United States: on post-graduation OPT, write down the days without work. The total cannot pass 90 days. With a STEM extension, the combined total cannot pass 150 days
NewGrade ABig benefitFreedomFreeLittle timeSome willpower
OPT (Optional Practical Training) is the permission the United States gives F-1 students to do practical work after graduation. During this period your status rests on having work. If the days without work add up past 90, the status can be ended. With a STEM extension (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), the combined total before and after cannot pass 150 days. If the school system has no employer on file, that also counts as not working.
- Cost
- No cost. Write down the start and end dates of every stretch without work. As soon as you find a job, report the employer information to the school. The hard part is that when the job search goes badly, the days keep climbing.
- Benefit
- 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(E), in the U.S. federal immigration regulations, says that during post-completion OPT, status depends on whether you have work. The total days without work must not exceed 90. With a 24-month STEM extension, the total across the whole OPT period must not exceed 150 days, and the stretch before the extension counts. The official explanation from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) says: if the SEVIS record has no employer information, it counts as not working. When the total reaches 90 days, an SEVP official can manually terminate that student's status. SEVIS is the U.S. record system for international students. Application timing, from the page of USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services): you can apply starting 90 days before graduation, and at the latest 60 days after graduation. After the school enters the recommendation in SEVIS, you must file within 30 days.
- Notes
- This item is current as of October (10) 14, 2026. The OPT rules are changing. There are 2 things to watch. First, the stayed new rule in item 2 (the lawsuit over the new F-1 rules) changed "apply within 60 days after graduation" to 30 days. The text the eCFR site shows now is the wording of the new rule, so the safest course is to file before you graduate. Second, on October (10) 8, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security proposed fees for OPT. The first OPT would cost 70000 US dollars, and each later OPT 30000 US dollars. This is only a proposal. Comments are collected until November (11) 9, 2026. It is not in effect. If you plan to stay and work in the United States after you finish, count this possible sum before you pay tuition, and check again before you file.
Sources · 4
- 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(E)、(f)(11)(i)(B). ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter…
- U.S. ICE SEVP, SEVIS Help Hub. F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT). studyinthestates.dhs.gov/sevis-help-hub/stude…
- USCIS. Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students. uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/studen…
- DHS (2026). Optional Practical Training Fees（拟议规则，2026-10-08 公布）. federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/08/2026…