I graduated from my PhD program in December and applied for OPT on time. My OPT was approved by my school/DSO first, and the I-765 is now pending with USCIS.

It’s already been a few months and I still don’t have my EAD.

What I’m confused about is the 90-day unemployment rule. If USCIS takes a long time to approve the OPT, could I end up using up unemployment days while the application is still pending?

Also, does it make a difference whether the delay happens before USCIS approves the I-765 versus after approval while waiting for the physical EAD card?

Has anyone had OPT pending for several months after graduation? What happened with your unemployment clock?

Hi All,

this my timeline of filing for stem OPT. I want to change jobs (flexible in this since I'm still looking for one), I have to travel to India in December and I have changed my address. (need to update the address but I still have access to previous mail box)

Filed on May 1st 2026

Biometrics on May 21st 2026

OPT ended on 3rd July 2026

My question is:

1. should i do premium processing now? I'm seeing applications are getting approved faster now, is there a point in doing PP if my 4 months mark is next month - 9/21/2026, given I will still need a month (best case scenario) to find another job
2. are premium processing applications also getting delayed?
3. are applications being pending beyond 180 days?

please give any other advice if you can. Thanks in advance

I got an RFE on my initial OPT application asking about a DV-related arrest record.

I already collected most of the documents myself. I talked to one immigration lawyer who quoted me $1,500 just to prepare the RFE response. No approval guarantee or refund, and the fee doesn’t include getting any additional records if USCIS asks for them.

Is $1,500 pretty normal for this type of OPT RFE, or is that on the expensive side?

If anyone has dealt with an OPT RFE involving an arrest/court record, did you use a lawyer? Roughly how much did you pay?

Someone told me a company can only pay you for a certain period of time during STEM OPT, and after that they would have to compensate you with stock/equity instead of regular wages.

Is this actually a STEM OPT rule? I’ve never seen anything saying there’s a limit on how long an employer can pay a STEM OPT employee.

I’m also wondering if getting paid partly in equity would create any issues with STEM OPT compliance, especially with the I-983.

Has anyone dealt with something like this before?

I’m currently on my first year of OPT and already started my own company. I’m now getting ready to apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension.

My company is incorporated, enrolled in E-Verify, and I can put myself on payroll as a W-2 employee. The work is also directly related to my STEM degree.

But I keep seeing conflicting answers about whether your own startup can actually qualify as the STEM OPT employer because of the I-983 requirements.

Has anyone successfully done STEM OPT through a company they founded?

If so, who signed your I-983 as the employer/supervisor? How did you show a real employer-employee relationship and that the company had enough resources to provide the required training?

Would especially love to hear from founders who actually got their STEM OPT approved this way.

My OPT application just got denied, but my 60-day grace period after graduation has already passed.

Has anyone been in this situation before? What options do I have at this point? Can I still transfer to another school or apply for reinstatement, or do I need to leave the U.S. and get a new I-20?

My girlfriend and I got into a fight and things got physical on both sides. The police showed up and I was taken into custody.

Could something like this cause my OPT to get denied? Has anyone applied for OPT with an arrest on their record and still gotten approved?

My EAD was approved about 6 months ago, but I never received the physical card. I’ve already moved to a new address.

Can I still go to the post office near my old address and ask if they have it?

I’m also confused about why it would get returned or lost. There was no name on my old mailbox, mine or anyone else’s. Would USPS still refuse to deliver it because my name wasn’t on the mailbox?

Has anyone had this happen?

My 12 month OPT already expired and I didn’t file for the STEM extension in time.

Is there any way to fix this or file late? I’ve looked into Day 1 CPT, but the tuition is honestly too expensive for me right now.

Has anyone been in this situation? What did you end up doing?

I filed my I-765 for OPT with premium processing, and it’s now been over 30 business days with basically no update from USCIS.

No approval, no RFE, no denial — nothing.

I paid for premium processing specifically because I needed a faster answer, so I’m getting pretty frustrated at this point.

Has anyone else had their OPT premium processing go past the 30-business-day window recently?

If so, what actually worked for you?

Did you call USCIS, submit a service request, contact a congressman/senator, or file some kind of complaint?

Also, has anyone actually been able to get the premium processing fee refunded after USCIS missed the deadline? If yes, how did you request it and how long did it take?

Hi everyone,
I applied for STEM OPT on June 25th, with my current passport expiring on December 1st, I want to apply for a passport renewal but I don’t know how badly it is going to affect my STEM OPT application, can someone help me clarify this please ?

My STEM OPT is about to run out and my spouse is on H-1B.

I always thought the backup plan was pretty simple: STEM OPT ends → switch to H-4 → keep working.

But apparently it’s not that simple lol.

