Federal court extends one F-1 student's OPT 180 days after USCIS delay
A federal judge in Massachusetts ordered on October 29, 2026 that one F-1 graduate's post-completion OPT, due to expire that day, run until April 27, 2027. USCIS had approved her application only 35 days before the 14-month window closed, about a year after she filed. The government did not dispute her likelihood of success. The order covers only the plaintiff in Ghasemi v. Edlow and changes no rule; the case continues. The court also recorded the government's position that a STEM OPT application requires a qualifying employer already lined up.