F-1 · Student + OPT / STEM OPT
F-1 is for full-time academic study at a SEVP-certified institution. After graduation, OPT provides 12 months of major-related work authorization; STEM-designated CIP majors add 24 months of STEM OPT; H-1B selection during OPT triggers Cap-Gap protection through October 1.
Last verified ·
Eligibility
Process
Review academic record, English-test scores, financial documentation, and prior visa/immigration history. F-1 is a single-intent visa — immigrant intent is the most common refusal trigger. Prior refusals, long US presence, or a parallel green card filing all need a deliberate narrative before interview.
Duration · 1–3 days
Mock interviews around study plan, choice of major, post-graduation home-country plans, family/career ties, and source of funds. 221(g) administrative processing (Visa Mantis) is very common for Chinese and Indian STEM applicants — prepare a detailed research-area and advisor statement.
Duration · 1–2 weeks before interview slot
Verify CPT is genuinely tied to coursework (Day-1 CPT mills have been targeted by ICE enforcement since 2024). During OPT, track the 90-day unemployment cap (extended to 150 days during STEM OPT). For STEM OPT, audit the I-983 training plan and the employer’s E-Verify enrollment.
Duration · Ongoing
After admission to a SEVP-certified school, the DSO creates the SEVIS record and issues the I-20. The form must include program start/end dates, the CIP code, estimated tuition and living costs, and the SEVIS ID. The CIP code determines STEM-eligibility under the DHS Designated Degree Program List.
During study, the DSO handles SEVIS enrollment updates, address changes (within 10 days), reduced-course-load exceptions, leaves of absence, and transfers. On-campus work is capped at 20 hours/week during terms (full-time during breaks). CPT must be tied to a credit-bearing course; DSO authorizes it in SEVIS and prints the employer + dates on a new I-20.
Within 90 days before graduation, the DSO records the OPT recommendation in SEVIS and issues a new I-20. The student must file I-765 within 30 days of the SEVIS recommendation. The post-completion OPT start date must fall within the 60-day grace period after graduation.
Upon admission to a SEVP-certified school, receive the I-20 and use its SEVIS ID to pay the $350 I-901 fee online; sign page 1 of the I-20. Assemble financial proof covering one year of tuition plus living costs (bank statements, sponsor letter, scholarship letter).
Complete DS-160 online and pay the $185 MRV fee; book a consular interview. Bring the I-20, I-901 receipt, DS-160 confirmation, passport, financial proof, transcripts, and test scores. Answers should focus on study plan and intent to return home after graduation.
Duration · 3–10 business days to visa issuance absent 221(g)
Enter the US no more than 30 days before the I-20 program start date. Check in with the international office on arrival and download the I-94 record. Maintain full-time enrollment each term (≥12 undergrad / ≥9 graduate credits). Report address changes to the DSO within 10 days.
The DSO verifies STEM-CIP eligibility, employer E-Verify enrollment, and the I-983 training plan (learning objectives, supervisory chain, evaluation method). On approval, the DSO recommends the 24-month extension in SEVIS and issues a new I-20. Student must file I-765 within the last 90 days of initial OPT.
After one academic year of full-time study, CPT becomes available. CPT must be tied to a credit-bearing course; the DSO authorizes it in SEVIS and prints the employer + dates on a new I-20. Part-time CPT (≤20 hours/week) does not affect OPT, but a cumulative 12 months of full-time CPT eliminates OPT entirely.
In the window from 90 days before graduation to 60 days after: first request a DSO OPT recommendation in SEVIS, then file I-765 ($470) within 30 days of the SEVIS recommendation. OPT runs 12 months from the EAD start date; cumulative unemployment must stay under 90 days.
File within the last 90 days of initial OPT. Requires (a) the degree CIP on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List, (b) employer E-Verify enrollment, and (c) a student- and employer-signed I-983 training plan. Extension is 24 months; cumulative unemployment cap rises to 150 days, with mandatory employer reports to the DSO every 6 months.