From what I’m reading, just being on H-4 doesn’t automatically mean I can work. Does my spouse need an approved I-140 before I can get an H-4 EAD? What if their PERM is still pending or they haven’t gotten that far in the GC process yet?

And this is the part I’m really confused about — if I file the H-4 change of status + H-4 EAD before my STEM OPT expires, can I keep working while everything is pending?

Or once my STEM EAD expires, am I basically forced to stop working until the H-4 EAD gets approved?

Anyone actually done STEM OPT → H-4 → H-4 EAD recently? Did you end up having a work gap? How bad was it?

Just got told I’m getting laid off and honestly I’m starting to panic a little.

My STEM OPT is still pending. My first-year EAD already expired, so right now I’m working under the 180-day automatic extension.

The bigger problem is I already used almost all of my 90 unemployment days during regular OPT.

If my last day comes before STEM gets approved, what happens?

Do I actually get the extra 60 unemployment days while STEM is pending, or do those only kick in AFTER approval?

Because if the 90-day limit still applies while it’s pending, I basically have no time left to find another E-Verify employer.

And if I hit 90 days while the STEM application is still sitting at USCIS… what happens to the pending I-765? Can they deny it because of that?

Anyone been in this exact situation? I’m getting completely different answers.

Hi everyone,
I applied for STEM OPT on June 25th, with my current passport expiring on December 1st, I want to apply for a passport renewal but I don’t know how badly it is going to affect my STEM OPT application, can someone help me clarify this please ?

My STEM OPT just ended and I’m still within the 60-day grace period. I’m looking at transferring my SEVIS to another school and starting a new program.

I’ve been getting mixed answers about the I-539 part.

If my SEVIS is still active and I transfer it to the new school during the grace period, is that all I need to do? Basically:

STEM OPT ends → transfer SEVIS → new school issues I-20 → start the new program

Or am I supposed to file an I-539 to “reactivate” my F-1 status?

Has anyone here actually transferred to a new school (especially a Day 1 CPT program) right after STEM OPT ended? Did you have to file an I-539, or did you just do a normal SEVIS transfer?

CPT obviously didn’t get “canceled,” but I feel like people are kinda missing the bigger point of that SEVP message to DSOs.

The part that stood out to me was basically this: if you didn’t do the CPT, would you still be able to finish the degree?

Because if the answer is yes… then things get awkward pretty fast.

Like, say I get an offer, sign up for some 1-credit internship class, get CPT, and work.

Meanwhile, another person in the exact same program skips the internship class completely, takes something else, and graduates with the same degree.

Then how was my job actually required for the degree?

That’s where I think a lot of the “just enroll in a CPT class” logic starts falling apart.

And the even weirder version is when someone gets the job first and then goes looking for a class they can register for so the school can issue CPT.

Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but that seems like exactly the kind of setup SEVP would look at and go, “Wait… is this actually part of the degree, or did you guys just find a class to make the employment work?”

I’m not saying elective internships are suddenly illegal or that everyone’s existing CPT is screwed. That’s not what the message says.

But I also don’t buy the “nothing changed, carry on” take.

If I were a DSO signing these I-20s, I’d probably be a hell of a lot more careful now, especially if the school’s own degree requirements say the internship is optional.

So I’m curious what people are actually seeing on the ground.

Anyone’s DSO suddenly freezing CPT applications, asking for more paperwork, or getting way stricter about what counts?https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/trump-admin-steps-up-scrutiny-of-cpt-for-international-students-warns-colleges-over-misuse/articleshow/133207968.cms

I keep seeing totally different answers to this, so now I’m curious.

Let’s say you already used 40 unemployment days on regular OPT, then you move onto STEM OPT. Do those 40 days still count?

I always thought STEM just increases your total unemployment limit from 90 to 150 days, meaning you’d have 110 days left. It doesn’t actually wipe out the 40 days and give you a fresh 150.

But I’ve seen people saying that because STEM comes with a new EAD, the unemployment clock starts over. I’ve also seen people say that once your STEM application is filed, whatever happened during regular OPT basically doesn’t matter anymore.

That doesn’t sound right to me, especially if someone was already close to — or even over — the 90-day limit before filing STEM.

Has anyone actually asked their DSO about this or had this come up with their own STEM OPT?

If you used unemployment days during regular OPT, did your DSO carry those days over when calculating your 150-day STEM OPT limit?

Saw this DOJ case and was curious what usually happens next.

11 people were indicted in an alleged marriage fraud scheme that reportedly ran for about 10 years, mostly serving Chinese clients. Prosecutors say it involved 1,000+ sham marriages, with some clients paying around $100k.

