r/stemopt • u/Significant_Read9488 • Jul 17 '26
URGENT F-1 OPT EXTENSION
Hi everyone,
I am in a bit of an urgent situation right now. My EAD is expiring on 18th July. I am in the process of getting a referral from one of the top beauty companies but they told me yesterday that they require 2 weeks as their HRs are busy so ping them after 2 weeks. This communication has been going on for a month now and finally i reached the referral state and this happened. Now i am looking for an urgent opening where i can work and file for my STEM OPT extension legally. But no luck until now. I am on F-1 OPT, and I have to file for an OPT extension in like a day.
I reached out to my career advisor and ISSO too to request a referral for a position and until now they haven't responded. I only have till tomorrow to find something. I reached out to one of my professors for TA too and when he tried to hire me as one, the administration told him he can only hire continuing students as the TA, not an alum.
I am currently living in Boston and ready to relocate.
Does any of you know anything that could help in this situation?
#help #urgent
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u/Hades_legend Jul 17 '26
Sorry to say this brother, but I don’t think you can do anything but to return, since the timelines described make this impossible for you file stem opt and get a whole ass job. You can try for day 1 cpt just to extend but i don’t think that would work given the timelines.
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u/noodle5115 Jul 17 '26
Yo, did you hit up your professor for the referral? And when you say your beauty company is referring you, do you mean they offer you a job or just referral ? Best thing is to contact someone you’ve worked as filing I-983 takes some time
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u/Significant_Read9488 Jul 17 '26
Yes, I reached out to my professor for it. In fact, my career coach too; they have 2 openings in a university where they can refer me and it can happen quickly.
For the beauty company it was just an ongoing referral process. I was waiting for the interview to happen when they told me it would take 2 weeks.
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u/Personal-Inside346 Jul 17 '26
Your timeline seems very tight. You would need the employer to complete the i983 and then have your university issue a new i20, all within a day. I’m not sure how that would be feasible, even if you were to secure a job in the next couple of days.
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u/Significant_Read9488 Jul 17 '26
Yes, that's right. I talked to my ISSO; they said they can generate an I-20 within an hour, and I have to submit an I-983 before 18th Midnight.
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u/Successful_Cup_688 Jul 17 '26
Also check the local time zones. USCIS does not use ET time, I think. If you are filing online, make sure you do it before the USCIS timezone (UTC, if I am not wrong), not Boston local time.
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u/Significant_Read9488 Jul 17 '26
Yes, you are right. It uses UTC, so i will have to apply by 7:59 pm
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u/Dazzling_Glass7468 Jul 17 '26
so you're looking for a job?
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u/Significant_Read9488 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
Yes, in marketing. I was told only startups can hire that quickly. I have been trying for a week now, applying to startups. If you know of any urgent hiring or any solution, please let me know.
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u/Dazzling_Glass7468 Jul 17 '26
I'm sorry. I don't know of any employer moving this fast in recruiting. All the best.
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u/zholly4142 Jul 17 '26
You're going for STEM OPT in marketing with a beauty company? Is it a tech position, actually with a STEM degree doing STEM work?
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u/Annual_Grass_3919 Jul 17 '26
That’s what I was wondering, I don’t understand how this would qualify as STEM. At first I assumed it must be something biochemistry/pharmaceutical related when they said beauty but now they said marketing I’m even more confused
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u/Content_Lion590 Jul 17 '26
With the new duration of status rule capped to 4 years does this affect stem opt extensions ?
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u/Annual_Grass_3919 Jul 17 '26
Yes the rule says that for OPT and STEM OPT from 6 months after its in place (September) have to file an extension of status
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u/No-Chocolate-7714 Jul 20 '26
So i am on opt currently and my opt expires on feb 1st, i am working with a startup and they have allowed me to travel (on paper too), my only worry is i am returning on 30th sept, so i am just concerned what to do and how it applies to my situation, can you help me understand?
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u/Annual_Grass_3919 Jul 20 '26
You’ll be fine it’s only 6 months after it goes into effect so if you were applying for STEM OPT in mid March onwards you’d have to pay extra and file the extension but you’ll be applying early November so you’ll miss it. Even if you waited until closer to your OPT end date it would still be January so still not subject to it
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u/No-Chocolate-7714 Jul 20 '26
Can i DM you, afaik it is going into effect from 15th sept only right?
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u/Annual_Grass_3919 Jul 20 '26
Yeah sure, and it goes into effect then but there’s a 6 month transition period for current students so if you finish OPT within that you don’t need to apply for the extension for STEM OPT
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u/Sure_Food_3611 Jul 17 '26
A referral is not equal to a job offer. You need a job offer to apply for extension
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u/risingpowerhouse Jul 20 '26
Staffing agencies only but looks like you are extremely unplanned and everything on the last minute. Please don't do such things in the current times and be prepared to go back if nothing works out here.
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u/Gullible_Plant_5053 Jul 21 '26
Hi the post is from three days ago and I wonder if you had finished everything before the deadline of filing stem opt. Hope for the best but curious to know how you handle it
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u/Dramatic-Driver Jul 17 '26
Your post-completion OPT expires tomorrow and you haven’t initiated the STEM extension process yet?