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Post-completion OPT gives F-1 graduates up to 12 months of work authorization in their field, and STEM graduates can add a 24-month STEM OPT extension if the employer uses E-Verify and signs a training plan. Your clock matters — OPT allows up to 90 days of unemployment, STEM OPT up to 150 in total — so plan your applications and timing early.
The H-1B lets a U.S. employer hire a foreign professional in a specialty occupation, but most new H-1Bs are limited by an annual cap of 85,000 and a registration lottery held each spring. Universities and certain nonprofit research employers are cap-exempt. The employer — not the worker — files, and rules and fees changed in 2025, so always check USCIS before you plan.
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