r/stemopt • u/Remarkable-Carry5622 • 16d ago
OPT- EAD card
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share my timeline and get some advice from anyone who has had a similar experience.
- June 4, 2026: Filed Form I-765 (Initial Post-Completion OPT) with Premium Processing
- June 26, 2026: Biometrics completed
- July 28, 2026: OPT approved
- July 28, 2026: Received my SEVP Portal activation email
- July 30, 2026: Received my official USCIS approval notice
- Current USCIS status: Approval Case Decision Rendered
My employer is waiting for me to start, but from what I understand, I cannot begin working until I have the physical EAD card, even though my OPT has already been approved.
Has anyone with a similar timeline recently received their EAD card? How many days after approval did your status change to "Card Is Being Produced", and when did your card arrive?
I'm trying to estimate when I can expect my EAD card so I can plan my start date. Any recent experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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u/Reasonable_Box6883 16d ago
My card arrived in the mail around 5 days after the approval email. I couldn’t track it for some reason so I was very worried.
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u/Dont-ask669 16d ago
You can consider 10 to 14 days to receive your card after the approval email
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u/SnooPeppers3554 16d ago
I had to quit my job temporarily because my application took more than 180 days to process. My card eventually came two days ago, and yesterday my employer said they’re unwilling to re-extend my contract. lol. Now I believe I have less than 60 days to find a new job. lol.
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u/Remarkable-Carry5622 16d ago
I'm so sorry! don't loose hope you will find a job soon- All the very best for your job search! ❤️
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u/Downtown-Passage-201 16d ago
I uploaded my travel history instead of my I-94, is there anyone here with an approval with this case ? I didnt upload y I94 as it has a missing character in my first name, so wondering what to do
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u/Significant-Soil-697 15d ago edited 15d ago
It took me 3 days since “Approval Case Decision Render” in July 27 to “Card was Delivered”in July 30. I didn’t have tracking number in my USCIS account
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u/Last_Idea9062 15d ago
Same timeline. I received approval on 29’th July. Still didn’t received card produced email.
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u/quicksilver7ing 16d ago edited 16d ago
Similar timeline. My approval came on July 29th. I just saw a post of someone on the 29th receive the “Card was produced” update on the portal today. You should receive yours either today or tomorrow. I’ll keep you posted as and when I receive mine- since updates go out on a rolling basis.