An explanation, not your dates. The example on this page uses fictional dates. It is not legal advice, not a filing receipt, and not a date you should copy. Confirm your own dates with your DSO before you file.
Rule change on hold. A DHS final rule published July 17, 2026 would shorten the post-completion OPT filing deadline and the latest requested start date from 60 to 30 days after the program end date. Federal Register USCIS says a federal court postponed the rule's effective date on September 14, 2026, and that USCIS "will proceed under the previous regulatory provisions" until the order is lifted. USCIS I-765
When you can file for OPT
Post-completion OPT is the kind that starts after the program end date on your Form I-20. USCIS lists two timing rules for Form I-765 in category (c)(3)(B). Both apply.
| What USCIS states | Where it is measured from |
|---|---|
| File up to 90 days before, but no later than 60 days after | Your program end date |
| File within 30 days | The date your DSO enters the OPT recommendation in SEVIS |
Source: the USCIS Form I-765 page, last updated September 15, 2026. USCIS I-765 The USCIS OPT page, the Form I-765 instructions and Study in the States state the same two limits. USCIS I-765 instructions Study in the States
- Study in the States calls 90 days before the program end date the earliest date to file Form I-765 for post-completion OPT, and 60 days after that date the last date the DSO can recommend post-completion OPT and the last date to file. Study in the States
- The Form I-765 instructions say USCIS will deny the OPT request if you miss the 30 days after the DSO recommendation. I-765 instructions DSO guidance says an application filed before the recommendation, or after that 30-day period, will be denied, and the student will have to reapply and pay the fee again. SEVIS Help Hub
- The July 2026 rule's amendatory text changes the 60-day figure in the filing paragraph. It leaves the "up to 90 days before" limit and the 30 days after the DSO recommendation in place. Federal Register 8 CFR 214.2(f)(11) See the section below for what changes if that rule takes effect.
How to file, what it costs and which documents to include are on how to apply for OPT. Days without a job are a different count: the OPT unemployment days calculator.
Worked example with fictional dates
These dates belong to no one. They only show how the official statements above land on a calendar. The program end date and the DSO recommendation date were chosen for the example.
| Item | Sample date |
|---|---|
| Program end date on the Form I-20 | May 15, 2027 |
| 90 days before that date | February 14, 2027 |
| 60 days after that date | July 14, 2027 |
| Sample date the DSO enters the recommendation | April 1, 2027 |
| 30 days after that sample recommendation | May 1, 2027 |
| Earliest start date in the SEVIS Help Hub wording (the program end date) | May 15, 2027 |
| 60 days after the program end date, the latest start date those pages describe | July 14, 2027 |
| 30 days after the program end date, the figure in the postponed rule | June 14, 2027 |
USCIS states the program-end window and the 30-day recommendation window separately. On this fictional calendar, May 1, 2027 is 30 days after April 1, 2027, and May 1 also falls between February 14 and July 14, 2027. That is a calendar observation about these sample dates. It is not a statement that a filing on any of these dates would be accepted.
While USCIS follows the previous provisions, the 60-day dates are the ones in the current USCIS instructions. June 14, 2027 is what 30 days after this sample program end date looks like if the postponed rule takes effect. It is not the filing date to use while the court order is in place.
Choosing your OPT start date
The start date is a date you request with your DSO. It is not the day you file Form I-765, and it is not the day you can start work.
- The SEVIS Help Hub says the post-completion OPT start date entered in SEVIS must be on or after the program end date, and that it cannot be more than 60 days after the program end date. SEVIS Help Hub
- Study in the States lists 60 days after the program end date as the latest possible post-completion OPT start date. Study in the States
- You may begin OPT only after USCIS approves Form I-765, you receive the EAD and the start date on the EAD arrives. Study in the States
- The regulation says authorization begins on the start date you requested or the date USCIS approves the application, whichever is later. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(11)
In the fictional example, those start-date statements describe May 15, 2027 through July 14, 2027. The postponed rule would change the "more than 60 days" limit to 30 days. Federal Register Ask your DSO which date to request.
STEM OPT extension filing window
The STEM OPT extension uses the end date of your current post-completion OPT, not the program end date in the example above.
| Timing rule | What the official sources say |
|---|---|
| Earliest | Up to 90 days before your current OPT employment authorization expires |
| After the DSO recommendation | Within 60 days of the date your DSO enters the recommendation in SEVIS |
| Latest, as SEVP states it | USCIS must receive the application no later than your current post-completion OPT end date |
Sources: USCIS 8 CFR 214.2(f)(11) I-765 instructions SEVIS Help Hub
The full eligibility rules, the STEM degree list and the 180-day extension are on the STEM OPT extension page. The filing-deadline section is when to apply.
