Calculating your OPT Unemployment Days
If you're on Post-Completion OPT or the 24-month STEM OPT Extension, it's important to understand how unemployment time affects your F-1 immigration status. U.S. immigration regulations place strict limits on the amount of time you can be unemployed while on Post-OPT/STEM OPT.
Unemployment Time Limits:
| Post-Completion OPT | STEM OPT Extension |
|---|---|
| You may not exceed 90 days of unemployment. The count starts from the start date on your EAD card. | Any unused days from Post-OPT carry over into STEM OPT. You’re also given an additional 60 days, bringing your total maximum to 150 days across both Post-OPT and STEM OPT. |
Important: Unemployment time is cumulative across the entire duration of Post-OPT and STEM OPT.
Key Guidelines to Keep in Mind:
Unemployment begins on your EAD start date if you are not employed, and continues to accumulate until you begin qualifying employment.
Exceeding 150 days of total unemployment is a violation of F-1 status. If this happens, you are expected to:
- Depart the U.S.
- Transfer to another SEVP-certified school
- Apply to change your visa status
Having a job offer that starts after reaching the unemployment limit does not protect your status. Accruing days beyond the limit may result in unlawful presence and negatively impact future immigration benefits.
Approved vacation from a job does not count as unemployment—as long as you remain employed.
On STEM OPT, jobs must be at least 20 hours per week. Anything less will be counted as unemployment time. On Post-OPT, the total hours of all jobs must exceed 20 hours per week in order to avoid accruing unemployment days.
Keeping track of your employment and unemployment days is crucial for staying in status. Set reminders and regularly update your employment information in the SEVP Portal and via MyISSC eForms.
Reach out to an ISSC advisor for guidance before you approach your unemployment limit.