OPT EAD case tracker, built for F-1 students.

GreenLight decodes USCIS status messages into plain English, so you can see what an I-765 OPT update does—and does not—establish. It covers initial OPT and STEM OPT extensions.

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Remove receipt numbers before pasting; GreenLight does not store them.

Community Pulse needs at least five matching self-reported OPT milestone observations before it shows a public count.

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What is OPT?

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a period of temporary employment authorization granted to F-1 students who have completed or are pursuing a degree at an accredited US college or university. It allows you to work in the US in a job directly related to your field of study. Initial OPT provides up to 12 months of work authorization after graduation; STEM OPT extension adds up to 24 additional months for qualifying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics graduates.

For post-completion OPT, your Designated School Official (DSO) first enters the recommendation in SEVIS and issues an endorsed Form I-20. Form I-765 category (c)(3)(B) must satisfy both clocks: USCIS may receive it from 90 days before through 60 days after the program end date, and it must be filed within 30 days after the DSO enters the recommendation. Work may begin only after USCIS approves the request, you receive the EAD, and the EAD start date has arrived.

The unemployment limit belongs to the authorized post-completion OPT period, not the pending I-765 period. Unemployment begins to count from the approved EAD start date when qualifying employment has not been reported. The limit is 90 cumulative days during initial post-completion OPT, or 150 total days across initial OPT plus an approved 24-month STEM OPT extension. Confirm employment and reporting questions with your DSO.

I-765 OPT status reference

Timing source: No universal GreenLight estimate. Use the official USCIS processing-time selector for the exact eligibility category and office.

Application filed

USCIS receives the I-765 as its own benefit request. Even when it is submitted in the same package as an I-485, USCIS assigns a separate receipt number and may accept and adjudicate each form on a different path.

Receipt timing varies; follow your USCIS account and mailed notice

Biometrics (if not concurrent with I-485)

USCIS may schedule a biometrics appointment or reuse biometrics, depending on the filing and current instructions. Follow the appointment notice if one is issued.

The appointment notice controls; there is no universal filing-to-biometrics clock

Card production ordered

USCIS approves your application and orders the physical EAD card to be produced and mailed.

Use the official USCIS selector for the exact eligibility category and office

Card delivered

USCIS mails the EAD after production. For affected category (c)(9) initial and renewal requests pending or filed on or after Dec. 5, 2025, the maximum validity is 18 months; the printed card controls.

Follow USCIS production and mailing updates

Status messages OPT applicants commonly see

These are public status messages an OPT applicant may encounter; a real case may skip steps or include others. Click a status to see what its wording establishes and what remains unknown.

Case Was Received →Fingerprints Were Taken →Case Was Approved →We Ordered Your New Card →Card Was Mailed →

Frequently asked questions about OPT

How long does I-765 take?+

GreenLight does not publish a hand-authored I-765 range. Use the official USCIS processing-time selector for the exact eligibility category and office; a concurrent I-485 does not create one universal I-765 clock.

Can I expedite my EAD?+

USCIS may consider a documented request under its current published expedite criteria, but it decides each request in its discretion. Use a current USCIS request channel, provide the evidence USCIS asks for, and do not assume the request changes your existing work authorization.

What is category (c)(9) on my EAD?+

Category (c)(9) identifies an EAD based on a pending I-485 adjustment application. It generally is not tied to one sponsoring employer, but the issued card, its validity dates, the pending basis, and current Form I-9 rules still control.

What happens if my EAD expires before my renewal is approved?+

Most renewals filed on or after Oct. 30, 2025 do not receive a general automatic extension. A qualifying renewal filed before that date may retain up to 540 days only if it was timely, used an eligible matching category, and satisfies every document condition. Other category-specific extensions follow their own rules.

Can I work before receiving my EAD card?+

An I-765 receipt or approval notice is not generic permission to work. For an initial OPT EAD, wait until the EAD is issued, you have received it, and its start date has arrived. Other categories may have a qualifying automatic or status-based extension only when every category, timing, and document condition is met.

See an example timeline →

See a fictional OPT I-765 sequence with fixed dates and plain-English status explanations. It is not a processing-time benchmark.

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One possible next step: H-1B

Some F-1 graduates consider employer-sponsored H-1B. GreenLight supports manual I-129 status explanations, but not saved I-129 timelines.

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Start decoding your OPT case

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