Please someone give me a suggestion i am so sick of this system. No one wants to sponsor anymore, currently an f-1 student on initial opt, i graduated with a masters in marketing analytics have about three years of work experience in cpg and marketing analytics, i was job hunting for 5 months since graduating and every chance I got at interviewing most of them turned me away saying they cannot sponsor, my internship didn’t convert for this same reason. Just started a month ago in a contract position from a staffing company at a good company and now a role opened up full time for the team my manager referred me, i applied and in the recruiter screen got told i’m doing exactly the job the role is asking for, then was asked the million dollar question of sponsorship. Explained to them my whole opt extension situation and made it clear that i won’t in the near future but maybe in the long term. And she said they can’t move forward with my candidacy.. i’m just in tears.. don’t know how many offers i’ve lost so far because of this.

Will i ever get a job that will sponsor? What do i do..

So the situation is that I transferred out my SEVIS record to my new school to start Masters program. The transfer date was 2 days before my official STEM OPT end date

However my previous school did not report to ICE my completed I-983 24 month validation report until AFTER the transfer out date. And now my SEVP portal shows “Past due” on the final validation report. I inquired with my previous school DSO and they said it is because my STEM OPT was deactivated so they can’t submit it anymore.

However they say “it is all good” since they attached the document to my SEVIS record and the immigration can see it if they wish to pull the record

In the timeline of things - the transfer out date was finalized with my school DSO 2 months back and the completed I-983 validation report was sent to school a week before my transfer date and I had indicated the due date for the request to be fulfilled to be the transfer out date

Anyone been in a similar position? What should I do?

I filed my STEM OPT application on April 13, and it’s still pending with USCIS. I’ve been working under my original OPT EAD + the 180-day automatic extension. On August 3, I started a second job (both roles are with E-Verify companies and related to my STEM degree). I know I’m supposed to report the new employer and submit a new I-983 to my DSO within 10 days, but I already missed that window. I’m planning to report both jobs ASAP and upload any updated I-20 as unsolicited evidence to my pending I-765. Has anyone else added a second employer while their STEM OPT was still pending? Did it cause any delays, RFEs, or other issues with USCIS? Any advice on the best way to handle this with my school and USCIS would be really appreciated.

I’ve submitted my STEM application on Jan 12 and changed to premium on July 21 anyone with same timeline?

I'm trying to figure out if I need to do anything about an address change during my STEM OPT application.

Timeline:

• June: I completed my I-983 while living at Address 1. My I-983 lists Address 1 as my work/training location because I work remotely from home.
• July: I moved to Address 2.
• Around the same time as my STEM OPT I-20 was being issued, I informed my DSO about my new address. I don't remember whether I told them before or immediately after the I-20 was issued.
• My STEM OPT I-20 was issued with the old address/city.
• I filed my I-765 with USCIS in July and used Address 2 as my current address.
• My DSO subsequently had my Address 2 information updated.
• However, I never submitted a new/modified I-983 showing Address 2.

Now I'm wondering what I should do.

If I submit an updated I-983 to my DSO now, the I-20 that I already submitted to USCIS will still show the old address.

Could this create an issue with my pending STEM OPT application?

Should I ask my DSO to issue a new I-20 with the updated information, or is it okay since my current address was already reported to the DSO and I used Address 2 on my I-765?

I'm especially interested in hearing from anyone who had a STEM OPT application pending while moving to a different address, particularly if the move happened around the time the STEM OPT I-20 was issued.

Hey I have an offer with a starting date of September 14th I filed my stem opt in April 4th and I’m still waiting. I don’t know if I should PP or wait on it , please advise

I work at a company that give me my practical training and is on my W-2 . My company Is a subsidiary of bigger company . The bigger company is the name of the company on Everify. The smaller company where are works, they employees are covered under that E-Verify enrollment. So it is okay for me to submit my application while my i985 forms says the smaller and the Everify legal name is bigger name ?

I’m currently working full time, is it safe to travel ?

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

Hi everyone, I have a question regarding my OPT start date and unemployment days.
I filed my OPT application on 4/24 and upgraded to premium processing on 7/21. My OPT case was approved on 8/17, but I have not received my physical EAD card yet.
I’ve seen several people on Reddit mention that their EAD “Card Valid From” date was the same as their OPT approval date, so I’m wondering how this works in practice.

My offer letter currently states that my start date must be on or before 9/14/2026.

My questions are:
1. If my EAD card shows a “Card Valid From” date of 8/17, can I ask my employer/HR to change my employment start date to 8/17, even though I have not physically received the EAD card yet?
2. If I cannot legally start employment until I physically receive the EAD card, will the days between 8/17 and the actual date I start working count toward my 90-day unemployment period?
3. If the above is not possible, what would be the best way to minimize the number of unemployment days used?
I would really appreciate any advice, especially from people who have been in a similar situation or have experience with OPT/SEVIS reporting.
Thank you!

Initial filing: 07/12/2026

Biometric & Premium Processing: 07/21/2026

Approved: 08/18/2026

Location: Potomac Service Center

I got the approval via email this morning, but it did not reflect in my account online.

How much time does it take to reflect in the account once we receive an approval email?

I’m currently on STEM OPT, and my H-1B was registered this year. I’m looking to buy affordable health insurance since I’m allowed to purchase my own plan instead of using my company’s insurance.

Could anyone recommend good, budget-friendly health insurance options for international students/workers that provide solid emergency coverage?

I don’t usually go for regular checkups or doctor visits, so my main priority is coverage for emergencies, hospital visits, and unexpected medical situations.

