Sample timeline
See how the dates fit together.
Explore an illustrative OPT and STEM OPT timeline. These fictional dates show how program end, a DSO recommendation, and EAD expiry contribute to different milestones. Nothing here is your saved case. No account required.
The record this timeline is computed from
- Student name
- Redacted on purposeRedacted
- SEVIS ID
- Redacted on purposeRedacted
- School and program
- Redacted on purposeRedacted
- Program end date on the Form I-20
- 2027-05-15
Fictional student, redacted on purpose. Nothing on this page belongs to a real person.
Post-completion OPT
Six dates, in the order they arrive. Two clocks run at once and the earlier one governs.
| Date | Milestone | What it decides | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027-02-14 | Your filing window opens | 90 days before the program end date. A Form I-765 filed one day earlier is rejected. | Form I-765 Instructions, 09/15/26 edition, page 4 |
| 2027-03-02 | Your DSO enters the OPT recommendation | A second clock starts here. Form I-765 is due within 30 days of this date, and this date comes from SEVIS, not from the Date Issued on the I-20. | 8 CFR 214.2(f)(11)(i)(B)(2) |
| 2027-04-01 | Your filing window closes | The earlier of the two deadlines, so this is the one that governs. The program-end deadline for this student is a later date, which is why it does not govern. | Form I-765 Instructions, 09/15/26 edition, page 4 |
| 2027-05-15 | Program end date on the Form I-20 | The anchor every other post-completion date is computed from. Not the graduation ceremony, the last day of class, or the degree conferral date. | Form I-20, program end date field |
| 2027-06-14 | The program-end deadline for this student | Shown so both clocks are visible at once. This student's SEVIS clock closes first, so this date never binds them. | Form I-765 Instructions, 09/15/26 edition, page 4 |
| 2027-07-01 | Requested OPT start date | No work before the EAD is in hand and this date has arrived. From here, 90 days of unemployment begin counting, weekends included. | 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(E) |
STEM OPT extension
The same student, if their degree is on the STEM Designated Degree Program List and their employer is enrolled in E-Verify. Both dates are computed from the EAD expiry.
| Date | Milestone | What it decides | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028-04-01 | STEM OPT filing window opens | 90 days before the current EAD expires. The DSO enters the STEM recommendation before the I-765 goes in, so this date is a planning date, not a filing date. | USCIS, STEM OPT Extension |
| 2028-06-30 | Post-completion OPT EAD expires | The STEM application is filed before this date. A timely filing carries an automatic extension of employment authorization while it is pending. | USCIS, STEM OPT Extension |
What this sample is not
These are illustrative dates for a fictional person. They are not your dates, and a sample timeline is not advice about your case. Your own timeline is computed from your own Form I-20 and recomputed whenever a fact changes. Your DSO and the official USCIS instructions are authoritative, and where a date depends on what SEVIS says about you, only your DSO can settle it.
Rules and links checked as of 2026-08-29.
Build this from your own Form I-20