Optional Practical Training
What is Optional Practical Training?
Optional Practical Training, or OPT, lets international students on an F-1 visa work in the US in a job related to their field of study, most commonly for up to twelve months after graduation. Students in certain STEM fields can extend that window further, provided their employer meets specific program requirements.
For a lot of companies, OPT is how they first meet great international talent: a graduate finishes their degree at a US university, lands an OPT-eligible role, and spends a year or two proving themselves before the company has to make a longer-term decision.
The problem that shows up right on schedule
OPT has an expiration date, and it arrives fast. Twelve months goes by quickly once someone's actually settled into a role, and the STEM extension only buys more time for specific fields. Once OPT runs out, the employee needs a longer-term visa status, most commonly an H-1B, to keep working legally in the US.
That's where things get uncertain. The H-1B runs on an annual lottery, and plenty of genuinely strong OPT hires simply don't get selected. Companies end up scrambling in the months before someone's OPT expires, sometimes losing an employee they'd already invested a year into training.
What happens after OPT ends without an H-1B
If an OPT employee doesn't win the H-1B lottery, most companies assume the story ends there. It doesn't have to. If that person is willing to relocate, or is originally from a country like India, an Employer of Record lets them keep working for you from there instead of the US.
kaam.work has handled exactly this transition: an employee whose OPT is expiring gets moved onto a compliant Indian employment contract, keeps working with the same team on the same projects, and the company avoids losing someone they'd already spent a year developing.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does standard Optional Practical Training last?
- Twelve months for most fields, with an additional 24-month extension available for STEM degree holders whose employer meets specific requirements.
- What happens when OPT expires and someone doesn't get an H-1B?
- Without another valid visa status, they generally can't continue working in the US legally. Many companies transition these employees to a role in their home country instead.
- Can an OPT employee work remotely from another country?
- Once OPT ends, continuing to work for a US company from their home country under an Employer of Record is one of the more common paths employees and employers use.
- Does using OPT talent guarantee an eventual H-1B?
- No. The H-1B lottery is separate from OPT eligibility, and OPT employees face the exact same odds as any other H-1B applicant.
