My OPT is ending and I don't have a job. What now?
This is the most stressful spot on OPT, and the rules are less forgiving than most people think. Here is exactly what happens on your end date, what options are still open, and how to use the weeks you have left.
Short answer: When your OPT end date passes without a job, you get a 60-day grace period to leave the US, change to another status, or transfer to a new school, but you cannot work during it. You cannot get the STEM OPT extension without an offer from an E-Verify employer, so if you have a STEM degree, the most valuable thing you can do before your end date is land that offer. Also watch your unemployment days: 90 on regular OPT, 150 total with STEM OPT.
What happens on your OPT end date
Your work authorization ends on the "Valid To" date on your EAD card. If you have not gone over your unemployment limit, you then have a 60-day grace period. During those 60 days you can stay in the US to prepare to leave, apply to change status, or transfer your SEVIS record to a new program. You cannot work during the grace period.
Watch your unemployment days first
On regular OPT you can be unemployed for up to 90 days in total. With the STEM extension you get 60 more, for 150 across both. If you go over, your status can be at risk even before your end date. Count yours with the OPT unemployment calculator; the full rules are in OPT unemployment rules.
Can you still get STEM OPT?
Only with a job offer. The STEM extension needs an employer enrolled in E-Verify, a job related to your STEM degree for at least 20 hours a week, and a Form I-983 training plan signed by the employer. You can file up to 90 days before your OPT ends, and USCIS has to receive it before your end date. No offer by then means no extension. See your exact filing window in the STEM OPT timeline.
Other options your DSO can walk you through
Depending on your situation: starting another degree program and transferring your SEVIS record, changing to a different visa status, or leaving the US and continuing the search from home. If an employer files an H-1B petition for you with a change of status while you are still in status, cap-gap can extend your status for a while. Each of these has its own timing rules, so talk to your DSO before your end date, not after.
How to use the weeks you have left
The dates are fixed. What you control is how many good applications reach employers that can actually hire you before they run out. That means applying only to employers with a real sponsorship record, tailoring each resume to the posting, and sending steadily every week instead of in bursts. A real person on our team picks roles that match your background and level, tailors your resume to each job description using only your real experience, writes a real cover letter, and submits. Every employer is checked against the DOL filings first, so your applications go to companies that have actually sponsored this kind of role. Nothing is auto-submitted without a person looking at it, and you get a weekly report of everything sent. See how it works.
Applying by field: data science, software engineering, data and business analyst, mechanical engineering, internships on CPT.
What it costs
It starts with a $49 trial of 20 applications so you can see the work before paying more. Most students close to graduation pick the Placement plan: $200 a month with unlimited applications, and a placement fee only once you are hired.
Not legal advice. Your I-20, EAD card and your school's DSO are the final word on your dates.
Common questions
What happens if my OPT ends and I don't have a job?
Your work authorization ends on your EAD end date. If you stayed within your unemployment limit, you get a 60-day grace period to leave the US, change status, or transfer to a new school. You cannot work during the grace period.
Can I apply for STEM OPT without a job?
No. The STEM OPT extension requires a job offer from an E-Verify employer, related to your STEM degree, for at least 20 hours a week, with a Form I-983 signed by the employer. You file up to 90 days before your OPT ends.
How many unemployment days do I get on OPT?
90 days in total on regular post-completion OPT, and 150 in total if you get the 24-month STEM extension. It is one running count across both periods.
Can someone apply to jobs for me before my OPT runs out?
Yes. FlexApply applies to jobs on your behalf, only at employers with a real H-1B sponsorship record, with a resume tailored to each posting and a weekly report. The Placement plan is $200 a month with unlimited applications, and the placement fee is charged only once you are hired.
Your end date is fixed. Your applications don't have to wait.
Tell us your target roles and your OPT end date, and we'll start with the sponsors that hire for them this week.