Another Day, Another Shock To Indian F1 OPT Applicants!

The kind of radical decisions that are being taken by the United States, immigration and administrative authorities is becoming a topic of discussion all over. A recent update has created confusion among international students in the United States who are on F1 OPT.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has changed the wording on OPT receipt notices. Earlier, when students applied for an OPT or STEM OPT extension on time, they were allowed to continue working for up to 180 days while waiting for approval. The receipt notice acted as proof that they could keep working during this period.

Now, the new receipt notice clearly says that it cannot be used as proof of work authorization. This has made many students worried that they may not be allowed to work while their extension application is still pending.

This change is connected to new rules introduced by the Department of Homeland Security in late 2025. Under the updated policy, automatic work extensions are no longer available for many categories of work permits.

Because of this, students who file their OPT extension after the new rule date may not get the 180 day automatic work benefit.

Students are advised to carefully check their application filing date. It is also important to speak with their university international office or an immigration lawyer before continuing work based only on a receipt notice.