Articles Posted in F-1 Students

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is an important benefits available to F-1 students. Every year, tens of thousands of international students rely on OPT to obtain practical experience in their field of study, transition into the American workforce, and, for many, pursue H-1B status or employment-based permanent residence.

The Department of Homeland Security’s July 17, 2026 Final Rule, Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media, 91 Fed. Reg. 44976 (July 17, 2026).,  does not eliminate OPT. Instead, it changes the immigration framework within which OPT operates. For more than forty years, most F-1 students remained in the United States under Duration of Status (D/S). Under the Final Rule, DHS replaces that system with fixed periods of admission and, in many cases, requires students to file applications to extend their stay with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

For universities, Designated School Officials (DSOs), employers, immigration attorneys, and students, the key question is no longer simply “Is my OPT approved?” The new question is “Does my OPT fit within my authorized period of admission, or must I obtain an extension of stay?”