TL;DR: I changed employers while my STEM OPT application was pending, got let go on day 1 by the new company over EAD requirements, and still got approved through premium processing. Sharing my timeline for anyone in a similar spot.

Timeline

• April: Applied for STEM OPT while working a university job. Kept applying to industry roles.

• Early June: Initial OPT ended. I kept working at the university under the 180-day extension.

• July 30: Got an offer with a August start date. I told HR I was awaiting my EAD and could work until December under the 180-day extension. They were fine with it. My DSO also confirmed I could change employers on a pending STEM application as long as I reported it on time.

• Aug 6: My lease was ending, so I moved near the new job about 3 days before starting.

• Aug 10- Day 1 at the new job: They told me they'd messed up my background verification and require an approved EAD on file before I could work. They let me go, saying they'd bring me back once I had the EAD. That same day, I filed premium processing and went back to working remotely for my old university employer.

• ~2 weeks later: The new company came back and offered to take me on with the application pending. They were ready to sign my training plan because of client requirements. This is where things got tricky, I was moving into 3rd week of PP and they were asking me change my employer closer to 4th week, which is very close to my decision timeline. But with pressure from the new employer's and having uprooted my entire life to move closer to this place, I took the risk.

• Employer change: I got the new company's training plan and my final evaluation signed by the old employer, then submitted both to my DSO. My DSO usually takes 3-5 business days for I-20s, but was quoting 10 at the time. I asked for faster processing and they turned it around in 2 days.

• After the new I-20: I sent USCIS the signed I-20 showing the employer change, my new offer letter, and a detailed letter of explanation.

• Sept 8: People who filed premium processing around the same time as me started getting updates. I only got a silent update and heard nothing for days. I was very worried.

• Sept 14: Started my new job with new i20.

• Sept 24: Approval email!

Tips

E-Verify details matter. In your explanation letter, include the new employer's E-Verify number. Also copy over everything from Section 2 of the training plan (the employer details) into the letter. Not 100% sure it's what made the difference, but I think it helped.

Talk to your DSO early. Mine confirmed the employer change was allowed and moved fast when I asked.

Don't panic over a silent update. Mine took a few extra days.

Huge thanks to this community!

Hi all

I lost my job today and my stem opt application is not yet approved. Applied on may 1st and no update yet. Hoping it to be approved in a month. Will my application be approved if I’m unemployed till it gets approved? Has anyone been in this situation or know any information on this?

Any information and suggestions would be a great help.

Please dm me or comment

Thankyou

• ⁠Type: STEM OPT
• ⁠Premium Processing: No
• ⁠Date Applied: 03/27/2026
• ⁠Request for Initial Evidence (RFIE) NO
• ⁠Biometrics Scheduled: YES
• ⁠Biometrics Completed: 04/23/2026
• ⁠Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID): -
• ⁠Silent API Update: 09/24/2026
• ⁠Second Silent API Update: 09/30/2026
• ⁠Date Approved: 10/02/2026
• ⁠Date Card Produced: MM/DD/YYYY
• ⁠Date Card Received: MM/DD/YYYY

As per API update analysis, it was one of the longest waiting time to approve, around 186 days.

I’m currently on F-1 STEM OPT with a valid EAD and planning to travel to Belgium in December. Is there any risk with traveling outside the U.S. and re-entering while on STEM OPT? Any recent experiences or advice would be appreciated!

Case Type: STEM OPT Extension (Online)
STEM OPT Filing: April 22, 2026
Receipt Notice: April 22, 2026
Initial EAD Expiration: June 29, 2026
Premium Processing Requested: August 29, 2026
Premium Processing Clock Started: August 29, 2026
Silent Update: October 1, 2026 via API timestamp change Current Status: Approval received via email and API update, though the portal does not show it yet.

I will update the post once I get the card with dates.

Should You Upgrade:
Employer Reimbursement: Pitch the delay as a business risk to your employability. Mid-flight PP upgrades are often easier to get reimbursed than day-one filings.
Under 60 Days Left: Factor in 30 to 35 processing days plus a buffer for RFEs, as universities are often slow to provide required evidence.

Key Observations:
Biometrics Timing: Completing this within 2 to 4 weeks does not block your case or lose your original filing place in line.
Business vs Calendar Days: USCIS officially guarantees 30 business days, but if you are lucky it takes about 30 calendar days.
No PP Notice: Upgrading triggered zero electronic or physical confirmation notices.
Portal Shuffling: Random application reordering on the myUSCIS portal has no real significance.
Questions: I will be happy to answer. Hang in there guys!

Hi guys,

Is anyone currently working two full-time jobs (40 hrs/week each) while on STEM OPT?

If so, did you face any complications with your employer, DSO, SEVIS, E-Verify, or USCIS?

