u/PracticalPhoto3101

My previous F-1 program ended May 4, 2026. My SEVIS record is now “Completed” (not terminated). My post-completion OPT (I-765) was denied — USCIS said it was filed more than 30 days after the DSO’s SEVIS recommendation.

I’m seeking admission to a new program, specifically a Day 1 CPT school. Can a university issue me a new initial I-20 with a new SEVIS ID given my record shows Completed? Would I need to depart and re-enter the US to start the new program? I have a valid F-1 visa.

What are my options here — is this route realistic, and has anyone done this after a similar denial?

Seeing a lot of these consultancies targeting international students on OPT — they offer job placement plus shared accommodation with other girls.

Feels like a dependency trap — if they control both your job and housing you have very little power to leave.

Questions:

One — Is this arrangement legal under OPT regulations?

Two — Are there legitimate consultancies doing this or is it always exploitative?

Three — What percentage of salary do they typically take?

Four — How do you verify they are entering your employment correctly in SEVIS?

Anyone with real experience please share. Trying to understand if this is worth considering or a hard no

I keep seeing number 77 a lot lately.

Even it just randomly pops up in conversations too.

Please let me know what does the number mean?

I keep seeing number 77 a lot lately.

Even it just randomly pops up in conversations too.

Please let me know what does the number mean?

My sister works at a big tech company in the US. She
got here in 2022, found a job, and it worked out for her.

Now I am going through my own F1 OPT job search. 1 year. Close to 3000 applications. Two final rounds with senior leadership. OPT clock running. Visa stress. The whole thing. I have left no stone unturned. Tailored applications. Referrals. Networking. Everything.

And somehow the feedback I get at home is why aren’t you applying on weekends? Just go to a consultancy, find any way in.

But I don’t want to pay thousands of dollars to a consultancy to get a job that may or may not be legitimate. I have put in real effort, real preparation, real interviews. If it is going to happen I want it to happen organically because I earned it, not because I paid someone to place me.

What people don’t understand is that the market has completely changed. What worked two or three years ago doesn’t work the same way now. Getting a job as an international student on OPT in 2026 is a completely different challenge. My sister’s experience is not my experience.

I am not complaining. I am still going. But the loneliness of navigating this while also managing pressure from people who mean well but just don’t get it is its own kind of exhausting.

Does anyone else feel this? How do you handle family who had it easier and think the same path works for everyone?

Graduated May 2026 with MS in Business Analytics and AI. 4 years of work experience before coming to the US. Sent close to 3000 applications over the past year with tailored, referral based, mass applying, everything.

Made it to final rounds at two companies this year. Both went all the way to senior leadership interviews. Lost both of them because I am on OPT.

And I am sitting here wondering if I am doing something wrong or if this is just the reality right now.

The part nobody talks about:

The OPT clock running while you job hunt. The visa stress on top of everything else. Limited US network. Far from family. You can do everything right and still have nothing after a year.

My questions:

For 2024 or 2025 grads - how long did it actually take you? Has the market gotten worse?

For F1 OPT students - how are you managing the mental load of the clock running?

At what point do you decide to go back versus keep fighting?

Just exhausted and want to hear from people who have been here.