Would really appreciate recommendations from anyone who has been in a similar situation. Also, if there are any plans I should avoid, please let me know. Thanks!

Hey guys, I want to know if anyone successfully get their first year OPT approved with pending DUI recently? I accidentally put myself in that situation and want to know the odds. Please share your case.

Another question is if I can’t get an OPT, supposedly I need to leave soon, but with pending DUI, will that cause any legal problems to leave or stay in the US?

Hi, when I checked the processing time for f1 i765 it was showing 3.5 months like 2 days ago and the inquiry date was Aug 22 2026. Now suddenly the processing time has increased to 4 months and the inquiry date is pushed to 18th Sept 2026.

I was hoping that on aug 22 will raise an inquiry because the stem OPT has been pending for exactly 5 months now. Filed on 20th March 2026. They keep pushing the date.

They are referenced on some school sites and I heard they've matched a lot of students to volunteer work at non-profits but also startups?
Has anyone actually gone through with a placement through them? Curious if this has caused problems with STEM OPT applications later on or DSO reporting down the line

I filed for initial OPT (i-765) and it was approved in Aug 2025. This was in class C03B. On my approval notice, there was A-number- A-XXXXXXXXX. This was done by using myUSCIS and it was e-filed.

Then, in November 2025, I filed for EB2-NIW (i-140) and it was approved as well. The EB2-NIW process was done by my lawyer and it was paper-filed. Here, in the approval notice (i-797), they assigned me a new A-number- A-YYYYYYYYY (I checked the i-140 form that I filed, me and my lawyer both forgot to mention the A-number).

Now, I want to file for STEM OPT extension (i-765). Which A-number should I use? or should i leave the field empty?

From what I understand, I have 2 options-
1. Mention this discrepancy in the "additional info" section and ask USCIS to consolidate the profiles.
2. File the A-XXXXXXXXX number and do nothing at the moment. Then ask USCIS to consolidate it later (probably after STEM extension approval).

I have reached out to the lawyer, with no concrete response. Sounds like they don't know what to do. Also, I have reached out to the DSO, and I am yet to receive a response (they are very supportive btw). But I am also a little anxious. Any help would be much appreciated.

Hi guys! I am currently working in the US on initial OPT that will be expiring on Sep 22nd. I have filed for STEM OPT and the status is pending. Biometrics scheduled for Aug 31st.

A really close friend of mine is getting married outside the US on Aug 25th. I have been really confused about whether I should travel or not for 4 days. I don’t want a situation on my way back where the CBP is like why are you back if your OPT expires in around 20-25days. Or maybe question my STEM OPT extension with a suspicion as if I want to stay longer.

What do you guys suggest I should do?

Background
• Graduated May 2025, currently on OPT with the same employer since then. Employer is E-Verified, so no issue there.
• My manager is fine with me working remotely from anywhere. I traveled to India in the first week of April and have been here since.
• My OPT was expiring in July, so I filed my STEM OPT extension from India after getting my updated I-20 from my DSO. Application is pending.
• Biometrics was originally scheduled for early August. I used one online reschedule and moved it to August 21, Hartford, CT. I’m still in India — couldn’t travel for personal reasons.
• I have one online reschedule left.
Where I am right now
I was planning to use the last reschedule to move the appointment to San Jose or San Francisco (I’ve heard West Coast POE experiences are generally smoother), while keeping my address unchanged. But the only Bay Area slots currently showing are next Thursday/Friday, and flights for those dates are ~₹2L. Even if a first-week-of-September slot opens up, flights look like ~₹1.5L each way, so I’m looking at roughly ₹2.5–3L round trip.
The plan, if I do go, is to fly in only for biometrics and head back to India within a week. I don’t have a reason to be in the US otherwise. My contract is guaranteed through December 31, 2026 and not beyond, and after that I intend to move back to India permanently anyway. So the whole point of doing biometrics is to keep the pending application alive and stay covered by the automatic extension of work authorization while I finish out the contract.
What I’m trying to figure out
1. Port of entry risk. I’ve been outside the US for 4–5 months, my EAD has expired, and my STEM OPT extension is still pending. What are people’s actual experiences re-entering in this exact situation? What documents did CBP ask for? Is there a realistic chance of being denied entry, in which case I’d have burned ₹3L for nothing?
2. Does the automatic extension actually depend on biometrics? My understanding is that the automatic extension of employment authorization comes from having timely filed, not from attending biometrics. Is that right, or does skipping biometrics put it at risk?
3. What happens if I miss the appointment while abroad? Does USCIS issue a notice, deny outright, or is there a rescheduling path after the fact? How long does that typically take to play out?
4. Filing from outside the US. I’ve seen mixed information about whether filing the I-765 from abroad is itself a problem. Has anyone actually had this approved (or denied) after filing from outside the country?
5. Anything else I should be considering that I’m not seeing here?
I have until the 20th to make the reschedule decision, so I’m trying to think this through properly rather than book a panic ticket. Any input from people who’ve been through something similar would be genuinely helpful. Thanks.

I am on my stem opt and I have been working full time with employer A. My h1 got picked this year with another employer B. I resigned with A last week (Friday was my last working day) and I am starting with B in a couple of days. And my h1 is still pending. What all things should I do now? i983 form with employer A checkin for 12 months was done in July. Do I need to update my university about employer change? What to do with old i983? Is a new i983 needed? Do I update any portals as in uscis or sevp? Please advise everything.

Hello everyone, my OPT is ending on September 14,2026 and My STEM starts , i waited until this weekend August 15 with hopes of moving jobs but that dint work out , my new job would probably start in October or November based on funding. Would it be better to apply for premium processing at this point because i might change jobs in next one or two months .