OPT Filing Window Calculator
Intersect the USCIS category window with the DSO-recommendation clock for post-completion or STEM OPT filing planning. Sensitive inputs stay in your browser.
Post-completion OPT combines the category window with the time limit measured from the DSO recommendation. USCIS receipt—not mailing alone—must satisfy the current filing instructions. Review note: Confirm the DSO recommendation before filing.
Context matters.
- The DSO must recommend OPT in SEVIS and issue the endorsed Form I-20 before filing.
- Fee, form edition, filing address, premium processing, eligibility and later USCIS changes are outside this date calculation.
Sources & scope
The calculation guide and this source trail show what the result means, where the rule came from and when it was last reviewed. This is source-and-calculation QA, not a claim of medical, legal, tax or other professional review; time-sensitive decisions still belong with the linked authority.
A visible path from input to answer.
Intersect the USCIS category window with the DSO-recommendation clock for post-completion or STEM OPT filing planning. The page keeps the calculation scope and its limits beside the result so the output can be checked, copied or revisited.
- Read the record. The calculator uses OPT filing path, Form I-20 program end date, Current post-completion OPT end date, DSO recommendation entered in SEVIS and Planning date and 1 additional field supplied in the form.
- Apply the scope. It applies the United States F-1 OPT filing planning — current Form I-20, DSO recommendation and USCIS filing record control reference and the explicit date, unit and counting conventions shown in the result.
- Expose the checkpoints. Intermediate rows, warnings and timeline events stay visible; the emphasized row identifies the primary checkpoint when one exists.
Post-completion OPT combines the category window with the time limit measured from the DSO recommendation. USCIS receipt—not mailing alone—must satisfy the current filing instructions. Review note: Confirm the DSO recommendation before filing.
- Latest calculated filing dateSep 22, 2026
- Form I-20 / category checkNot confirmed
Calculation purpose: Intersect the USCIS category window with the DSO-recommendation clock for post-completion or STEM OPT filing planning. This is a high-sensitivity reference output; the linked authority or qualified professional controls the final decision.
Calendar inputs use plain year-month-day semantics. Leap days, month ends, date-pair order and unsupported dates are checked before the result is shown.
Rule set 1.1.0 · Last reviewed 2026-08-22 · Next review due 2027-02-22. The source panel below contains the linked evidence.
What to know before using the result.
What dates does the post-completion OPT planner compare?
It compares the category window around the Form I-20 program end date with the shorter clock started by the DSO recommendation in SEVIS.
Is the STEM OPT filing window the same as initial OPT?
No. The STEM extension uses the current OPT end date and its own DSO-recommendation timing, so the two paths remain separate.
Does a date inside the window guarantee USCIS acceptance?
No. Form edition, fee, signature, eligibility, delivery and the current I-20 recommendation still control acceptance and adjudication.