OPT unemployment days: 90 days, or 150 with STEM (2026)
On post-completion OPT you can be unemployed for 90 days in total, and for 150 days in total if you also get the 24-month STEM extension, according to SEVP's SEVIS Help Hub (page updated 27 July 2026, read on 30 October 2026). The calculator shows when you would reach the limit.
Not legal or immigration advice. This page reports what USCIS, ICE (SEVP) and the Federal Register said on the date we read them. Your designated school official (DSO) and USCIS decide on your case, and rules can change quickly: check with your DSO and USCIS before you file.
How SEVIS counts the days
- It looks back to the actual OPT start date of that period of OPT.
- It counts each day without employer information in your SEVIS record. A record without employer information counts as unemployed, so report a new job to your DSO quickly (within 10 days).
- The 150 days of the STEM extension include the days used during post-completion OPT (USCIS: "an additional 60 days").
Sources: Study in the States, SEVIS Help Hub: Unemployment Counter (page updated 27 July 2026); Study in the States, SEVIS Help Hub: F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) (page updated 19 May 2025); USCIS, Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT) (page updated 30 January 2026). Read on 30 October 2026.
Examples
| OPT start date | Limit | Day 90 (no job from the start) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 June 2026 | 90 days | 29 August 2026 |
| 15 December 2026 | 90 days | 14 March 2027 |
| 1 July 2027 | 90 days | 28 September 2027 |
If you have a job for part of the time, only the days without employer information count: use the "days already used" field with the number from your SEVP Portal.
After OPT ends
When your OPT ends, the F-1 grace period to leave or change status is 60 days under the rules USCIS applies today; a final rule that would cut it to 30 days is on hold. OPT grace period: 60 or 30 days.
Questions people ask
How many unemployment days are allowed on OPT?
90 days in total during post-completion OPT, and 150 days in total if you get the 24-month STEM extension.
Do the 150 STEM days start from zero?
No. The 150 days include the days you used during post-completion OPT: if you used 40, you have 110 left for the STEM extension.
When does the unemployment clock start?
SEVIS looks back to the actual OPT start date and counts each day without employer information in your record.
Do weekends count as unemployment days?
SEVP's help page says SEVIS counts each day without employer information; it does not exclude weekends. Ask your DSO how your days were counted.
What happens after the limit?
SEVP's SEVIS Help Hub lists “Exceeded Unemployment Time” among the reasons a DHS official can terminate a student's SEVIS record: more than 90 days of unemployment on post-completion OPT, or more than 150 with the STEM extension. Talk to your DSO before you reach the limit.