Complete OPT Filing Timeline for December 2025 Graduates (F-1 Visa Guide)

Описание: 🎓 F-1 Students graduating in December, here’s your full OPT timeline in one post.

In this video, we break down the exact OPT dates you must know if you're graduating on December 17, 2025 including when you can file, when you can start working, and how the 90-day unemployment rule works.

Save this before you forget!
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TIMELINE:
✅ Program End Date (PED): Eg. Dec 17, 2025
✅ Earliest you can apply for OPT: ~ Sept 17, 2025 (90 days before PED)
✅ Latest you can apply: ~ Feb 17, 2026 (60 days after PED)
✅ OPT Start Date window (When you can start working): Dec 18, 2025 → Feb 15, 2026

📌 REMINDER: OPT is not automatic, you must apply to USCIS using Form I-765 and wait for approval + EAD card before starting work.
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📌 IMPORTANT:
USCIS does not process OPT in 1–2 weeks. It can take 2–3 months (or longer), so applying early (Around Early November) gives you a higher chance of receiving your EAD card before your chosen start date.
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❗️If your EAD card is not approved by your start date → you cannot work, and the unused days count as unemployment.
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Checklist before filing Form I-765:
• Updated I-20 with OPT Recommendation (Page 2)
• Passport valid 6+ months
• Most recent I-94
• 2x US-style passport photos
• Digital signature
• Correct filing category: (c)(3)(B) - Post-Completion OPT
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Tip: You can apply early and still choose a later OPT start date. The filing date and start date are not the same thing.
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🔁 Share this with a friend who’s also graduating.
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📩 DM if you want help with your I-765 checklist.