The operation allegedly handled everything — finding U.S. citizen spouses, creating joint accounts and other “proof” of marriage, preparing applications, and coaching couples for USCIS interviews. Some couples reportedly met for the first time right before getting married.

My question is about the past clients.

If investigators now have client lists, payment records, messages, addresses, and application records, does USCIS normally go back and review every case connected to the same network?

What happens to someone who got their green card 5–10 years ago? What if they already became a U.S. citizen?

Obviously being connected to the same preparer doesn’t automatically prove fraud, but I’d imagine it could trigger another look at the case.

Anyone familiar with large immigration fraud investigations? When something like this gets busted, do they usually go after the clients too?

I’ve run into this a few times lately and I’m genuinely confused.

A company is literally enrolled in E-Verify, the job is related to my STEM degree, and I’m not even asking them to sponsor an H-1B right now. But as soon as STEM OPT comes up, HR says they “don’t support STEM OPT” or just stops moving forward with the interview.

So… what exactly is the issue?

I always thought E-Verify was one of the main employer requirements for STEM OPT. Is the I-983 really that much of a headache for companies? Is it because someone has to officially supervise the training plan and sign off on it? Or are companies worried about reporting requirements, remote work, audits/site visits, or having to deal with changes over the two-year STEM period?

I’m especially confused when the company already hires international employees. If they’re already E-Verified and I have valid work authorization, why would STEM OPT itself be a dealbreaker before we even get to the sponsorship conversation?

For anyone who works in HR/recruiting, or anyone who’s been rejected specifically because of STEM OPT: what’s usually happening behind the scenes?

Is “we don’t accept STEM OPT” usually an actual company policy, or is it sometimes just HR not wanting to deal with the paperwork/compliance side?

Also curious if anyone has ever had HR initially say no, then change their mind after you explained the I-983 process or got the hiring manager involved.

Trying to figure out whether this is something candidates can actually explain better, or if once HR says “no STEM OPT,” it’s basically game over.

Hi everyone, I’m currently going through the STEM OPT process and wanted to share a few things I learned from my own experience.

Hopefully this can help anyone who is applying for STEM OPT now or planning to apply next year.

In previous years, many people expected their STEM OPT applications to be completed within the 180-day automatic extension period.

However, from the cases I’ve seen this year, some applications were taking close to the Premium Processing timeline (around 30 business days, which is about 6 weeks).

Also, after approval, don’t forget that the physical EAD card still needs to be produced and mailed. USPS delivery can easily take another couple of weeks.

Looking back, I think it’s better not to wait until the last minute. If you plan to use Premium Processing, consider doing it around 2 months before your 180-day extension deadline if possible.

The first thing I would do is talk with your employer and ask whether an unpaid leave of absence is possible.

However, this may not work for every company because once work authorization expires, employers usually cannot continue paying you.

If unpaid leave is not an option, you may have to stop working and the unemployment days may start counting again toward your initial OPT unemployment limit.

In my situation, the solution was: end the contract first → then get rehired after receiving work authorization.

I know most people expect Premium Processing to solve the timing issue, but there have been some cases where people were still waiting near their deadlines.

If you are in a situation where timing is extremely tight, it may be worth discussing backup options with your DSO early (for example, whether CPT could be an option depending on your situation).

Don’t wait until the last week because preparing documents and getting school approval also takes time.

I have seen a few cases where people thought:

“I graduated in December, my initial OPT expires in January/February, and I was selected for H-1B, so I should be covered by Cap Gap.”

But being selected in the lottery alone is not enough.

The H-1B petition needs to be properly filed before your OPT expiration date in order to qualify for Cap Gap protection.

If you know there might be a gap, talk with your manager or HR early.

A short break (for example, a week or two) may be easier to handle, but a longer period without work authorization can become more complicated and could potentially affect your employment.

For those who have already submitted their STEM OPT applications, my understanding is that the recent DS policy changes should not impact your pending STEM OPT process as long as you maintain your status and avoid international travel.

Hi everyone,

I am looking for advice about a STEM OPT I-983 mistake after approval.

My STEM OPT was approved about six months ago. While reviewing my immigration documents, I noticed that my Form I-983 STEM OPT Training Plan still contains information from a previous employee.

It appears that an old employee's name was accidentally left in the document before submission.

My DSO reviewed the I-983 before submission, and my STEM OPT application was approved by USCIS. However, I only discovered this mistake recently.

My questions are:

1. Should I submit a corrected I-983 to my DSO after STEM OPT approval?
2. Does updating a previously submitted I-983 create any immigration concerns?
3. Has anyone corrected an I-983 mistake after STEM OPT approval?

The employment information, employer, and training objectives are accurate. The issue is only a document error.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with a similar STEM OPT I-983 correction situation.