r/stemopt

I graduated with my master’s degree in December 2025 and started OPT in mid-January. I’ve been self-employed since then, but I haven’t been able to land a full-time position yet.

My degree is STEM-eligible, so I have the option to apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension after my first year. However, I’m starting to get a little worried about what happens if I don’t secure a qualifying full-time job by January.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? I’d really appreciate any advice on what I should be doing now or what options I should consider. I’ve also been thinking about pursuing a second master’s degree and using CPT, or exploring other visa options if I’m unable to find a qualifying job before then.

Has anyone here reached out to their recruiter about potentially delaying their AWS start date because their EAD card may not arrive in time?

I’m starting as a Solutions Architect on September 14, but there’s a chance my physical EAD card won’t be delivered before then. I’m considering contacting my recruiter to explain the situation and ask whether the start date can be pushed back.

Has anyone been in a similar situation with AWS? How accommodating were they about moving the start date, and did it affect your offer in any way?

Please someone give me a suggestion i am so sick of this system. No one wants to sponsor anymore, currently an f-1 student on initial opt, i graduated with a masters in marketing analytics have about three years of work experience in cpg and marketing analytics, i was job hunting for 5 months since graduating and every chance I got at interviewing most of them turned me away saying they cannot sponsor, my internship didn’t convert for this same reason. Just started a month ago in a contract position from a staffing company at a good company and now a role opened up full time for the team my manager referred me, i applied and in the recruiter screen got told i’m doing exactly the job the role is asking for, then was asked the million dollar question of sponsorship. Explained to them my whole opt extension situation and made it clear that i won’t in the near future but maybe in the long term. And she said they can’t move forward with my candidacy.. i’m just in tears.. don’t know how many offers i’ve lost so far because of this.

Will i ever get a job that will sponsor? What do i do..

Hey I have an offer with a starting date of September 14th I filed my stem opt in April 4th and I’m still waiting. I don’t know if I should PP or wait on it , please advise

Initial filing: 07/12/2026

Biometric & Premium Processing: 07/21/2026

Approved: 08/18/2026

Location: Potomac Service Center

I got the approval via email this morning, but it did not reflect in my account online.

How much time does it take to reflect in the account once we receive an approval email?

I’ve submitted my STEM application on Jan 12 and changed to premium on July 21 anyone with same timeline?

Hi, when I checked the processing time for f1 i765 it was showing 3.5 months like 2 days ago and the inquiry date was Aug 22 2026. Now suddenly the processing time has increased to 4 months and the inquiry date is pushed to 18th Sept 2026.

I was hoping that on aug 22 will raise an inquiry because the stem OPT has been pending for exactly 5 months now. Filed on 20th March 2026. They keep pushing the date.

I filed my STEM OPT application on April 13, and it’s still pending with USCIS. I’ve been working under my original OPT EAD + the 180-day automatic extension. On August 3, I started a second job (both roles are with E-Verify companies and related to my STEM degree). I know I’m supposed to report the new employer and submit a new I-983 to my DSO within 10 days, but I already missed that window. I’m planning to report both jobs ASAP and upload any updated I-20 as unsolicited evidence to my pending I-765. Has anyone else added a second employer while their STEM OPT was still pending? Did it cause any delays, RFEs, or other issues with USCIS? Any advice on the best way to handle this with my school and USCIS would be really appreciated.

Hi everyone, I have a question regarding my OPT start date and unemployment days.
I filed my OPT application on 4/24 and upgraded to premium processing on 7/21. My OPT case was approved on 8/17, but I have not received my physical EAD card yet.
I’ve seen several people on Reddit mention that their EAD “Card Valid From” date was the same as their OPT approval date, so I’m wondering how this works in practice.

My offer letter currently states that my start date must be on or before 9/14/2026.

My questions are:

1. If my EAD card shows a “Card Valid From” date of 8/17, can I ask my employer/HR to change my employment start date to 8/17, even though I have not physically received the EAD card yet?
2. If I cannot legally start employment until I physically receive the EAD card, will the days between 8/17 and the actual date I start working count toward my 90-day unemployment period?
3. If the above is not possible, what would be the best way to minimize the number of unemployment days used?
   I would really appreciate any advice, especially from people who have been in a similar situation or have experience with OPT/SEVIS reporting.
   Thank you!

Hi ,
I got my stem opt denial notice on Aug 17 and my h1b is still pending. My notice says I can apply for motion to reopen/reconsider. What should I do now?

If anyone can please help me how to handle this situation.should I go with permium for my h1b as my start date for h1b is Oct 1 2026.

Hi everyone! I graduate in December 2026, Unfortunately I didn't end up getting any internship offers this summer and I have no potential full time offers yet.

I've been told, you can apply for OPT either 90 days before the program end date or 60 days after. In my case, what would be the best case scenario to apply for OPT? I want to be extremely cautious.

