STEM OPT on DUI
I’m currently on F-1 OPT and recently applied for STEM OPT. I had a DUI-related case in Illinois (2025), but the DUI counts were dismissed and the charge was amended to reckless driving. I received 18 months of court supervision, fines, and community service (no jail time).
The case already has a disposition/order from the court, but the supervision period is still ongoing. I did not upload unsolicited court documents with my STEM OPT application because the form did not specifically ask for them.
Has anyone here had a similar situation (court supervision, reckless driving reduction, dismissed DUI counts, etc.) and still been successfully approved for STEM OPT?
Did USCIS send you:
- no questions at all,
- an RFE,
- or a NOID?
And if they did ask, were certified court dispositions enough, or did you need an immigration attorney involved?
Would really appreciate hearing real experiences from people who went through STEM OPT/H-1B with something similar.
Note: Worth to say that I got my initial OPT approved (07/2025) after the arrest when my case was still pending, but not sure if it will be the same thing for STEM extension