How long can I work in the U.S. after graduation with an F-1 student visa, including any STEM OPT extension?

The 36-month figure only applies if your degree and employer both qualify, and it's worth understanding the mechanics rather than treating it as an automatic entitlement, since a single missed condition, a non-STEM major, an employer not on E-Verify, can cut your work authorization down to 12 months.

How the Two Stages Work

• Post-completion OPT: 12 months, available to any F-1 graduate, with employment required to be directly related to your major.
• STEM OPT extension: an additional 24 months, only for graduates with a qualifying STEM-classified degree, working for an employer enrolled in E-Verify, under a training plan filed on Form I-983.
• Minimum hours: STEM OPT employment must generally be at least 20 hours a week.

What Doesn't Change With Nationality

Being Indian doesn't give you a longer or shorter OPT period; the same F-1 rules apply to every nationality. What actually varies your outcome is your degree's official STEM classification, not the country you're studying in or how technical the field sounds informally.

What Happens After the 36 Months

OPT and STEM OPT are work authorization within F-1 student status, not a separate work visa. Once that period ends, you need another immigration status, most commonly an employer-sponsored H-1B, to keep working in the US. This is the single biggest planning gap Indian students underestimate: a 36-month runway sounds long, but H-1B sponsorship and the annual lottery timeline need to start well before your OPT clock runs out.

This Information Is Also Available On

US Department of Homeland Security, US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

My Advice

Confirm your specific degree's CIP code is on the official STEM Designated Degree Program list before you count on the 24-month extension; not every technical-sounding master's automatically qualifies. And start the H-1B conversation with your employer roughly a year before your OPT expires, not after, since the lottery timing rarely cooperates with a last-minute plan.