Begin with your F-1 and US-study context
OPT is connected to eligible US study and F-1 requirements. Our placement-related service helps eligible candidates present their profile and explore degree-related host opportunities. It does not provide a standalone entry visa or work permit.
USCIS handles authorisation and your school’s designated school official has a separate role. Discuss individual timing, reporting and status questions with your DSO. A pending placement enquiry is not a reason to assume a deadline stops running.
Explain the relationship to your degree
Prepare a clear description of your field and the practical work you want to undertake. A host title alone does not establish that relationship: the duties and learning content need to make sense in the context of your degree and authorised activity.
Relevant projects, research and prior experience can help you explain your strengths. Share evidence you are entitled to use and avoid sensitive identifiers or confidential employer data at enquiry stage.
Keep initial OPT and STEM extension questions separate
Initial OPT is generally up to 12 months. An additional 24-month STEM extension has distinct eligibility and employer requirements. Not every degree or host qualifies, and a placement discussion is not a promise of a three-year work arrangement.
Different OPT stages have different rules and timing considerations. The site does not calculate remaining unemployment allowances or make a status determination. Use current official guidance and your DSO for your own dates.
Remote work still needs the right review
If you are physically in the US and seeking remote work, your US authorisation requirements remain relevant. An online working arrangement is not automatically an overseas remote internship. Tell us your intended physical location separately from the location of the organisation.
If you are outside the US and exploring a remote international project, the separate remote service can be discussed. It does not itself grant US entry or work rights.
Know what the placement service provides
The agreed support can include candidate profiling, CV presentation, screening, introductions, interview preparation and coordination. Qualifying OPT candidates may have placement-or-refund protection under their enrolment agreement, with the trigger, coverage and deductions set out there.
We do not promise a specific employer, extension, permanent role or later visa. A useful personal review starts with your degree, current stage, intended timing and the practical work you want to develop towards.
Official sources for programme requirements. Reviewed 10 November 2026 where recorded in our source register.