STEM OPT · Regular
Approved Oct 20, 2026
- Filed:
- Apr 12, 2026
- Elapsed:
- 191 calendar days
The smartest OPT approval planner
OPT Tracker & OPT Tracking: When Will Your EAD Arrive?
The most useful OPT tracker for students with a real job-start deadline. OPT Watcher turns 3,303 Reddit-linked timelines and 2,411 reported approvals into your clearest approval, card-delivery, and Premium Processing plan.
Enter your USCIS received date, OPT type, processing path, and optional job-start date. Get an approval window, EAD card window, job-start risk, and Regular vs Premium comparison—free, with no account or receipt number required.
5x
sooner at the midpoint with Premium
Initial OPT
Days to reported approval
Premium
31-35daysRegular
148-175daysSTEM OPT
Days to reported approval
Premium
33-43daysRegular
180-183daysCommunity-reported approval ranges. Compare the dated source cases and processing paths in the tables below.
Your OPT plan
Approval, card delivery, and Premium timing.
Your estimate appears here
Add your USCIS received date to see your approval and card timeline. A job start date is optional.
- 1When approval is most likely
- 2Whether your job start looks at risk
- 3What changes if you switch to Premium
Based on recent community timelines. Your dates are calculated in this browser and are never sent with analytics.
When the job start is real
Turn your result into an employer-ready plan
OPT Job-Start Companion connects three dated options, employer emails, an action calendar, and 45 days of private updates.
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See the CompanionWhat is an OPT tracker?
An OPT tracker helps F-1 students organize the wait between a USCIS receipt, a decision on Form I-765, and delivery of an Employment Authorization Document. OPT Watcher compares your received date, application type, and Regular or Premium processing path with community-reported timelines. You get a planning window for approval and a separate window for the physical EAD card, plus an optional check against your intended first day of work.
Useful OPT tracking connects your own milestones with the experience of applicants on the same path. Your USCIS account provides case updates; community timelines show how similar applications progressed; the calculator turns your dates into a practical approval and delivery window. Whether you searched for “OPT track” or want to plan around a job offer, start with your receipt date and compare the Regular and Premium paths. Revisit your plan when a decision, card-production update, or delivery date gives you a new milestone.
Start with the OPT timeline tracker for the filing-to-delivery stages. Applying for the 24-month extension? The STEM OPT tracker explains that separate cohort. The dated evidence below lets you inspect the sample, compare actual elapsed days, and open the original reports for more context.
Recent OPT approval timelines
Community-reported · approvals in the last 60 days · snapshot Oct 21, 2026 · Source data ↗
| Application and path | Approvals | Median duration |
|---|---|---|
| Initial OPTRegular | 175 | 156 calendar days |
| Initial OPTPremium | 243 | 32 calendar days |
| STEM OPTRegular | 141 | 183 calendar days |
| STEM OPTPremium | 100 | 33 calendar days |
Calendar days to approval: Regular from filing; Premium from the latest reported filing, Premium request, biometrics completion, or RFIE milestone.
Processing times by reported center
| Application | Reported center | Regular | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial OPT | Center not listed | 158 days · 140 approvals | 32 days · 187 approvals |
| Initial OPT | PSC | 145 days · 19 approvals | 31 days · 51 approvals |
| Initial OPT | SCOPS | 154.5 days · 12 approvals | — |
| STEM OPT | Center not listed | 183 days · 124 approvals | 33 days · 81 approvals |
| STEM OPT | PSC | — | 32 days · 17 approvals |
| STEM OPT | SCOPS | 186.5 days · 8 approvals | — |
Center groups with five or more approvals in at least one path; — means fewer than five. Links open an original report. Official USCIS processing times ↗
Latest approvals from the community megathread
Scroll through applicant timelines and open the original reports.
STEM OPT · Premium
Approved Oct 20, 2026
- Filed:
- Jun 7, 2026
- Comparison start:
- Sep 17, 2026
- Elapsed:
- 33 calendar days
STEM OPT · Premium
Approved Oct 20, 2026
- Filed:
- Jun 17, 2026
- Comparison start:
- Sep 15, 2026
- Elapsed:
- 35 calendar days
Initial OPT · Regular
Approved Oct 19, 2026
- Filed:
- Apr 13, 2026
- Elapsed:
- 189 calendar days
Initial OPT · Premium
Approved Oct 19, 2026
- Filed:
- Aug 21, 2026
- Comparison start:
- Sep 15, 2026
- Elapsed:
- 34 calendar days
Initial OPT · Premium
Approved Oct 19, 2026
- Filed:
- Sep 5, 2026
- Comparison start:
- Sep 15, 2026
- Elapsed:
- 34 calendar days
Initial OPT · Regular
Approved Oct 17, 2026
- Filed:
- Apr 30, 2026
- Elapsed:
- 170 calendar days
STEM OPT · Regular
Approved Oct 17, 2026
- Filed:
- Apr 11, 2026
- Elapsed:
- 189 calendar days
The evidence behind your estimate
Every number starts with a public applicant timeline. Comments that lack the dates needed for comparison, conflict with themselves, or look duplicated stay out of the estimate.
Research snapshot: Oct 2, 2026. Explore the source-linked timelines behind your planning window.
What we screened
3,308
public rows reviewed
3,303
Reddit-linked cases stored
3,283
cases in the current model
2,395
reported approvals in the model
How the counts reconcile
3,303 stored cases − 18 flagged date chains − 2 cases outside the current 365-day window = 3,283 cases in today's model. Of 2,411 stored approvals, 2,395 are in that model.
