Free tool for F-1 OPT and STEM OPT
How many OPT unemployment days do you have left?
Enter the start date on your OPT card, your STEM OPT start date if you have one, and every job you have held since. The counter adds up the days without a job and shows the date you would reach the limit.
Your count shows here.
Start with the start date on your OPT card. Add your jobs, and the days used, the days left and your last allowed day appear here.
Date estimate only, not legal advice. Enter only qualifying employment. Confirm your count and work eligibility with your DSO.
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The rules
In plain words.
- On post-completion OPT you can be unemployed for up to 90 days in total.
- A 24-month STEM OPT extension adds 60 more, for 150 in total. The 150 includes every day you used on post-completion OPT; the count does not start over.
- Counting starts on the start date of your OPT, even if you have no job yet. SEVIS counts each day with no employer reported.
- Every calendar day counts, weekends and holidays included.
- Enter only qualifying employment directly related to your degree. STEM OPT also requires a completed Form I-983 training plan with each qualifying employer.
- Post-completion OPT employment has to be at least 20 hours a week to count; STEM OPT employment has to be at least 20 hours a week with an employer enrolled in E-Verify.
- Report each employer to your DSO. Use the SEVP Portal for updates it allows; STEM OPT employer changes go through your DSO.
Sources
- DHS Study in the States: Unemployment Counter, updated July 27, 2026.
- USCIS: Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students, updated January 30, 2026.
Checked by Careery on October 15, 2026.
Not legal advice. This counter does arithmetic on the dates you enter. It is not legal advice and it is not your SEVIS record, which is what counts. It does not know your EAD end date or whether a job qualifies. Check your numbers with your DSO, and talk to an immigration attorney about your own case.
FAQ
Questions people ask next.
When does the OPT unemployment clock start?
On the start date of your OPT, the date printed on your EAD card, whether or not you have a job by then. Days before it are not counted.
Do weekends count as unemployment days?
Yes. Every calendar day without qualifying employment counts, including weekends and holidays.
Does the count reset when STEM OPT starts?
No. With a STEM OPT extension the limit is 150 days in total, and that total includes the days you used on post-completion OPT.
Where do I see the official count?
Your DSO can see the unemployment counter in SEVIS, on your employment information page. If this counter and SEVIS disagree, SEVIS is the record.