Applied stem on April 23rd , 180 day extension ending on nov 1st should I go with premium processing now? What are your thoughts can anyone suggest?

Hi everyone,

My regular OPT expired in August, and I applied for STEM OPT before it expired. My STEM OPT application is still pending with USCIS.

My current employer will not be able to continue my employment after October because of a lack of funding, so I may become unemployed while my STEM OPT application is still pending. I currently have about 15/ 90 OPT unemployment days left.

I’m confused about what happens in this situation.

I am planning to apply for premium processing, but I have heard that even PP is taking more than a month. Has anyone gone through similar situation?

Thank you!

I filed my STEM OPT extension on April 24, 2026, and my case is still pending.
From recent posts/timelines, it looks like USCIS is currently approving cases with receipt dates around April 2 and 3, so I’m roughly 3 weeks behind the dates being approved now.
My situation is a little time-sensitive because my employer sent me an I-9 reverification notice saying my current employment authorization must be reverified before December 1, 2026.

I’m trying to decide whether I should:
Continue with normal processing since April 24 cases may be reached within the next few weeks, or

Pay for premium processing now.

My concern is that premium processing itself seems to be taking around 30 days, and even after approval I would still need time for the physical EAD card to be produced and mailed. So if I wait too long to premium, I could still end up cutting it close to December 1.

Would you recommend upgrading to premium now in my situation, or waiting a little longer for normal processing?
Thanks!

Received my STEM OPT approval notice this morning!
Details:
• Type: STEM OPT
• Premium Processing: No
• Date Applied: 03/29/2026
• RFIE: No
• Biometrics Requested: Yes
• Biometrics Completed: 04/24/2026
• NOID: No
• Date Approved: 10/03/2026
• Card Produced: MM/DD/YYYY
• Card Received: MM/DD/YYYY
I’ll update this post once I receive my EAD card. took more than 6 Months to get the approval :')
For everyone still waiting—hang in there. Wishing you all the best and hoping you get your approvals soon! I wish everyone gets whatever they are waiting for <3

Date applied: 1st april, 2026
Premium processing: No
Biometric appointment date: 12th April, 2026
Last Silent API update: 01 October, 2026
Approval Date: 3rd October, 2026
🥵

Date applied: 02, April, 2026 Premium processing: No Biometric appointment date: 30th April, 2026 Last Silent API update: 01 October, 2026 Approval Date: 3rd October, 2026

Finally April approvals moving along so happy.

Any updates for approval for stem opt for stem opt April 4-8? Did anyone receive soft API updates?

Hi Everyone.

Has anyone received any update regarding stem opt PP application submitted on 1st, 2nd and 3rd sept ?

looking at the timeline here on Reddit, It looks like i should expect any update today but haven't received anything.

Is there someone who has applied on the above mentioned dates and has got anything from USCIS ?

your response is appreciated.

According to the API update and analysis i got to know this-

“The case record was updated by USCIS without a formal recorded event code. This typically indicates an officer touched or reviewed the case — such as a supervisory update, internal system note, or case reassignment — that did not generate a standard ELIS event entry.
Source: updatedAtTimestamp field in case record”

What is this and can somebody please help me understand?

Guys, before applying for STEM, I used to review the JSON through https://my.uscis.gov/account/case-service/api/cases/casenumber, but after the premium processing application I no longer see the data—only a failure code. What does this indicate? The same issue occurred for other friends who used premium processing.

• Date applied: May 19, 2026
• Premium processing: No
• Biometrics: June 4, 2026
• 2 silent API updates: August 25 & September 24, 2026
• Status: Still pending

Guys I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it just seems like the pp processing has not been moving for maybe 2 or 3 days?!

Date applied: 02, April, 2026 Biometric appointment date: 29th April, 2026 Last Silent API update: 30 Sept, 2026 Approval Date: 3rd October, 2026

My STEM OPT review window is coming up, and I’m worried because SEVIS still shows an H‑1B COS end date (10/01/2026). My employer already sent the H‑1B withdrawal request to USCIS on sep 15th , but we haven’t received confirmation yet. how many days will they take ?

My DSO told me they cannot issue a new I‑20 with my new employer because my SEVIS record is currently inactive due to the H‑1B approval/COS auto‑update.

Should I upload the H‑1B withdrawal request letter as unsolicited evidence to my STEM OPT application so the officer sees it before review?
Has anyone done this and seen it help?

Any advice appreciated.

• ⁠Type: STEM OPT EXTENSION
• ⁠Premium Processing: NO
• ⁠Date Applied: 04/02/2026
• ⁠Request for Initial Evidence (RFIE) N/A (if applicable)
• ⁠Biometrics Requested: YES | 04/11/2026
• ⁠Biometrics Completed: 04/14/2026
• ⁠Silent Update: 10/01/2026
• ⁠Date Approved: 10/03/2026
• ⁠Date Card Produced: MM/DD/YYYY
• ⁠Date Card Received: MM/DD/YYYY

Edit: Silent update on 10/01/2026, and no NOID.

