United States · Study to PR
A US post-study and in-study training authorization for F-1 students. After a DSO recommends OPT in SEVIS and endorses Form I-20, the student files Form I-765 with USCIS. Post-completion OPT generally requires at least 20 hours of work per week related to the major. STEM OPT can add 24 months for designated degrees. OPT is not permanent residence; many students later seek H-1B or other work classifications.
Status note. USCIS describes OPT as temporary employment directly related to an F-1 student’s major. Eligible students may receive up to 12 months of OPT (pre- and/or post-completion). Certain STEM graduates may apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension with an E-Verify employer.
Decision fit
F-1 students who have completed (or will complete) a full academic year at a SEVP-certified college, university, conservatory, or seminary, whose employment relates to the major, and who can obtain a DSO recommendation and timely file Form I-765.
People who are not in F-1 status, ESL-only students without OPT eligibility, applicants without a major-related training opportunity, or those seeking a dedicated digital-nomad visa unrelated to US study. Unemployment on post-completion OPT is tightly limited.
Minimums
No hard age floor or ceiling is modeled.
Minimum: Not stated years
Not stated
Minimum: Unknown — confirm with the official source
Assessment: No
USCIS requires lawful full-time enrollment for one full academic year at a SEVP-certified college, university, conservatory, or seminary for pre-completion OPT. Employment must be directly related to the major. Pre-completion OPT reduces remaining post-completion OPT. STEM OPT requires a designated STEM degree, E-Verify employment, and a prior post-completion OPT grant based on that STEM degree.
Points: Not stated
Competition: Not stated
Medical exam: Unknown — confirm with the official source
Police certificate: Unknown — confirm with the official source
Costs
No settlement-fund table is published.
No fee table is published.
Outcomes
OPT is temporary training authorization. USCIS also describes a cap-gap extension when a timely H-1B petition and change of status are filed. Permanent residence, if any, depends on a later immigrant category, not on OPT itself.
Work: Yes · Study: Limited or conditional
F-2 dependants remain tied to the principal F-1 status. The OPT page focuses on the F-1 student’s employment authorization rather than expanding F-2 work rights.
Partner: Limited or conditional · Children: Limited or conditional
The OPT sources do not establish citizenship eligibility.
For initial post-completion OPT, USCIS says you must apply after the DSO enters the recommendation, within 30 days of that recommendation, and no later than 60 days after degree completion (and up to 90 days before completion). Regular OPT is up to 12 months per education level; STEM OPT can add 24 months.
Modeled: Unknown — confirm with the official source–Unknown — confirm with the official source months
Sources
Citations
Information only, not legal advice. Rules, fees, and processing times change. Confirm the linked official pages before acting.