If selected in the H-1B lottery during OPT / STEM OPT and the employer files I-129 in April, OPT and EAD auto-extend through September 30 with H-1B employment beginning October 1. Non-selected applicants must depart, change status, or secure a cap-exempt employer within the 60-day grace period after OPT expiration.
Documents
Issued by the SEVP-certified school’s DSO through SEVIS; a fresh version is required for initial entry and every subsequent status update.
Paid at FMJfee.com using the SEVIS ID printed on the I-20; present at the consular interview.
Complete online and bring the bar-coded confirmation page; the $185 MRV fee is paid separately.
One year of tuition + living costs: bank statements, time-deposit certificates, sponsor support letter, scholarship/assistantship award letter, employer sponsorship.
Bilingual transcripts, highest-degree diploma, TOEFL/IELTS/GRE/GMAT score reports.
Download from the CBP site after entry; required for OPT, transfer, and renewal filings.
Category (c)(3)(B) for post-completion OPT, (c)(3)(C) for STEM OPT extension; paper filing fee $470 effective April 2024.
Issued by the DSO after entering the OPT recommendation in SEVIS; student must file I-765 within 30 days.
Completed and signed by both student and employer; specifies learning objectives, supervisor, and evaluation method. Vetted and retained by the DSO.
STEM OPT requires the employer to be enrolled in E-Verify; the E-Verify Company ID is listed on the I-983.
Timeline
| Stage | Duration | What can go wrong |
|---|---|---|
| I-20 issuance & SEVIS I-901 payment | 1–4 weeks after admission | Insufficient financial proof or admission packet delays can push past the intended program start date. |
| DS-160 submission & interview booking | 4–12 weeks before interview | High-demand posts (Beijing, Shanghai, New Delhi, Mumbai) often have multi-month interview-slot waits. |
| Consular interview | Interview day; 3–10 business days to visa issuance | 221(g) administrative processing (Visa Mantis) is common for Chinese and Indian STEM applicants, stretching 4 weeks to 6 months. |
| US entry & full-time study | Entry up to 30 days before start date; full program duration | Dropping below full-time, unauthorized work, or failure to update address within 10 days → SEVIS termination and immediate loss of status. |
| CPT during program (optional) | Term-by-term after 1 academic year of study | Day-1 CPT and nominal-coursework-with-full-time-work setups draw ICE enforcement; 12 cumulative months of full-time CPT eliminates OPT eligibility. |
| Post-completion OPT filing & adjudication | Filing window 90 days pre-grad to 60 days post-grad; USCIS adjudication 3–5 months | Missing the 60-day grace period, or filing I-765 more than 30 days after the SEVIS recommendation, results in denial. |
| OPT employment & unemployment cap | 12 months from EAD start date | Cumulative unemployment ≥90 days auto-terminates OPT. Gig / volunteer work only counts as employment when ≥20 hours/week and major-related. |
| STEM OPT extension filing & adjudication | File within last 90 days of initial OPT; adjudication 3–5 months | CIP code not on STEM list, employer not E-Verify enrolled, or I-983 lacking meaningful training objectives → denial. |
| STEM OPT employment (24 months) | 24 months from extension EAD start date | Cumulative unemployment ≥150 days terminates status. Failure to report employer changes in SEVIS within 10 days is a violation. |
| Cap-Gap bridge to October-1 H-1B start | OPT expiry through September 30 | If H-1B is not selected or is denied, Cap-Gap collapses immediately — depart or change status within 60 days. |
FAQ
If you are on OPT (or STEM OPT) and your employer files an H-1B Cap-Subject petition with an October 1 start date in the April filing window — and USCIS accepts the petition — your F-1 status and any unexpired EAD are automatically extended through September 30. You need a new I-20 from your DSO with the Cap-Gap annotation, and you should not travel abroad during the gap (re-entry without a valid H-1B visa stamp is risky). If your H-1B is later denied or revoked, Cap-Gap collapses and you fall back to the 60-day grace period.
