The OPT unemployment limit, explained

Post-completion OPT gives you time to work in your field after you graduate, but it also limits how long you can go without a job. Knowing exactly how that limit works is the difference between a stressful search and a status problem.

The limits

Post-completion OPT: you can be unemployed for a total of 90 days during your OPT period.
STEM OPT extension: you get 60 more days, for 150 days in total across your original OPT and the extension.

The days are cumulative. They do not reset when you find a job and then lose it.

When the count starts

The count begins on the start date printed on your EAD card, not the day you graduate and not the day the card arrives. Every calendar day you are not employed after that date counts, weekends included.

What counts as employment

For the days to stop counting, the work must be:

directly related to your degree, and
at least 20 hours a week.

Paid jobs, internships and contract work can count if they meet both tests. SEVP guidance also allows some unpaid or volunteer work in your field, as long as it meets the same tests and does not break labor laws. Keep an offer letter or a written description of your role that shows how it relates to your degree.

Report every change to SEVP

Tell SEVP about a new employer, a change of employer or the end of your employment within 10 days of it happening, through the SEVP Portal or through your school's designated school official (DSO). The unemployment count is worked out from what you report, so keep it accurate.

If you run out of days

Going over the limit is a violation of your F-1 status, and your SEVIS record can be terminated. If you are close to the limit, talk to your DSO before it runs out, not after.

Where we fit

We can't give immigration advice, and your DSO and USCIS decide your status. What we do is run the search inside your window: we target employers that fit your authorization, send tailored applications in your name and prepare you for every interview, so the days you have are spent well.