Does my grace period start when my visa expires?

No. The visa stamp is an entry document; its expiration does not start or end your grace period. The 60-day grace period follows completion of your program of study or your authorized OPT period.

Does getting laid off during OPT start my 60-day grace period?

No. A layoff during OPT starts your unemployment-day count, not a grace period. The 60-day grace period begins when your authorized OPT period ends.

Can I work during the 60-day grace period?

No. The grace period is for departure preparation, transferring, changing education level, or filing a change of status — not employment.

Can I leave the U.S. and come back during my grace period?

Once you depart the United States during your grace period, the grace period is over for re-entry purposes — you cannot return in F-1 status on that record. Plan any departure as final for that SEVIS record.

When does the F-1 60-day grace period actually start?

By David Maxon — practicing Designated School Official · Updated July 9, 2026

A student wrote to my office with three candidate dates: her visa stamp expired August 30, her OPT work authorization ended July 31, and she was laid off July 17. Which one started her 60-day clock? Students guess the visa date most often, and it's the one date that matters least.

The rule: the 60-day grace period begins when your program of study ends (the program end date in SEVIS) or, if you did post-completion OPT, when your authorized OPT period ends — the end date on your EAD. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(iv)

The four dates, sorted

Date	What it actually controls
Program end date (I-20/SEVIS)	Starts the 60-day grace period if you don't go on to OPT or another program.
OPT/EAD end date	Starts the 60-day grace period when your post-completion OPT runs its full course.
Visa stamp expiration	Only your ability to enter the U.S. You can remain in valid F-1 status with an expired visa stamp; it neither starts nor shortens a grace period.
Layoff date during OPT	Starts your unemployment-day count (90 days max on standard OPT), not a grace period. Your OPT authorization continues until the EAD end date.

So in the student's scenario above: her grace period began July 31, the day her OPT authorization ended. The layoff two weeks earlier consumed unemployment days; the visa stamp was irrelevant.

What you can do during the 60 days

Prepare to depart the United States.
Transfer to another SEVP-certified school or change education level — your DSO must move or update the record before the 60 days run out.
File a change of status with USCIS (H-1B, F-2, B-2, etc.), received before the grace period ends.

What you can't do

Work. All employment authorization ended with your program or OPT.
Re-enter in F-1 after leaving. Departure during the grace period effectively ends it — there's no returning on that SEVIS record. If you have travel plans and a pending next step (a transfer, a new program), sequence them with your DSO before booking anything.
Assume you have 60 days after a termination. The full 60-day grace period follows completion. An authorized early withdrawal carries a 15-day period; an unauthorized withdrawal or termination for a status violation carries none.

The edge case that trips people: not finishing on time

If you don't complete your program by the I-20 end date — a failed class, a delayed thesis — you generally can't ride the grace period into "extra time." Program extensions must be requested before the end date passes. Once the date lapses without an extension, you're in fall-out-of-status territory where the options (reinstatement, departure and re-entry on a new record) are all worse than the five-minute conversation with your DSO would have been. If that's you: DSO, today.

Counting your own 60 days right now?
Henry works through your exact dates — program end, EAD, filing windows — and cites the regulation. Three questions free; please leave out student names and ID numbers.
Ask Henry about your timeline →

FAQ

Do I get a second grace period after OPT if I already had one after my program?

You get the grace period that follows the phase you actually completed. If you moved straight from program completion into OPT, the 60 days run once — after OPT ends.

Can I start a new program during the grace period?

Yes — that's one of its core purposes. Your DSO (or the new school's DSO) must complete the transfer or change-of-level in SEVIS within the 60 days.

My H-1B was filed during my grace period. Can I keep working while it's pending?

No — cap-gap extends work authorization only when the H-1B petition was filed while your OPT was still active. Filed during the grace period, it can extend your stay but not your right to work. See our cap-gap guide.