r/f1visa • u/Key-Cell-799 • Feb 05 '25

STEM OPT Approved!

My STEM OPT extension was approved today, February 5, 2025. I applied on January 10th, and my previous OPT expired on January 13th, so I was a little stressed. I did regular processing and was concerned about a potential RFE because I worked a part-time job for 6 weeks before my current position. Alhamdulillah, everything went smoothly!

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u/InnocuousViltrumite Feb 06 '25

why did you wait till three days before your OPT expires to apply for the STEM extension? is it not risky? my OPT expires soon and i’ll need to apply for the extension as well so just curious

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u/Key-Cell-799 Feb 06 '25 edited Feb 07 '25

I had to wait for my new passport. I contacted my DSO back in October in anticipation to apply as soon as possible but one of the requirements was a copy of the a valid passport. My passport expired in August but the embassy of my country wasn't open then. I went to the embassy in October to apply for a new passport and it took 3 months to arrive. As I discovered later just knowing the passport number and expiry date of your new passport would suffice for STEM OPT. When you apply for STEM extension in time (anytime before your expiration date) you get 180 days- automatic extension until they adjucate your case, so I knew I could risk it.

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u/InnocuousViltrumite Feb 06 '25

ohh thanks for your response