Post Study Work Visa USA for International Students in 2025

Study in USA consultants will be quick to tell you that work options for international students in this country are different to other destinations. In the UK and Australia, for example, students can apply for a post-study visa to continue living and working in the country after graduation. In the USA, however, instead of applying for a separate visa, F-1 student visa holders may be able to continue living and working in the USA with the same visa.

Below, we break down what you need to know about the post study work visa USA alternative, the OPT.

Your Work Rights as an International Student in the USA

The first thing you need to understand about working in the USA is that as an international student, you have to abide by certain rules and regulations. For example, unlike international students in the UK, Australia, and Ireland, you cannot work part-time off campus. For on-campus part-timers, you can work a maximum of 20 hours per week.

However, as study in USA consultants point out, part-time jobs aren’t your only option to build up work experience in the USA. As international students, you can explore two other pathways of working as a student.

Curriculum Practical Training (CPT)

Curriculum Practical Training or CPT is professional training that you complete as a part of your program. Like an internship or work placement, CPT involves securing an offer from an employer in a field relevant to your studies. Completing your CPT contributes towards the completion of your degree program.

CPT can be both required or optional. Required CPT is a core part of your curriculum. In other words, you won’t be able to formally complete your degree without completing CPT. On the other hand, as you can guess, optional CPT involves opting into the work experience opportunity.

For both types of CPT, your Designated School Official (DSO) will need to authorize you in the SEVIS system before you can start working. For this authorization, you will first need to receive an offer from an employer in a relevant field to your studies.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

For those specifically aiming to live and work in the USA after graduation, this is the option study in USA consultants highlight. OPT can be both pre-completion or post-completion. Unlike CPT, which is a part of your course curriculum, OPT is, as the name spells out, optional. The application process is also different from the CPT.

A couple of key things to remember when considering the OPT is that the program has a 12-month limit. This includes both pre- and post-completion OPT together. In other words, if you apply for and complete six months of OPT before graduation, you are only eligible for six months of OPT after graduation. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you complete 12 months of CPT before graduation, you are no longer eligible for OPT.

While 12 months may not seem like a long time, there is a post-completion OPT extension option for graduates in certain STEM fields. If you are a graduate of specific STEM subjects, you may be eligible for a 24-month extension! To explore STEM programs to study in the USA, check out the GRADSearch course finder tool

How to Qualify for the OPT

To qualify for this post study work visa USA alternative, you need to apply within 90 days (3 months) before completing your program. Alternatively, you can apply within 60 days (2 months) after completing your program.

First, your DSO will need to recommend you for OPT within the SEVIS system. After this, you will need to wait for authorization from the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). This authorization comes in the form of an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Remember that you can’t start working without the proper authorization from the US government!

STEM Fields Eligible for OPT Extension

Study in USA consultants compiled the list below to highlight some programs eligible for the 24-month OPT extension:

• Food Science

• Food Technology & Processing

• Horticultural Science

• Soil Microbiology

• Environmental Studies

• Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management

• Urban Forestry

• Landscape Architecture

• Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia

• Artificial Intelligence

• Computer Science

• Engineering (All)

• Biochemistry

• Structural Biology

• Virology

• Bioinformatics

• Mathematics, General

• Space Systems Operations

• Nutrition Sciences

• Marine Sciences

• Meteorology

• Paleontology

• Materials Chemistry

• Business Statistics

These are just a handful of the program options available for STEM students seeking a post-study work extension in the USA!

Rounding Up

The USA does not offer the sort of post-study work visa as countries like the UK and Australia do. However, study in USA consultants are quick to reassure that this does not mean you lack options. Although the USA has its own unique system for part-time and post-study work options for international students, understanding what these options are helps you discover and secure the right opportunity for you.

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