OPT (Optional Practical Training)

Optional Practical Training is temporary work authorization for F-1 students, letting them work in a job directly related to their major. Most students use post-completion OPT: up to 12 months of work authorization after finishing a degree, applied for with Form I-765 and only valid once USCIS approves it and issues an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Graduates with a degree on the STEM Designated Degree Program List, working for an E-Verify employer, can apply for a STEM OPT extension adding 24 more months, for up to 36 months total. OPT carries a cumulative unemployment limit — 90 days during the initial 12-month period, rising to 150 days total once the STEM extension is added — and exceeding it can terminate status. OPT differs from CPT (Curricular Practical Training), which is used during studies rather than after. Unemployment limits and related F-1 rules have been the subject of proposed changes; confirm the current figures with USCIS or your school's international student office before relying on them.