US: First paycheck · 5 min read
How do OPT and the H-1B work for international graduates?
How international students stay and work in the US after graduating: 12 months of OPT, the 24-month STEM extension, unemployment day limits and the H-1B lottery.
The short answer
After an F-1 degree you can work in the US for 12 months on Optional Practical Training in a job related to your major, and for 24 more months on a STEM OPT extension if your degree is on the STEM list and your employer uses E-Verify. You apply up to 90 days before your program ends and must not exceed 90 days of unemployment on OPT, or 150 total including the extension. To stay longer, your employer sponsors you for an H-1B, which from the FY2027 season uses a wage-weighted selection that favors higher-paid, higher-level roles over entry-level ones, alongside a $100,000 fee on many new petitions for workers outside the US. The practical plan is to get a job that qualifies for STEM OPT, be entered in up to three H-1B lotteries, and build a backup in parallel.
Key takeaways
- OPT: 12 months, apply up to 90 days before your program end date and no later than 60 days after. Jobs must relate to your degree; 90 days of unemployment is the limit.
- STEM OPT: 24 more months for STEM-designated degrees with an E-Verify employer and a training plan (Form I-983). Total unemployment allowed across both: 150 days.
- Cap-gap: if your H-1B registration is selected and filed while you're on OPT, your status extends automatically to October 1.
- H-1B from FY2027: wage-weighted lottery that favors higher wage levels, $215 registration fee, and a $100,000 fee on many new petitions for beneficiaries outside the US. Employers increasingly file as change of status.
On this pageThe timeline
The timeline
| Stage | Length | Key rules |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-completion OPT | Optional, during study | Part time in session; counts against the 12 months |
| Post-completion OPT | 12 months | Apply 90 days before to 60 days after program end; job must relate to major; 90 unemployment days |
| STEM OPT extension | 24 months | STEM-designated degree, E-Verify employer, Form I-983 training plan, paid work; 150 total unemployment days |
| Cap-gap | To October 1 | Automatic if an H-1B registration is selected and petition filed while on OPT |
| H-1B | 3 years, renewable to 6 | Employer-sponsored; annual March registration; wage-weighted selection from FY2027 |
| Green card | Years, by country | Employer sponsorship can begin on OPT or H-1B |
Choosing a first job with the visa in mind
- Confirm the employer uses E-Verify if you'll need STEM OPT. Not all do, and it's a hard requirement.
- Ask directly whether they sponsor H-1Bs and how many they filed last year. Companies that have done it know the process; companies that haven't often back out.
- Prefer roles and titles that map to higher wage levels; under the weighted lottery, a Level II or III offer has materially better odds than Level I.
- Keep every job description, offer letter and pay stub. OPT and STEM OPT require reporting employer changes within 10 days and periodic validations.
What changed in 2025 and 2026
A September 2025 proclamation imposed a $100,000 fee on many new H-1B petitions for beneficiaries outside the United States, with exceptions and ongoing litigation; change-of-status filings from OPT have generally been treated differently, which makes staying in status on OPT more valuable. A final rule effective February 2026 replaced the random lottery with wage-weighted selection for FY2027, and registration costs $215. Both changes tilt the system toward higher-paid workers, so using STEM OPT to move up a wage level before your lottery attempts matters more than it used to.
A plan with a backup
- Apply for OPT at the 90-day mark. Don't wait for a job offer; the clock runs from your program end date regardless.
- Take a related job with an E-Verify employer that sponsors. Ask the sponsorship question in the first interview.
- Get entered in the H-1B lottery every March you're eligible: up to three attempts across OPT and STEM OPT.
- In year two, start the conversation about green card sponsorship, which doesn't depend on the lottery.
- Keep a parallel option alive: a cap-exempt employer, a foreign office transfer, or another country's graduate route.
Illustrative example: three lotteries, one green card
A master's graduate in data science starts on OPT at an analytics firm that uses E-Verify. She's not selected in her first H-1B lottery. She moves to STEM OPT, is promoted to a higher wage level, and is selected in her second attempt under the weighted system. Her employer files as a change of status and had started her green card in year two, so her priority date is already set.
Questions people ask
- When should I apply for OPT?
- Up to 90 days before your program end date, and no later than 60 days after it. Processing takes months, so apply at the 90-day mark. Your designated school official recommends OPT in SEVIS, then you file Form I-765. You can't work until the Employment Authorization Document arrives.
- Can I be unemployed on OPT?
- For up to 90 days total during the initial 12 months, and 150 days across OPT plus the STEM extension, counted cumulatively. Unpaid work in your field over 20 hours a week counts on regular OPT; STEM OPT requires paid work. Exceeding the limit ends your status.
- How does the H-1B lottery work now?
- Employers register you in March for an October start. From the FY2027 season, selection is weighted by wage level: Level IV registrations get four entries, Level I one, so entry-level roles have lower odds than before. If selected, your employer files the petition. Change-of-status filings from OPT have generally been exempt from the $100,000 fee on many petitions for workers abroad.
- What are the alternatives if I don't get the H-1B?
- Cap-exempt H-1Bs at universities, nonprofit research organizations and affiliated hospitals have no lottery. An O-1 for people with strong records. An employer-sponsored green card, which can start on OPT. A year at a foreign office, then an L-1. Further study. Or Canada and the UK, whose graduate routes don't depend on a lottery.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 students · US Citizenship and Immigration Services
- H-1B specialty occupations · US Citizenship and Immigration Services
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.