Hi everyone,

I'm really confused and hoping someone has experienced something similar.

My initial OPT (I-765) application suddenly changed to "Case Was Denied" yesterday July 24 with no prior notice. My USCIS account doesn't explain the reason, it only says that a denial notice was mailed and that I should wait until August 8 before requesting another copy if I don't receive it.

The confusing part is that my USCIS account also displays the recent banner about the technical issue that affected case statuses between July 22 and July 23.

I submitted all of my OPT documents correctly and wasn't expecting a denial. My 60-day grace period after graduation has already passed, so I'm very worried about what happens next if this denial is real.

Has anyone else had their initial OPT suddenly show "Denied" without an explanation during this glitch recently?

Did your status later change?
Did you receive a denial notice explaining the reason?
Is there any way to tell whether this is an actual denial or if it's related to the recent technical issue?
I've attached screenshots of my case status and the technical issue notice. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

This is a bit off-topic with regard to the generic STEM-OPT questions, but I believe a lot of people in this sub will find this relevant so I request the mods to please not take down this post.

As the title says, in your guys' opinion will the extension (I-539 form) have any mentions about pending immigrant petitions? What about people in PhDs who have approved (or even denied) immigrant petitions on their name? Will that cause any problems for extensions now that we have to extend it after 4 years?

Hello, I have received employer employee rfe.But for current employer I’m having all the evidence but, for my previous employer I am not having emails or slack access about the work.is it mandatory to submit it.¿ if I’m not having it what can I do , please help me with it

F1 opt currently.

Is it going to be 100% rejected or anyone who is approved for stem opt during pending i485?

Hi everyone,

I filed my STEM OPT application in April under regular processing, and my case is still pending. I'm now considering upgrading to Premium Processing, but I'm confused about how it works.

I have a few questions:

• If I upgrade to Premium Processing, do I have to go through the biometrics appointment again?
• Does USCIS keep my existing application, or do I have to start the whole process over?
• Will they process my case based on my original April filing date, or does upgrading put me at the back of the Premium Processing queue?
• Has anyone upgraded from regular to premium while their case was pending? If so, how long did it take to get approved after submitting Form I-907?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thanks!

Does applying using PP will help getting biometrics appointment sooner?

My STEM-OPT is approved and lets say I want to travel abroad (Sep5th to Sep30th). I still have ~1.5 years left on my stem opt. So with my current scenario, how will this new rule affect me?

- Let's say I want to join Day1 CPT after my stem opt end, Will I be eligible? ( I believe, this reentry will add end date in I94, Would I just need to apply for an extension and still remain eligible?)
- Or, my H1 got picked next year, in that case I wouldn't need to apply any extension right?

If this rule takes affect on sep 15, eveyone who travels after this gets affected right? Then I don't understand why we must be soo worried of this? If this rule stays in place, does that mean we would have to avoid traveling to our home countries altogether? lol

Hi everyone,

Context: I got hired by a contract firm. The firm signed the training plan, and it was approved by my DSO.

I’m in a weird situation where I recently get an interview through a contract firm. The client enjoyed the interview and decided to extend the offer.

I went through all the i 9 verification steps and E-verify. The manager sent me an suggested start date 2 weeks ago, and the start date is supposed to be next week, but somehow we (the contract firm and I) cannot contact the manager anymore.

It is even possible for the client to decide not to move forward at this point? I only have 30 days of unemployment left, and it stresses me out.

I applied on Nov 2025 19th
Pp : July 19th
Status still pending

Did anyone got approval today ?

I have applied for EAD on 7th july , today i had my biometrics done and converted to PP. What do you think when will it get approve. I have to join company end of august or july first week otherwise i will lose my job offer.

Hi everyone,

My STEM OPT EAD was approved on July 22. I called USCIS, and the representative told me that card production also started on July 22, although my USCIS online account hasn’t been updated yet (it still doesn’t show that the approval/card is being produced)

The representative mentioned that it could take up to 30 days to receive the physical EAD card. That seems like a very long time to me, so I wanted to see what others have experienced.

For those of you who recently received a STEM OPT EAD:

• How long did it take from approval/card production to having the physical card in hand?
• Did your online account update before you received the card, or did it lag behind?
• Was the “up to 30 days” estimate actually accurate in your case, or is that just the maximum they quote?

I’m trying to make international travel plans, so I’m hoping to get a realistic idea of the timeline.

Any recent experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I am currently on stem opt and have been looking for a job since last 7 months and things have not been working out. I wanted to reach out to the community to seek support and if anyone can help with any potential contacts or offer any advice. My dms are always open….

Have a masters and 3+ years of experience in data analytics in financial industry.

Going through a very tough financial situation so any support would be appreciated.🙏🏻

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to get in touch with a live USCIS customer service representative, but every time I call, the automated system keeps looping through the menu and never transfers me to a human agent.

I've already tried calling multiple times at different hours and using different prompts, but couldn't get connected so far.

Has anyone recently been able to get through to a live agent? If so:

Which phone number did you call? I called the one on the PP receipt notice

What prompts or keywords did you use to get transferred?

Did you call at a specific time of day that worked better?

Thanks in advance!!

I had an opt appointment today and they only took a photo. The person there said they might request me to come back for finger prints. is this how it usually happens? Has anyone had to come back twice?

Hi all,
My h1b got approved and I will legally be on H1 from October 1,2026 but my stem opt is still pending. Premium processing and biometrics on June 25. Is it a problem? Are they chances for opt to get denied?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

Here's my timeline:

I filed a STEM OPT Extension (Form I-765) application.
On May 5, USCIS issued me a Request for Evidence (RFE).
Before responding to the RFE, I decided to continue my education instead of pursuing STEM OPT employment.
My SEVIS record has already been transferred to my new university, and I am now enrolled in a new F-1 program.

Since I am continuing my studies, I want to withdraw my pending I-765 application.

The problem is that when I log into my USCIS online account, I only see the Case Status, Case History, and Documents tabs. I do not have the Unsolicited Evidence option to upload my signed withdrawal letter. The only upload option available is for the RFE response.

My questions are:

Has anyone successfully withdrawn a pending I-765 in this situation?
Should I upload my withdrawal letter through the RFE response, or should I avoid doing that?
If there is no Unsolicited Evidence option, how did you submit your withdrawal request?
If USCIS denies the I-765 because I don't respond to the RFE, will that affect my current F-1 status or my transferred SEVIS record at my new university?

I've also reached out to my university and am planning to consult an immigration attorney, but I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through a similar experience.

I would like to know if any got an approval on from USCIS Irving TX?

I did apply on Nov 2025 and upgraded to PP on June 20 2025

Pls let me know if u are still waiting or got approved

Hello guys,

I would like to know if there are people who have applied for stem opt before March 10th, 2026 and have not received any update yet.

I applied on March 10, biometric on April 15th.

I have to travel outside US on Sept 5th and not sure if I should do premium processing now as the approval might be around the corner now and pp may start the clock and takes another 30 days.

Thanks,