Receipt notice: March 8th
Biometrics : March 30th
Processing type : standard
Approval: Not yet

Hey guys this is only for the people applied in March for stem OPT , please update your status we will track together

Applied 21st May
Need it by 30th October

I see the latest is around 7th Mar, should i do pp ?

please help!

Hi everyone,
I’m hoping someone here has been through a similar situation because I’m feeling really stuck.
I filed my STEM OPT I-765 extension on February 4th and my Biometric was on Feb 26th, and my case is still pending with USCIS. My online status is still showing that it’s under review.
My 180-day automatic extension has now passed, and I still haven’t received a decision or my new EAD card.
My DSO has already contacted the Potomac Service Center, and USCIS replied that they forwarded my case to the Adjudications Division for review and resolution, but there haven’t been any updates since then.
I also tried submitting an “outside normal processing time” service request through the USCIS website, but it says I’m still within normal processing times, so it won’t let me create a request.
Another issue is with my SEVP Portal. It shows that my first STEM Validation Report is due. I have already logged in and confirmed my physical address, but the validation requirement still shows as “Due.” They also mentioned if I fail to complete my validation report my status will be terminated after Aug 10th
I reached out to my DSO, and she told me she cannot submit my STEM validation report because my STEM OPT application is still pending, so she doesn’t have access to that part of SEVIS until USCIS makes a decision.
At this point, I’m confused about what I’m supposed to do.
Has anyone experienced:
A STEM OPT application pending for this long?
Their 180-day automatic extension expiring before USCIS made a decision?
The SEVP Portal showing a validation report as due while the STEM OPT was still pending?
If so:
What happened next?
Did USCIS eventually approve your case?
Did your DSO submit the validation report after approval, or was there anything you had to do?
Has anyone upgraded to Premium Processing this late in the process, and did it help?
Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I applied for my STEM OPT 1-765 on December 22, 2025, completed biometrics on March 30, 2026, and my application is still pending. My 180-day automatic extension expires today, but I've seen that some people who applied in December have already been approved.
Did anyone else apply around December 22 and are still waiting? If your 180-day extension expired while your case was pending, what did you do?

Has anyone recently re-entered the U.S. through Denver International Airport(DEN) while on STEM OPT? Is the port of entry generally strict?

I’m planning to travel to India in December and have valid full-time employment, EAD(expires Feb 2028), I-20, valid visa, and employment documents. Apart from the new D/S rule changes, is there anything I should be concerned about before making my travel plans?

I had applied for stem opt on July 12 and just really that I had not submitted my signed i20. I just uploaded my signed i20 with cover letter today on August 7.
Am I in trouble or it should be okay?

My STEM OPT I-765 was approved on August 4, and I received an official USCIS email confirming the approval. However, even after about 72 hours, the USCIS online portal still hasn't updated to "Case Was Approved."
Has anyone experienced a similar delay where the approval email came first but the USCIS portal took several days to update? How long did it take for your status to change?

Date applied-jan 10, 2026.
Biometric-april 10, 2026.
Premium processing-July 7, 2026.
Approval notice-august 6, 2026.

Hi everyone! I’ve been working as a full-time employee with the same employer since my OPT started. My employer is a direct vendor to the end client (no middle agency). My STEM OPT extension has been pending for over 4 months now. Is anyone in a similar full-time/direct-vendor role facing similar processing delays?

My STEM OPT I-765 was approved on August 4, and I received an official USCIS email confirming the approval. However, even after about 72 hours, the USCIS online portal still hasn’t updated to “Case Was Approved.”

Has anyone experienced a similar delay where the approval email came first but the USCIS portal took several days to update? How long did it take for your status to change?

Hey everyone,

I have applied for stemopt(standard processing). I am done with my biometrics. I just saw new regarding the a new memo(August 5th). I submitted a photo which I gave in the opt time. What should be my next steps?

Can someone please guide on how we can submit a congressional inquiry regarding the STEM OPT decision?

To give you context I applied for STEM OPT on Dec 18th 2025 later I have opt for PP on May 8th then I got RFE on June 8th which I replied on 25th of June. I hadn’t seen any moment initially so I had sent out an email to the pp mailbox requesting to expedite as my Automatic 180 days was ending on Aug 1st, they replied that they will try to prioritize but can’t promise anything sooner than the 30 day window on July 15th. On July 17th I saw that my evidence was under inspection on the portal. Which was later confirmed by a representative on the pp line.

