OPT clock

How many OPT unemployment days do you have left?

Post-completion OPT gives you 90 unemployment days, and STEM OPT gives you 150 in total. Enter your dates to see your count and the date you'd hit the limit. Nothing you type leaves this page.

Your OPT

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Enter your EAD start date and the days you've used to see how many unemployment days you have left and the date you'd run out.

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How the OPT unemployment limit works

On post-completion OPT you can be unemployed for up to 90 days in total. The count starts on your EAD start date, includes every calendar day you don't have qualifying work, and pauses while you do. It is a running total, not a single stretch: 30 days before your first job and 20 days between jobs adds up to 50.

A STEM OPT extension adds 60 days, for 150 in total across both periods. Whatever you used on regular OPT is subtracted from the 150.

What stops the clock

Post-completion OPTSTEM OPT extension
Hours20+ a week20+ a week
Related to your degreeYesYes
Unpaid or volunteer workCan countDoesn't count
EmployerAny, including severalMust use E-Verify, with a Form I-983

Dates to keep straight

  • You can file for OPT from 90 days before your program ends until 60 days after.
  • You can file for the STEM extension up to 90 days before your OPT EAD ends, and it must be filed before it ends.
  • Report a new job, an address change or a job ending within 10 days.
  • If your employer files an H-1B change of status for you on time, cap-gap can extend your status and work authorization while it is pending.

Looking for an employer that will sponsor you after OPT? Search the sponsors that hire new grads, check your H-1B lottery odds, or paste a posting into the sponsorship checker.

Questions people ask

How many unemployment days do I get on OPT?

90 days in total during post-completion OPT. If you get the 24-month STEM OPT extension, you get 60 more, for 150 across both periods combined. Days you didn't use on regular OPT carry over into the STEM period.

Do weekends count as unemployment days?

Yes. Every calendar day you are not employed counts, weekends and holidays included. Once you have qualifying work, weekends stop counting because you are employed.

When does the unemployment clock start?

On the start date printed on your EAD card. Days before that don't count, even if your program ended earlier and you were waiting for the card.

What counts as employment on post-completion OPT?

Work of at least 20 hours a week that is directly related to your degree. It can be paid or unpaid (an internship or volunteer role, as long as it doesn't break labor laws), with one employer or several, as a contractor or self-employed.

What counts as employment on STEM OPT?

Paid work of at least 20 hours a week, related to your STEM degree, with an employer enrolled in E-Verify and a signed Form I-983 training plan. Unpaid or volunteer work does not count during the STEM extension.

What happens if I go over the limit?

Going over the unemployment limit can end your F-1 status. If you are close, talk to your DSO right away; they can explain your options, which may include leaving the US, changing status or starting a new program.

Do I need to report a new job?

Yes. Report your employer, address and start date in the SEVP Portal (or to your DSO) within 10 days of any change. Keep records of the job and how it relates to your degree.

Sources: ICE Study in the States guidance on OPT and STEM OPT unemployment, SEVP Policy Guidance for OPT, 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)-(12). Not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with your DSO, your employer or an immigration attorney.