STEM OPT requires three things together: (1) your degree CIP is on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program list, (2) your employer is enrolled in E-Verify, and (3) a Form I-983 training plan that both you and your employer sign. The I-983 is not a job offer — it is a structured training plan listing concrete learning objectives, the supervisor and reporting chain, evaluation methods, and how the work relates to your major. USCIS rejects I-983s that read like marketing copy or contain only generic duties. You also need to self-evaluate at 12 and 24 months and submit those evaluations to your DSO.
Yes — but with discipline. USCIS allows self-employment on post-completion OPT if (a) the business is directly related to your degree, (b) you can document at least 20 hours/week of substantive work, and (c) you have the necessary business licenses and an active operating company. Treat the question "what is the link between your degree and the work" as the auditable line. STEM OPT, however, requires an E-Verify-enrolled employer with a meaningful I-983 supervisory chain — sole-proprietor self-employment generally does not qualify for the 24-month extension because there is no independent supervisor.
The clock starts on your EAD start date and counts cumulative days without qualifying employment. Qualifying employment includes paid work for an employer (≥20 hours/week, major-related), self-employment that meets the test above, unpaid internships that meet labor-law standards, and short-term multiple-employer engagements where the combined hours total ≥20/week and are major-related. Days in unauthorized work do not count as employment but do create a violation. Days outside the US during OPT count toward unemployment unless you are abroad on behalf of an employer. STEM OPT extends the cap to 150 cumulative days.
F-1 is a single-intent visa. If you have a pending I-485 or an approved I-140, you have facially declared immigrant intent — that contradicts the F-1 requirement that you intend to depart at program completion. Consular officers may refuse F-1 renewal under 214(b), and CBP may deny entry. Workarounds: (1) travel only on Advance Parole tied to your I-485 (do not request F-1 admission at the port of entry), (2) maintain a separate dual-intent status like H-1B during the I-485 wait, or (3) request a CBP "deferred inspection" with documentation. Talking to an attorney before any travel is the right move.
STEM OPT eligibility is decided by the CIP code on your I-20, not by the major name. First, ask your registrar what CIP your program is mapped to in SEVIS — sometimes a program has been mapped to a non-STEM CIP by oversight and can be re-mapped before you graduate. Second, check the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List for that exact CIP. Third, if your CIP is not on the list but is closely related (e.g. a quantitative business or applied-social-science program), schools sometimes create a parallel STEM-CIP track for new admits — switching programs may be possible. Once the I-20 is issued with a non-STEM CIP and you graduate, the CIP cannot be retroactively changed.
Treat Day-1 CPT as a high-risk pattern. CPT must be tied to a credit-bearing course that is an integral part of the curriculum; "integral" was clarified in a 2023 Eleventh Circuit decision (Patel v. Mayorkas, Tampa-area schools) and is the basis for 2024 ICE enforcement actions targeting schools that issue full-time CPT from day one with token coursework. Even if your school still issues the I-20, USCIS can later find your stay accrued unlawful presence and deny any subsequent immigration benefit. A safer test: would the CPT make pedagogical sense if you removed the work component? If not, walk away.
OPT is longer, more flexible, and unconstrained by the program sponsor — 12 months post-completion plus a possible 24-month STEM extension, with any employer in any state. Academic Training (AT) on J-1 is shorter (up to 18 months for non-Ph.D., up to 36 months for post-doc), requires the program sponsor’s approval for each employer/role, and crucially: many J-1 holders are subject to the 212(e) two-year home-residency requirement, which blocks H-1B and green-card adjustment until either served or waived. OPT is the right default unless you specifically want J-1 sponsor support (visiting scholars, research exchanges) and your funding source does not trigger 212(e).
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