 within 30 days of that recommendation.

2. File Form I‑765 in the window. Submit online or by mail under category (c)(3)(B) no earlier than 90 days before and no later than 60 days after your program end date; ensure USCIS receives it within 30 days of the SEVIS recommendation.

3. Watch for your receipt and EAD. You cannot work until the EAD is approved and the start date on the card arrives.

4. Report your job within 10 days. DHS requires F‑1 students to report changes in name, address, employer and loss of employment to the DSO within 10 days; schools typically route this through the SEVP Portal for students on OPT and STEM OPT (ICE SEVIS practical training).

How to check yourself as you go

• Filing window check: Is your I‑765 within the 90‑days‑before/60‑days‑after window and within 30 days of your DSO’s SEVIS recommendation? Verify against the USCIS “When to file” table for category (c)(3)(B).
• Job relevance check: Can you explain how every role relates to your major using DHS’s direct‑relationship guidance? Keep short notes in case of future review.
• Unemployment counter: Track days off the job so you stay under 90 days on post‑completion OPT (or 150 with STEM). SEVIS counts this using your employer entries.

Where this sits among your degree and visa choices

If you’re just mapping out study options, read how degrees, programs and visas fit together in one place in the section guide: degrees, study programs and student visas. Comparing countries? You can also scan our primers on a UK Student visa or an Australia student visa.