My OPT End date is july 7th, 2026. I applied for stem OPT on april 20th, 2026. My stem opt ext is still pending and i got lais off today. I have no idea what my options are right now and what I should do. I do have 90 unemployment days from my opt but will that apply right now? And i am currently in that extension phase waiting for my approval?
If anyone knows what I can do and what my options are, greatly appreciated!
Date applied: May 5, 2026
Biometrics: Around May 20, 2026
Processing: Regular / No Premium Processing
Soft API: No change so far
Current status: Still pending
180-day extension ends: Late November 2026
I’ve been seeing several April filers getting approved recently, including regular-processing cases, so I’m wondering how close May cases might be.
For other May filers, are you seeing any approvals yet?
Would you keep waiting a little longer or switch to premium processing now?
I received my STEM OPT approval this morning at 6:20 AM PDT! 🎉
It took almost 185 days for my case to be approved, so I wanted to share my experience in case it helps anyone who is still waiting.
>Disclaimer: This is based on my personal experience and is not legal advice. Please verify your situation with your DSO, or a qualified immigration attorney.
I applied within the first 10 days of my STEM OPT application window. Even though my case was delayed, I believe applying early gave me some additional time before my 180-day period became critical. Because of that, I strongly recommend: Apply as early as possible and make sure your application is accurate.
My application remained pending for more than 4.5 months, which made me increasingly nervous, especially because I was getting close to the estimated processing time for Form I-765 shown by USCIS. I started calculating how many business days I had left before my 180-day period ended. My plan was to use premium processing if I reached around 40 business days remaining, which would have been around the second week of October.
What happened after 180 days? Once my case had passed 180 days, I decided to call USCIS Customer Service after seeing suggestions on Instagram. The agent was very helpful and told me that I could expect a decision by October 6. I then received silent API updates on October 1 and 2, followed by my approval on October 4.
>Would I recommend calling USCIS? Only if your case has already passed 180 days and has been pending for a significantly long time.
I definitely do not recommend repeatedly calling USCIS or spamming them*. However, if your application has been pending for* 6–7 months or more*, I personally think making* one call and politely asking for an update is worth trying. So,
The biggest challenge throughout this process was honestly PATIENCE.
If you are still waiting, I hope this post gives you some hope. A case can take a very long time and still ultimately get approved.
I hope my experience helps someone who is currently going through the same thing.
My detailed case information is here: in my previous post.
Good luck to everyone still waiting! 💯
My STEM OPT was approved! Sharing my timeline for others who are waiting:
• Date applied: April 3, 2026
• Premium processing: No
• Biometrics: April 15, 2026
• RFIE: None
• Silent Update: October 02, 2026
• Date Approved : October 04, 2026
Wishing everyone still waiting a speedy approval! I will update here once I receive my Card.
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?
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?
Hi all, I am currently in my first year of STEM OPT working for a government agency. I have an active F1 visa that is expiring in January 2027. I want to travel to my country at the end of 2026, for 2 weeks max. However, I am concerned given the current approach of the administration.
I have no misdemeanor or criminal record, nor any record of any immigration violation or lapse. I have around 1.5 weeks of paid authorized leave saved up under my belt and should have 2 weeks saved up soon. Still, I am checking to see if anyone in a similar position recently travelled and what your experience was. Any advice is also appreciated?