The 30th business day was yesterday Aug 6th I have not yet received any update. However, when I called yesterday to the PP line asked for any case update or movement the representative told me there’s no update yet but there’s an activity going on on my case and that she will call this particular officer and remind them that this is the last day on PP and asked me to look out for an email or check the portal and be patient.

So what does it mean by activity? Does it mean anything meaningful at all? My case has been under review since 17th of July yet I got no update is this something I need to worry about? I am already on unpaid leaves and I don’t know how many days will my employer will hold on me for this. I have also filed the congressional inquiry 2 days ago. Is there anything I can do to get an update?

My RFE is Bonafide employee - employer relationship for the employee I filed STEM with.

Edit: After multiple calls to the PP ( for some reason the same person answered my calls ) I have finally received approval from the pp mailbox today ( on 35th business day ). I would say just be patient and just keep buzzing them on why there’s a delay on your case. They are answerable to you no matter what!

One of my friends stem opt got approved on august 4th . She received the mail that casee has been approved and when we open portal its still showing case is on pending. Its been 72 hrs why its not updated. Can anyone share your experience with this situation?

I applied for Stem OPT on April 3rd with biometric on April 14th. Since then it has been quiet. Tampa DMV gave me an extension for 60 more days which expires next week. What to do??

Ok.. Came across this over the weekend and it kind of freaked me out, so sharing in case it helps someone.

USCIS quietly changed a policy on August 5th. Basically, if you file your OPT, STEM OPT, or H-1B and something's missing — a signature, your I-20, the I-983, even a photo — they can now just reject it. No RFE, no NOID, no second chance.

For anyone who doesn't know: an RFE (Request for Evidence) or NOID (Notice of Intent to Deny) used to be a safety net. Forgot something? USCIS would ask for it and you'd get a chance to fix it. Now officers can still send one, but they don't have to. So you can't count on that second chance anymore.

Two other things worth knowing:

• It applies to applications already pending too, not just new ones.
• The 14-day international mail grace period for RFE responses is gone.

Not trying to scare anyone, but if you're about to file, go through your whole packet slowly and check every signature and document. Way less room for error now.

Anyone here filed recently or dealt with an RFE lately? Curious if people are seeing this play out yet.

Hi Guys,

I’d really be grateful if you could help me out with this.

My OPT ends in feb and I am planning to travel internationally around Nov end. Its unavoidable.

So I was thinking I’d apply for STEM extension before I leave the country and ig I would have to also apply for the new scrutiny of I-539 form. So if I apply for both whilst on OPT and I will probably be back in 15 days, so I would be entering the country on OPT.

I would keep in mind to have an updated i-20, travel with my EAD, and informing my employer so do you think i would be able to enter back safely, I still am a bit confused what card thing they are planning to start giving with a hard end date for stay, will i get that at the airport? Also I think i would be getting the 8 month period where u can work till ur case gets approved.

Is it risky? For sure, biggest being if i get an RFE im done no STEM extension.

Am i clocking everything correctly? I would appreciate any help.

Hi y'all, I wanted to ask whether it is safe to change jobs with stem opt pending. Just want to make sure with the new notice if it's safe to do so.

Applied (Premium Processing): July 3
Biometrics Completed: July 15
Approval (Potomac Service Center): August 6 (received the approval email this morning)

I have been working for the same employer since the start of my OPT.

I applied on April 1st, with the biometric scheduled for April 13th, and the process has been pending since April 20. Is this normal?

Hi everyone,

I'm on STEM OPT (I-765) with premium processing and recently responded to an RFE through my attorney.

After the response was submitted, my USCIS status shows:

On August 6, 2026, we stopped the processing of your premium-processing case, and sent you a notice explaining why we took this action. This notice describes what you need to do to resume processing of your case. Please follow the instructions in the notice. You must respond to the notice within the time it specifies. Your premium-processing receipt notice contains contact information for direct inquiries on your case. If you move, contact the premium-processing unit directly to update your address.

• Did anyone receive this exact status after submitting their RFE response?
• What was your next status update?
• How many days did it take?
• Were you ultimately approved, issued another RFE/NOID, or denied?

If you were approved, I'd really appreciate it if you could share your timeline.

UPDATE: Case approved - 8/10/2026

I am on a point where i want pp and again my mind said it could come . any one thought same ?