F-1 Student Visa (OPT, CPT)

The F-1 visa is the main nonimmigrant visa for people coming to the United States for full-time academic study at a school approved to enroll international students. It is tied to a Form I-20 issued by that school and tracked in a federal database called SEVIS (the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System). F-1 students can do limited, specific kinds of work — on campus and, in connection with their studies, through CPT and OPT — and must keep meeting the conditions of the visa to hold on to those benefits and remain in status.

Status as of July 2026. International students have faced an unusual level of enforcement since 2025: thousands of SEVIS records have been terminated and student visas revoked — sometimes citing minor or dismissed matters, protest activity, or social media, and often with little notice. Courts have ordered many records restored, but the practice has continued. Separately, a DHS rule proposed on August 28, 2025 would end "duration of status" and instead admit F-1 students for a fixed period of up to four years, with a shorter grace period; as of mid-2026 that rule is under White House (OMB) review and is not in effect — I-94 records still read "D/S." Student visa applicants also face heightened vetting, and a newer Visa Integrity Fee is collected at visa issuance as that requirement is implemented.

Getting and keeping F-1 status

An F-1 case starts with admission to a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which issues the Form I-20. The student pays the I-901 SEVIS fee and applies for the visa at a U.S. consulate. F-1 students are currently admitted for duration of status (D/S), meaning the I-94 carries no fixed end date and the person may remain as long as they pursue a full course of study and follow the rules, with a Designated School Official (DSO) at the school updating the SEVIS record for enrollment, transfers, and program changes. After a program ends — or after authorized work — there is a grace period, currently 60 days, to depart, transfer, move to a higher level of study, or move to another status. A spouse and unmarried children under 21 may hold F-2 status. The F-1 is one of several nonimmigrant visa categories.

Working while on an F-1 visa

F-1 work options form a ladder, each tied to the course of study. On-campus employment is allowed up to 20 hours a week while school is in session. CPT (Curricular Practical Training) is work that is an integral part of the curriculum; it is authorized by the DSO, appears on the I-20, and does not go through USCIS — but using 12 months or more of full-time CPT eliminates eligibility for OPT. OPT (Optional Practical Training) provides up to 12 months of work in the student's field of study, most often used after graduation, and requires an Employment Authorization Document obtained through Form I-765; see work authorization. During standard OPT, there is a limit on how many days a person may be unemployed. STEM graduates working for an E-Verify employer can add a STEM OPT extension of 24 months — up to 36 months of OPT in total — under a formal training plan (Form I-983) with regular reporting. If OPT would expire while a timely H-1B petition is pending, a "cap-gap" bridge can extend work authorization until the H-1B begins.

SEVIS termination vs. visa revocation

Two very different actions are often confused, and the difference has become important. A SEVIS termination is a database action — taken by ICE's student program or, in some cases, a DSO — that generally results in the loss of F-1 status: the I-20 becomes invalid, work authorization such as OPT stops immediately, and the person may be treated as out of status. A visa revocation is a State Department action that cancels the visa stamp in the passport; it affects future re-entry but does not, by itself, end a person's status inside the United States. Someone can lose one without the other, though in the 2025-2026 enforcement wave the two have often come together. A terminated record does not automatically mean a removal order — removal proceedings begin with a Notice to Appear and run through the immigration courts, covered under immigration court and removal.

Falling out of status and reinstatement

When F-1 status is lost, the system recognizes two paths back, both fact-specific and neither guaranteed. One is reinstatement: an application to USCIS on Form I-539, which normally must be filed within five months of the violation unless exceptional circumstances justify a later filing, and which USCIS grants at its discretion after weighing the circumstances. The other is to depart the United States and re-enter on a new Form I-20 with a new SEVIS record and a new I-901 fee, which restarts the status and benefits clock from the beginning. Because a terminated record cuts off study, work, and travel at once, and because the consequences reach into future visa and immigration options, decisions in these situations are consequential and are typically made with a licensed immigration attorney.

What is the difference between CPT and OPT?

CPT (Curricular Practical Training) is work that is a required or integral part of a program's curriculum; it is authorized by the school's DSO, listed on the I-20, and does not require a separate USCIS application. OPT (Optional Practical Training) is work in the student's field of study that is authorized by USCIS through an Employment Authorization Document, and is most often used after graduation. Using 12 or more months of full-time CPT removes OPT eligibility, so the two interact.

How long can an F-1 student work on OPT?

Standard OPT provides up to 12 months of work authorization in the field of study. Graduates with a qualifying degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field who work for an E-Verify employer can add a 24-month STEM OPT extension, for a total of up to 36 months. Throughout OPT there are limits on unemployment time and, for STEM OPT, ongoing training-plan and reporting requirements.

What is STEM OPT?

STEM OPT is a 24-month extension of post-completion OPT available to students who earned a qualifying degree in a STEM field and whose employer participates in E-Verify. It is requested through a new Form I-765 and a training plan on Form I-983, and it brings additional reporting duties. The extra time is valuable in part because 36 months of total work authorization spans more than one H-1B lottery cycle.

What happens if a SEVIS record is terminated?

A terminated SEVIS record generally means F-1 status has ended: the I-20 is no longer valid, work authorization stops, and the person may be considered out of status and, in some cases, subject to removal. Termination does not by itself mean a person has been ordered to leave; that requires a Notice to Appear and a decision by an immigration court. The recognized ways to respond are seeking reinstatement or departing and returning on a new record, both of which turn heavily on the specific facts.

Can an F-1 student work off campus?

Off-campus work by an F-1 student generally must be authorized and tied to the field of study — most commonly through CPT during the program or OPT during and after it. Unauthorized off-campus employment is a status violation with serious consequences. In limited situations, off-campus work authorization may also be available based on severe, unforeseen economic hardship.

Is the duration-of-status rule in effect?

Not as of mid-2026. The proposal to replace "duration of status" with a fixed admission period of up to four years was published by DHS on August 28, 2025 and, as of this writing, remains under review and has not been finalized; F-1 admissions and I-94 records still use D/S. If it is finalized, it would change how long students are admitted and could require extension-of-stay filings for longer programs, but until a final rule takes effect, current rules apply.