Background
• Graduated May 2025, currently on OPT with the same employer since then. Employer is E-Verified, so no issue there.
• My manager is fine with me working remotely from anywhere. I traveled to India in the first week of April and have been here since.
• My OPT was expiring in July, so I filed my STEM OPT extension from India after getting my updated I-20 from my DSO. Application is pending.
• Biometrics was originally scheduled for early August. I used one online reschedule and moved it to August 21, Hartford, CT. I’m still in India — couldn’t travel for personal reasons.
• I have one online reschedule left.
Where I am right now
I was planning to use the last reschedule to move the appointment to San Jose or San Francisco (I’ve heard West Coast POE experiences are generally smoother), while keeping my address unchanged. But the only Bay Area slots currently showing are next Thursday/Friday, and flights for those dates are ~₹2L. Even if a first-week-of-September slot opens up, flights look like ~₹1.5L each way, so I’m looking at roughly ₹2.5–3L round trip.
The plan, if I do go, is to fly in only for biometrics and head back to India within a week. I don’t have a reason to be in the US otherwise. My contract is guaranteed through December 31, 2026 and not beyond, and after that I intend to move back to India permanently anyway. So the whole point of doing biometrics is to keep the pending application alive and stay covered by the automatic extension of work authorization while I finish out the contract.
What I’m trying to figure out
1. Port of entry risk. I’ve been outside the US for 4–5 months, my EAD has expired, and my STEM OPT extension is still pending. What are people’s actual experiences re-entering in this exact situation? What documents did CBP ask for? Is there a realistic chance of being denied entry, in which case I’d have burned ₹3L for nothing?
2. Does the automatic extension actually depend on biometrics? My understanding is that the automatic extension of employment authorization comes from having timely filed, not from attending biometrics. Is that right, or does skipping biometrics put it at risk?
3. What happens if I miss the appointment while abroad? Does USCIS issue a notice, deny outright, or is there a rescheduling path after the fact? How long does that typically take to play out?
4. Filing from outside the US. I’ve seen mixed information about whether filing the I-765 from abroad is itself a problem. Has anyone actually had this approved (or denied) after filing from outside the country?
5. Anything else I should be considering that I’m not seeing here?
I have until the 20th to make the reschedule decision, so I’m trying to think this through properly rather than book a panic ticket. Any input from people who’ve been through something similar would be genuinely helpful. Thanks.

Shall I go for Day 1 CPT DBA right away or use my OPT that ends in June and file STEM OPT? What is everyone else doing?

My initial OPT just got denied, any recommendations??

Hi everyone, looking for advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

Here’s my timeline:

STEM OPT application filed: May 7
Biometrics completed: June 13
Premium processing upgrade: August 17
Current employer end date: August 31
New employer’s planned start date: September 8

My STEM OPT extension is still pending. I have a few questions:

1. Can I change employers while my STEM OPT application is still pending?

2. With premium processing, how long did it take you to receive a decision after upgrading?

3. Would it be okay to join the new employer on September 8 while the application is still pending, assuming all STEM OPT employer requirements are met?

4. Or would it be safer to ask the new employer to keep/move the start date until after the STEM OPT extension is approved?

Would really appreciate hearing about recent experiences, especially from anyone who upgraded a pending STEM OPT application to premium processing.

• Type: STEM OPT Extension (Regular)
• Premium Processing: No
• Date Applied: 03/08/2026
• Biometrics Completed: 03/24/2026
• RFIE / NOID: None
• Case Inquiry Submitted: 08/10/2026
• Approval Status: Pending

Hey everyone! Sharing my timeline as another March applicant. I've been waiting for over 5 months now (161+ days). Since my case went out of normal processing time, I raised a case inquiry with USCIS on August 10th.

Currently debating whether to hold tight a few more days for a response to the inquiry or just upgrade to Premium Processing now.

For those who applied in early/mid-March, are you starting to see approvals come through after filing an inquiry, or are you upgrading to Premium? Appreciate any insights or similar timelines!

Hey everyone! I’m currently a high school student in the U.S. on an H-4 dependent visa, and I’m trying to figure out what path makes the most sense for me long-term.

I’m really interested in medicine/healthcare and STEM, but being on H-4 makes planning a career in the U.S. a little complicated. I could potentially go the F-1 route for college and eventually try to build a career in the U.S., but I’m worried about how much my future would depend on visas, OPT, H-1B, sponsorship, etc.

The other option I’m seriously considering is studying medicine in Europe, particularly an affordable English-taught medical program in places like Italy, Poland, Hungary, etc. Ideally, I’d want a degree that gives me the flexibility to work in different European countries later and potentially move to a country with better physician salaries/working conditions.

For anyone who has been in a similar situation, what would you choose? Is studying medicine in Europe actually a smarter option for someone in my immigration situation, or am I overestimating the visa difficulties of building a career in the U.S.?

I’d especially love to hear from international students, doctors, or anyone who has had to make a similar decision. I’m looking for honest advice about long-term career prospects, immigration, cost, residency opportunities, and quality of life — not just which option sounds better on paper.

Thanks!!

I completed my oral thesis defense on July 10, but I missed the July 24 thesis submission deadline for Summer graduation.

My college told me that I would need to register for 2 credit hours and graduate in the Fall. However, I had already proceeded with my post-completion OPT application, which is currently pending.

Now I’m confused about what I should do. Am I still supposed to register for the 2 credits for Fall even though I applied for post-completion OPT? Or is there another way for the university to keep me enrolled/allow me to submit my thesis and graduate in Fall without registering for additional credits?

I also tried to register for the 2 credits, but my PI’s name was not available in the registration system, so I couldn’t complete the registration.

Has anyone been in a similar situation where they completed their defense, applied for post-completion OPT, but had to delay their thesis submission/graduation to the following semester? How was your enrollment handled?

Just got told I’m getting laid off and honestly I’m starting to panic a little.

My STEM OPT is still pending. My first-year EAD already expired, so right now I’m working under the 180-day automatic extension.

The bigger problem is I already used almost all of my 90 unemployment days during regular OPT.

If my last day comes before STEM gets approved, what happens?

Do I actually get the extra 60 unemployment days while STEM is pending, or do those only kick in AFTER approval?

Because if the 90-day limit still applies while it’s pending, I basically have no time left to find another E-Verify employer.

And if I hit 90 days while the STEM application is still sitting at USCIS… what happens to the pending I-765? Can they deny it because of that?

Anyone been in this exact situation? I’m getting completely different answers.