What an OPT case timeline looks like (example)

This is a fictional I-765 (C03B) sequence using sample status names and plain-English explanations. It is not a real user's case or a processing-time forecast.

Form: I-765·Category: C03B·Center: Nebraska Service Center·Total: 30 days
Sample data only. These fixed milestones illustrate how recorded updates can appear; they are not a Nebraska Service Center benchmark, a promised sequence, or a prediction. A real case can have different dates, notices, and steps. The displayed receipt prefix is fictional.

F-1 Initial OPT: EAD Application

1
Case Was Received
February 10, 2026

USCIS reports that it received the I-765 and assigned a receipt number. Keep the receipt notice when it arrives, but do not treat this public status alone as proof that every OPT filing deadline or DSO-recommendation requirement was met.

+8 days
2
Receipt Notice Was Mailed
February 18, 2026

USCIS reports that it mailed a receipt notice. Delivery timing is not promised by this status. Read and store the notice when it arrives; the notice and official account provide the case-specific receipt information.

+22 days
3
Case Is Being Actively Reviewed By USCIS
March 12, 2026

USCIS posted an active-review status. The public message does not prove that an officer currently has the file open or predict approval, an RFE, or any other next step.

Filed
February 10, 2026
Approved
March 12, 2026
Total updates
3
Filing → approval
0 days

Make it yours

Bring each new official OPT update into GreenLight to decode it in plain English, save it to your timeline, and see how long each recorded stage took. GreenLight does not check USCIS automatically.

Track your real OPT case (free signup) →
GreenLight does not ask for or store receipt numbers. Selected signed-in case details sync privately; Community milestones are shared only when you choose.
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GreenLight is an independent tool and is NOT affiliated with USCIS, DHS, or any U.S. government agency. This page shows fictional sample data for illustrative purposes only. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. uscis.gov/i-765