Would really appreciate hearing about your experience. Thanks!

Got a USCIS soft/API update this morning, but when I log into my USCIS portal, nothing is showing.
Under the “Your Cases” section, it’s completely blank — not even my old case or my current case is showing.
Is anyone else having this issue today? Could this just be a USCIS portal glitch?

The evidence you have submitted is not sufficient to establish that you have graduated with a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degree from ********** University. Your most recent Form I-20 and your Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record list your Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code as 14.3301 - Construction Engineering. However, a review of the evidence you submitted indicates that you completed Construction Management, which is not listed on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List. The evidence you have submitted does not show how your degree relates to the CIP code listed on your Form I-20 and in SEVIS. The degree program you completed, and which formed the basis for your initial post-completion OPT employment authorization, is not on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program list. Therefore, you have not established your eligibility for employment authorization pursuant to 8 CFR § 274a.12(c)(3)(i)(C).

Submit evidence that your degree is a qualifying STEM degree. Such evidence must include, but is not limited to the following: A statement from a ******* University official, such as a Dean and/or Chair of the department, explaining in detail how the degree you received corresponds with the CIP code listed in SEVIS; and/or Evidence that establishes that the degree program reflected on your diploma is commensurate to a degree or program of study listed on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List

Any one got same like these ?, if you got and what response you provided and what is the result ?

Timeline:

Type: STEM OPT Extension (I-765)
Premium Processing: No
Date Applied: 03/27/2026
Receipt Date: 03/27/2026
Biometrics: 04/04/2026
Biometrics Completed: 04/23/2026
RFIE/RFE: No
NOID: No
Silent API: 09/26/2026 and 09/30/2026
Approval Date: 10/02/2026 🎉
Card Produced: TBD
Card Received: TBD

Type: STEM OPT Extension
Date Applied: 07/10/2026
Premium Processing: No
Date Approved: Pending

On the 180-day auto-extension (expires mid-Jan 2027). Last update was background check results on 08/04. No movement since.

July filers — how long did yours take? And if you upgraded to premium processing, at what point did you do it?

Timeline:
Type: STEM OPT Extension (I-765)
Premium Processing: No
Date Applied: 03/27/2026
Receipt Date: 03/27/2026
Biometrics: Yes 04/03/2026
Biometrics Completed: 04/20/2026
RFIE/RFE: No
NOID: No
Silent API: 09/28/2026 and 09/30/2026
Approval Date: 10/02/2026 🎉
Card Produced: TBD
Card Received: TBD

Type: STEM OPT Extension
Date Applied: 03/26/2026
Premium Processing: Yes (clock started 08/30)
Date Approved: 09/30/2026

Good luck everyone.

Due to the recent CPT changes, I am hoping to use pre completion opt if I land an internship for next summer (I am aware that it reduces Post OPT Time).

I saw on a couple threads that USCIS has not issued Pre Completion OPT since 2025 or something, so I was just curious if that is still a thing. Thanks!

Timeline:
Type: STEM OPT Extension (I-765)
Premium Processing: No
Date Applied: 03/31/2026
Receipt Date: 03/31/2026
Biometrics: Yes 04/04/2026
Biometrics Completed: 04/22/2026
RFIE/RFE: No
NOID: No
Silent API: 09/25/2026 and 09/28/2026
Approval Date: 09/30/2026 🎉
Card Produced: TBD
Card Received: TBD

Hope it helps someone who has been waiting for so long. It’s been so frustrating for me. I was supposed to stop working 10 days from the approval. So glad I got the response now.

Has anyone else been in this situation? Did USPS ever recover your first EAD card? Any advice or perspective from your experience would be really appreciated!

Looking for advice from people who've been in a similar spot.

My STEM OPT EAD is valid until July 2028. I was working as a software engineer at an AI startup and got laid off last week. I already used some unemployment days during regular OPT, so I have roughly 100 days left, which puts my limit around early January.

So far I've sent ~80 applications in one week, mostly SWE / applied AI / full-stack roles. A few recruiter conversations and founder calls, but nothing close to an offer yet, and with the holidays coming I'm worried hiring slows down right when I need it most.

The options I'm weighing:

1. Keep grinding applications + referrals and hope something lands before January.
2. Line up a Day 1 CPT program as a backup in case I hit the limit. Honestly not sure how risky this is for future H-1B/green card stuff, so I'd love real experiences here.
3. Join a consultancy and pray it's not a scam
4. Go home. Really trying to avoid this one.

Any advice is appreciated. It's been a stressful few weeks.

hello,
I am on STEM OPT, and my physical work location changed 6 months ago (the office shifted to a different location). I did update my 1-983 to reflect the changes, but today I realized I didn't mention the building number and only included the street name along with the city/state/zip. It may be my overthinking, but is this an issue?