What actually changed for F-1 students through 2025, and what did not

2025 brought a lot of noise about visa policy, and it helps to separate rumor from rule. The core F-1 framework stayed in place: full-time enrollment, the 90-day OPT unemployment limit, the STEM OPT extension for eligible degrees, and cap-subject H-1B for most private employers. A lot of the anxiety came from processing delays and headlines rather than changes to the underlying rules. When you see a scary post, check the source against uscis.gov before you act on it. Which 2025 rumor cost you the most sleep?