Pending cases stay in each group's total instead of being discarded. The date range itself comes from the latest reported approvals, so it can still shift as pending cases resolve.
Sample source
Imported from the public OPT Pulse snapshot only when an original r/f1visa comment permalink is present. OPT Pulse-only user submissions are excluded.
The four groups we compare
The calculator only compares your dates with the matching OPT type and processing path.
Calendar days to reported approval
| Matched group | Cases in model | Reported approvals | Range used today |
|---|---|---|---|
Initial OPT Regular | 1015 | 655 | 148-175 days 360 cases are still pending; the latest reported approvals set this range. |
Initial OPT Premium | 1632 | 1320 | 31-35 days 312 cases are still pending; the latest reported approvals set this range. |
STEM OPT Regular | 343 | 188 | 180-183 days 155 cases are still pending; the latest reported approvals set this range. |
STEM OPT Premium | 293 | 232 | 33-43 days 61 cases are still pending; the latest reported approvals set this range. |
The database keeps pending cases visible for completion context. Today's displayed range is set by the latest 250 reported approvals per processing path, so older processing speeds do not pull the forecast forward.
Compare community timing with official guidance
Community timing shapes the estimate. USCIS processing-time history and official Premium Processing rules provide reference points alongside the dated community reports.
Plan with a range and a clear next step
Use community-reported ranges to compare your dates and choose your next checkpoint. Confirm case milestones in your USCIS account and notices.
What the answer means
You get a date, the risk to your job start, and a next step
OPT Watcher compares your case with people who filed the same type of OPT using the same processing option. It then checks whether the expected approval and mailing time still fit before your planned first day of work.
Plan through card delivery
Your approval date, card-production date, and delivery date are separate milestones. The result includes production and mailing time so you can plan around the card-in-hand window.
01
When am I likely to be approved?
See a practical date range based on recent cases with the same OPT type and processing choice.
02
Will my card arrive before work starts?
The estimate adds time for card production and mailing instead of treating approval as the finish line.
03
What should I do now?
If the timing is tight, compare continuing to wait with switching to Premium and see the date by which you should decide.
Your dates change the answer
The same wait can be fine for one person and risky for another
If your job starts four months from now, continuing to wait may be reasonable. If it starts in three weeks, the same USCIS timeline may put the offer at risk.
That is why the calculator asks for your planned start date. It does not stop at “cases take about this many days.” It tells you whether there is still enough room for approval, card production, and mailing.
If the timing is tight, you see the Premium alternative next to the Regular path and a concrete date for making that decision.
Simple inputs, useful planning
Compare the right application group
Choose Initial or STEM OPT and Regular or Premium Processing to match the timeline to your application.
Start with your dates
Your USCIS received date and optional job-start date are enough to create a useful planning window.
Keep your planning private
The free calculator works in your browser, so you can explore different dates and compare options privately.
One more deadline to protect
Approved already? Count your OPT unemployment days next.
Enter your EAD dates and employment periods to see uncovered gaps, days used, days remaining, and the date the entered history would reach the 90-day or combined 150-day limit.
One OPT journey, the right tool for each question
Plan the next step in your OPT timeline
OPT timelineSee each stage from filing to EAD card delivery.STEM OPT trackerTrack the 24-month extension with a separate STEM timeline.OPT processing timeCompare dated community ranges with official USCIS tools.Premium Processing decisionCompare the two paths against your actual work start date.OPT unemployment daysCount uncovered days after your EAD start date.Compare OPT trackersChoose between personal forecasts, case alerts, and trend data.
Questions before you rely on a date
OPT tracker FAQ
What is an OPT tracker?+
An OPT tracker helps you follow the application journey from USCIS receipt to approval and EAD delivery. Enter your dates in OPT Watcher to see approval and card-arrival windows, compare Regular and Premium Processing, and plan around a job-start date.
How do I start OPT tracking?+
Choose Initial OPT or STEM OPT, enter your USCIS received date, and select Regular or Premium Processing. Add a planned job-start date for a timing check. The free calculator shows your results immediately, with no account or receipt number required.
How do I check my OPT case timeline?+
Read your receipt date and latest case update in your USCIS account. Use that received date in the calculator, then compare your approval and EAD delivery windows with the community timelines below. Keep your receipt, approval, card-production, and delivery dates together as milestones.
How often are the OPT timelines updated?+
Each community table displays its capture date and recent approval window. The calculator uses the model snapshot dated Oct 2, 2026. New source snapshots are reviewed before publication, and the original community links let you follow individual reports.
Where can I compare OPT processing times?+
Start with the tables on this page to compare Initial OPT and STEM OPT, Regular and Premium processing, and reported center labels. Each row shows its sample size and median elapsed days. Open the linked USCIS processing-time tool for the official benchmark.
How do I track a STEM OPT extension?+
Choose STEM OPT in the calculator to use the extension cohort. Open the STEM OPT tracker page for the 24-month extension timeline, STEM-specific approval reports, and a step-by-step way to organize your receipt, decision, and new EAD dates.
Will my EAD arrive before my job starts?+
Add your planned job-start date to compare it with the estimated card-in-hand window. Approval, card production, and delivery are separate milestones, so the calculator includes mailing time. Confirm your work-start requirements with your DSO using your official documents.
Where do the approval examples come from?+
The cards summarize dated public community reports, with filing and approval milestones, processing path, and a link to the original discussion. Swipe or scroll through the cases to compare applicants whose dates and application type are close to yours.
Official reference points
Read the current USCIS Form I-907 information for Premium Processing rules and the official USCIS processing-time tool for the government benchmark. Compare these references with the dated community timelines when planning your next step.