STEM OPT unemployment days: how the 150-day limit works
If you are on STEM OPT and between jobs, the number that matters most is your unemployment count. Here is how it works, based on SEVP's own guidance.
## The limits
- Post-completion OPT: up to 90 days of unemployment in total.
- STEM OPT extension: 60 more days, for 150 days total.
- The 150 includes days you already used on post-completion OPT. If you used 40 days before STEM OPT, you have 110 left.
Takeaway: find your current count before you plan a job search. Your DSO can see it in SEVIS.
## How SEVIS counts
- SEVIS checks your record and counts every day with no employer information as a day of unemployment.
- Days do not need to be in a row. Every gap adds to the total.
- The count looks back to the actual start date of your OPT period.
Takeaway: a job that is not recorded in SEVIS can look like unemployment. Make sure your employer details are entered and current.
## Reporting rules that protect your count
- Report a job ending within 10 days. Use the SEVP Portal or contact your DSO.
- Keep your employer details current in SEVIS. Every STEM OPT employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and material changes to your Form I-983 training plan must be reported.
- Validate every six months. Confirm your legal name, address, employer and employment status with your DSO.
- Complete your annual self-evaluation on time.
- Work at least 20 hours per week for each STEM OPT employer.
Your employer also has to notify your DSO within five business days after you leave.
## What if you go over
SEVP has warned that students who exceed allowable unemployment "risk accruing unlawful presence." Treat the limit as a hard ceiling and talk to your DSO well before you get close.
## Using the time well
If you are worried about running out of days, or about relying on one employer for status, this is a good moment to check whether a self-petition such as EB-2 NIW or EB-1A could fit your record. Neither needs an employer sponsor.
Check your self-petition fit free, no account needed: https://www.f-1careers.com/explorer?utm_source=community&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=stem_opt_unemployment
Sources: SEVP Study in the States, "STEM OPT Extension Overview"; SEVIS Help Hub, "Unemployment Counter"; Study in the States, "DSOs: Prepare for SEVIS Release 6.41 and Share these Unemployment Reminders."
Education and strategy, not legal advice. Talk to a licensed immigration attorney about your situation.