USA guide · verified 2026-07-04
Working While Studying in USA, and Staying After
Working & staying on
On-campus work is allowed with limits; off-campus work requires specific authorization. The big post-study draw is Optional Practical Training (OPT), 12 months of work authorization tied to the degree, extended by 24 more months for STEM graduates at an E-Verify employer, with a further cap-gap bridge into the H-1B lottery. A federal proposal to end 'Duration of Status' and cap admission at a fixed period is moving through rulemaking and could change how long these stays can run without a separate extension filing, verify its status before advising.
Work while studying
MandatoryOn-campus ≤20 hrs/week in session; full-time during official breaks
Off-campus work during the program generally requires Curricular Practical Training (CPT, tied to the curriculum) or specific hardship authorization, there is no general off-campus work allowance like Germany's day-cap.
Post-completion OPT
Conditional12 months of work authorization tied to the degree
Requires a separate USCIS application (Form I-765) filed around graduation; work must be in the student's field of study. Unemployment during OPT is capped at 90 aggregate days.
STEM OPT extension
Conditional+24 months (36 months total OPT) for STEM-designated degrees
Requires the employer be enrolled in E-Verify and the degree appear on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List (CIP-code based). Combined unemployment across initial OPT + STEM extension is capped at 150 aggregate days.
- Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- STEM OPT Hub, DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List, Study in the States (ICE / SEVP)
- USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Part F, Ch. 5, Practical Training, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
Cap-gap bridge to H-1B
ConditionalF-1 status + OPT/STEM OPT auto-extends to 1 April of the relevant fiscal year
Under a DHS rule effective 17 January 2025 (applied starting the FY2026 H-1B cycle), an F-1 student who is the beneficiary of a timely-filed, cap-subject H-1B change-of-status petition gets an automatic extension of status and work authorization until 1 April of that fiscal year (previously it ended 1 October), reducing gaps while the H-1B petition is adjudicated.
H-1B $100,000 petition fee
ConditionalApplies only to H-1B petitions for beneficiaries currently outside the US without a valid H-1B visa, currently still being collected pending appeal
A September 2025 presidential proclamation requires a $100,000 payment for new H-1B petitions filed for such beneficiaries on or after 21 September 2025. USCIS has clarified F-1 students changing status to H-1B from inside the US are not subject to this fee. A federal district court (Massachusetts) ruled the fee unlawful on 8 June 2026, but on 12 June 2026 the same court granted the government a stay pending appeal, so the fee remains in effect while the First Circuit Court of Appeals reviews the case. Treat this as live litigation with the fee currently still being charged, re-confirm current status before advising.
Work on campus within the hours limit; use CPT for required off-campus work
MandatoryOn-campus jobs are capped at 20 hours/week while classes are in session (full-time allowed during official breaks). Off-campus work tied to the curriculum (internships, co-ops) needs CPT authorization from the school before starting, working off-campus without authorization risks the SEVIS record and future immigration benefits.
Apply for post-completion OPT around graduation
ConditionalFile Form I-765 with USCIS in the window around program completion (the school's international office manages the SEVIS recommendation) to get 12 months of OPT work authorization in the student's field. Track the 90-day cumulative unemployment limit carefully, exceeding it terminates status.
When: Application window opens up to 90 days before, and closes 60 days after, the program end dateApply for the STEM OPT extension if eligible
ConditionalIf the degree is on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List and the employer is enrolled in E-Verify, file for the 24-month STEM extension before the initial OPT expires. This raises total OPT to 36 months and the cumulative unemployment allowance to 150 days (inclusive of the initial OPT period).
Use the cap-gap extension while an H-1B petition is pending
ConditionalIf a timely, cap-subject H-1B change-of-status petition is filed on the student's behalf during OPT/STEM OPT, F-1 status and work authorization automatically extend to 1 April of the relevant fiscal year (or until the H-1B validity start date, if earlier), bridging the gap while USCIS adjudicates. If the H-1B petition is denied, withdrawn, or revoked, the cap-gap extension ends and a standard grace period applies.
DHS PUBLISHED this final rule on 17 July 2026, so it is no longer a proposal. It ends the open-ended 'Duration of Status' (D/S) admission for F-1 students and admits them instead for a FIXED period, generally tied to the I-20 program end date or the OPT/STEM OPT EAD end date, capped at 4 years for most programs and shorter for English-language/ESL programs, with the post-completion grace period cut from 60 days to 30. A student whose program plus OPT runs past the admitted period must file a separate Form I-539 extension of stay with USCIS. The rule takes effect 60 days after publication, which points at mid-September 2026, so students arriving for the autumn intake are the first affected and D/S may no longer be what appears on their I-94. Confirm the effective date and the current text on the Federal Register and USCIS before advising, because this changed once already while this guide sat unedited.
OPT and STEM OPT buy time to work in status, but the long-term US work visa (H-1B) is capped at 85,000 new visas per year (65,000 regular + 20,000 for US master's-degree-or-higher holders) and allocated by lottery when demand exceeds supply. A STEM master's from a US university improves odds via the separate master's-cap pool but does not guarantee selection.
Sources
- Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Part F, Ch. 5, Practical Training, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- Extension of Post-Completion OPT and F-1 Status under H-1B Cap-Gap, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- DHS Proposal to Replace Duration of Status with a Fixed Period of Admission, NAFSA: Association of International Educators (regulatory tracking of the DHS proposed rule)
Where this fits
This is one step of the full USA journey: admission, tests, application, visa, money, arrival and stay-back, every figure cited to an official source.
More on USA
Bramica is independent and takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This page is information, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; confirm the current requirement on the official source before acting on it.