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United States of America · Processing time

F-1 Student Visa (with OPT and STEM OPT): how long does it take?

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DOS — Student visa (F-1) does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route.

How long does the F-1 Student Visa (with OPT and STEM OPT) take to process in United States?

DOS — Student visa (F-1) does not publish a central processing time for this route. Use the current DOS — Student visa (F-1) service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying.

Source checked against DOS — Student visa (F-1) on 10 September 2026.

Typical wait

Not centrally published

from complete application

Government fees

SEVIS I-901 USD 350; DS-160 USD 185.

Last checked

10 September 2026

Reality vs official timing

Official clock
No central processing clock
Delay trigger
No fixed delay point - use route guidance
Source checked
10 September 2026

DOS — Student visa (F-1) does not publish a central processing time. Use the current DOS — Student visa (F-1) service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying.

What is the F-1 Student Visa (with OPT and STEM OPT)?

Non-immigrant student visa for academic study at a SEVP-certified institution, with post-study OPT employment authorisation.

The F-1 visa is issued to students admitted to an SEVP-certified US academic institution. After completion, F-1 students may apply for up to 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT); students with qualifying STEM degrees can extend by 24 months (STEM OPT), for a total of up to 36 months of post-graduation employment authorisation.

  • Sponsorship: No job offer or employer sponsor is required.
  • Settlement: This route does not lead to permanent residence.
  • Typical permit length: Duration of study (D/S); OPT up to 12 months; STEM OPT extension up to 24 additional months.
  • Indicative government fees: SEVIS I-901 USD 350; DS-160 USD 185.

Priority and fast-track options

The earlier range was removed after an official-source review because it was an editorial estimate, depended on a live/local queue, or combined separate appointment and decision stages.

Official source

DOS — Student visa (F-1)

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa.html

Cite or reuse this dataset

This figure is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the Visa Atlas page for the compiled, dated dataset, and cite the official source for the underlying government rule.

Suggested citation

Visa Atlas, "F-1 Student Visa (with OPT and STEM OPT) processing time dataset", https://visaatlas.org/processing-times/us/f-1. Last checked 10 September 2026.

Page
https://visaatlas.org/processing-times/us/f-1
JSON endpoint
https://visaatlas.org/api/public/processing-times

Primary source (1)

Frequently asked questions

How long does the F-1 Student Visa (with OPT and STEM OPT) take to process?+

DOS — Student visa (F-1) does not publish a central processing time for this route. Use the current DOS — Student visa (F-1) service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying.

When does the Not centrally published clock start?+

Because no central processing time is published, there is no fixed start point. Contact the relevant authority once your application is submitted.

Is there a way to speed up the decision?+

The earlier range was removed after an official-source review because it was an editorial estimate, depended on a live/local queue, or combined separate appointment and decision stages.

What makes an application take longer than expected?+

The most common reasons for delays beyond the published window are: missing or incorrect documents, a request for more information (which pauses the clock until you reply), background or medical checks, and consular appointment backlogs in your country. Submitting a complete, well-organised application on day one is the single biggest thing you can do to stay inside the published window.

When should I treat my F-1 Student Visa (with OPT and STEM OPT) application as delayed?+

Because no central processing time is published for this route, there is no fixed point at which it counts as late. If your wait runs well beyond comparable cases, a single polite status enquiry through the official channel is reasonable. Duplicate chasing tends to slow a case rather than speed it up.

Next steps

Reviewed by , Editor and lead researcher.