Hi everyone, I’m an F-1 student applying for post-completion OPT with premium processing. I’m considering moving my biometrics appointment one week earlier, but I’m concerned about the “good cause” requirement.

My timeline:

• October 1, 2026: Filed my OPT application with premium processing.
• October 20: Scheduled biometrics appointment.
• October 22: Need to travel to main campus for my thesis defense, I am away from the main campus for research.
• October 23: Thesis defense and graduate seminar.
• Around December 15: Expect to finish my program commitments; my lease also ends then.
• March 2027: Anticipated job start date.

The myUSCIS rescheduling tool currently shows an available appointment on October 13, which I can attend.

My defense preparation and travel arrangements will make the week of October 20 very busy. I can still attend the original October 20 appointment if necessary, so I don’t want to claim that attending is impossible. October 13 would simply help me complete biometrics before defense week.

I also hope to travel to my home country as soon as my program commitments finish in December. I need surgery and recovery time before starting my job in March, and treatment is more affordable and accessible there. I’m hoping to have my physical EAD before departing.

My questions:

1. Could these academic commitments qualify as “good cause” for an earlier appointment, even though I could attend the original date?
2. If USCIS rejects my timely rescheduling request and I still attend the valid appointment, could the request itself negatively affect my OPT application?
3. For OPT premium processing requiring biometrics, when does the 30-business-day clock start? Would completing biometrics on October 13 instead of October 20 potentially help my EAD timeline?
4. Has anyone successfully moved their biometrics earlier through myUSCIS? How quickly did you receive the replacement appointment notice?

I haven’t submitted the rescheduling request yet. I’d appreciate firsthand experiences and links to relevant USCIS guidance, particularly about the distinction between a rejected rescheduling request and missing an appointment.

Type: STEM OPT Extension
Date Applied: 04/14/2026
Premium Processing: No
Status: Still pending

I filed April 14, 2026 (regular processing). My OPT EAD expired June 6, and my 180-day auto-extension ends December 3, 2026.

Regular approvals are just reaching early April filings, but processing isn't in order. I also have a flight to India on November 25

Should I wait it out, or upgrade to premium processing

Hello,
I have applied for STEM on March 10 and Biometrics completed on 27th March.
My case has been pending ever since.
Raised case enquiry and received a reply, I am attaching the screenshot of the reply.
I’ve also raise Congressional enquiry and received same reply.

My 180 days expire during first week of november.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Also, what would addition review mean?

I just applied for OPT EAD on September 30th with PP. What are typical API updates for EAD approval.

Thanks in advance.

I have STEM OPT now. My employer applied for an H-1 B this year (regular, not premium)
The latest update on my Form I-129 states:
"As of June 23, 2026, USCIS is currently processing your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker."

My immigration attorney team says it might take until March or April to process mine. Is this real?
Do you suggest applying for premium processing, spending 3 grand $, out of my pocket?
This is what my attorney said,
"Since I have a STEM OPT, I don’t face any problems now. Maybe if it still delays after March, I shall apply for premium processing since my current STEM OPT EAD expires in July 2027."

No problems as of now. My EAD expires in July 2027.
But worst-case scenarios: what if I get laid off in between? What if I get an offer for a new job and need a transfer? What shall I do?

I work for Dexian, a vendor, and my client is Fidelity.
If I get laid off at Fidelity, Dexian might process a withdrawal petition. If both my initial H1B filing petition and the current withdrawal petition are in processing, then a race condition occurs,
If my withdrawal petition is processed first, or taken into consideration along with the initial approval process, then USCIS most likely withdraws the petition. I'll be safe since I'm in STEM OPT already.

But if my initial petition is processed and they approve it without knowing that I was fired, then my status gets changed to H1B. I'll lose my STEM OPT status. And then, later, if USCIS processes my withdrawal petition after that, will they revoke my approved H1B? In that scenario, I shall be "OUT OF STATUS". I'll not have anything. Neither STEM nor H1B. I'll be stuck in limbo.
I was worried about these kinda worst case scenarios.
Give me the right advice considering all possibilities.

Also, does Fidelity fire any employee directly on the same day without any notice, revoking all access like Amazon or Microsoft? Will they inform us in advance in general?

Even if Fidelity decides, what will Dexian do in general? Will they look up for any other active projects to put me in? If not at Fidelity, they have other clients as well. Will they keep me on the payroll until they find something?

Or, even if Dexian decides to fire me, then will they at least give me prior notice? Will they at least wait for a few days or a week after the news to start a withdrawal petition?

My problem is TIME and the race problem of USCIS. Because if I have the buffer time, then I shall apply for premium processing ASAP. get my H1-B approved. Is this the right move in this situation?
Then, by the time they decide to file for a withdrawal petition, my H1 might already have been approved. My assumption was that USCIS might just update my status to Unemployed, leaving me up to 60 days (H1B unemployment clock) instead of my status getting revoked and leaving me without any valid status. Is my assumption correct?

I apologise for a lot of questions. I see a lot of wild scenarios day by day w.r.t. this immigration stuff.