Visa Forecaster › OPT processing time
OPT processing time in October 2026
Regular initial OPT applications approved in September took a median of 152 days (about 5.0 months) from filing to approval. USCIS is currently approving cases filed around April 23, 2026. With premium processing, approval came a median of 29 days after the upgrade.
How fast the line is moving
USCIS approves regular OPT roughly in filing-date order. This shows how many days of filings it cleared per calendar day each month. Below 1.0, wait times keep growing.
| Month | Filing dates approved | Days cleared per day |
|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | Feb 16 → Mar 4 | 0.52 |
| Jun 2026 | Mar 4 → Mar 21 | 0.57 |
| Jul 2026 | Mar 21 → Mar 28 | 0.24 |
| Aug 2026 | Mar 28 → Apr 8 | 0.34 |
| Sep 2026 | Apr 8 → Apr 22 | 0.47 |
Wait times by month, 2024–2026
Median days from filing to approval for regular initial OPT, by month of approval. In both 2024 and 2025 waits peaked in August, then fell fast in September–October.
| Approved in | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | – | 53 | 78 |
| June | – | 77 | 91 |
| July | 94 | 95 | 115 |
| August | 120 | 96 | 133 |
| September | 86 | 72 | 152 |
| October | 19 | – | – |
| November | 26 | – | – |
| December | 30 | 54 | – |
Common questions
How long does OPT take right now?
Regular (non-premium) initial OPT cases approved in September waited a median of 152 days, about 5.0 months, from filing to approval. USCIS is currently approving cases filed around April 23, 2026.
How long does premium processing take for OPT?
Recent premium upgrades were approved a median of 29 days after USCIS received the request (most between 27 and 32 days). USCIS must act within 30 business days.
How long after approval do I get my EAD card?
About 8 days in recent cases: roughly 5 days until the card is produced, then 3 days in the mail.
Is OPT processing getting faster?
Over the last 8 weeks USCIS cleared about 0.43 days of filings per calendar day. Below 1.0 the wait keeps growing. In 2024 and 2025 waits dropped sharply in the fall after the summer peak; 2026 has not caught up yet.
Where these numbers come from
4,270 timelines that applicants shared in public OPT threads on r/f1visa and r/USCIS, plus timelines shared on this site, refreshed daily. We keep dates only, never usernames. This is a community estimate, not an official USCIS figure, and not legal advice. For the official ranges see USCIS processing times.