If the July 2026 rule takes effect (30 days instead of 60)
The DHS final rule published July 17, 2026 replaces 60 with 30 in two OPT timing rules:
- The latest date to file Form I-765 for post-completion OPT, counted from the program end date. Federal Register
- The latest requested OPT start date, also counted from the program end date. The preamble says a student may not request a start date that is more than 30 days after the program end date. Federal Register
The same rule text still says the student may file up to 90 days before the program end date, and within 30 days of the date the DSO enters the recommendation. Federal Register 8 CFR 214.2(f)(11)
That rule is not what USCIS says to use now. USCIS says a federal court postponed the effective date on September 14, 2026, and that USCIS will proceed under the previous regulatory provisions until the order is lifted. USCIS also says DHS disagrees with the order and will implement the rule if the order is lifted. USCIS I-765
The online regulation text (eCFR) already shows the 30-day wording without a note about the court order. eCFR The Study in the States Quick Facts page on the rule does not mention the order. Study in the States On the fictional calendar above, 30 days after May 15, 2027 is June 14, 2027. That row is there to show the postponed rule. It is not the current filing date or start date in the example.
Check the USCIS Form I-765 page and ask your DSO before you file.
Common questions
How early can I apply for OPT?
For post-completion OPT, the USCIS Form I-765 page says to file up to 90 days before your program end date. Study in the States calls that the earliest date to file Form I-765 for post-completion OPT.
What is the latest I can apply for OPT?
The USCIS Form I-765 page says to file no later than 60 days after your program end date, and within 30 days of the date your DSO enters the recommendation in SEVIS. A July 2026 rule that would change the 60-day figure to 30 days has been postponed by a court. USCIS says it is following the previous provisions until that order is lifted. Confirm the date with your DSO.
Can my OPT start date be after my grace period?
Study in the States lists 60 days after the program end date as the latest possible post-completion OPT start date. The SEVIS Help Hub says the start date must be on or after the program end date and cannot be more than 60 days after it. Those pages do not describe a start date after that 60-day period. Confirm the date you request with your DSO.
When can I file for the STEM OPT extension?
USCIS says you can file Form I-765 up to 90 days before your current OPT employment authorization expires, and within 60 days of the date your DSO enters the recommendation in SEVIS. The SEVIS Help Hub says USCIS must receive the application no later than your current post-completion OPT end date.
Calculate your own OPT dates in EADly
Save your program end date in EADly. The app shows the OPT filing window from that date and the current rule status, or it says it cannot confirm the window and to review the dates with your DSO. It checks a saved Form I-765 date against that window and against the 30 days after the DSO recommendation date you enter. It checks that a saved OPT start date is not before the program end date. From a saved OPT EAD end date, it also shows the STEM OPT filing window, 90 days before that date through the end date. EADly can open the official USCIS Case Status website for a receipt you save. It does not file Form I-765, does not check USCIS case status, and does not choose your start date.
Official sources
Every fact on this page comes from these official pages. Dates are the "last updated" or "last reviewed" dates the pages showed when checked on September 28, 2026.
- USCIS: Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 StudentsLast reviewed/updated 11/25/2024
- USCIS: Form I-765, Application for Employment AuthorizationLast reviewed/updated 09/15/2026
- USCIS: Instructions for Form I-765Edition 08/21/25
- USCIS: Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT)Last reviewed/updated 01/30/2026
- Study in the States: Applying for Practical TrainingLast updated August 24, 2026
- Study in the States: SEVIS Help Hub, F-1 OPT (DSO guidance)Last updated May 19, 2025
- Study in the States: SEVIS Help Hub, F-1 STEM OPT ExtensionLast updated July 27, 2026
- Study in the States: Final Rule Quick FactsLast updated September 10, 2026
- 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)-(12) on eCFRUp to date as of 2026-09-24
- Federal Register: 91 FR 44976, Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission (July 17, 2026)Published 07/17/2026
This page summarizes official information. It is not legal, immigration or tax advice. Confirm your situation with your DSO or a qualified immigration attorney. Last updated October 16, 2026.