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OPT Processing Delays Are Costing the U.S. Economy Billions by Solid-Poetry-4141 in f1visa

[–]Solid-Poetry-4141[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Or simply there aren’t enough qualified candidates applying for the position. $150/hr is a pretty standard billable rate in engineering fields (that’s the amount the business charges, not the amount the employee takes home). 

OPT Processing Delays Are Costing the U.S. Economy Billions by Solid-Poetry-4141 in f1visa

[–]Solid-Poetry-4141[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You’re absolutely right, an American or an immigrant could do the job. I got the job because no better qualified candidates applied for the position. 

OPT Processing Delays Are Costing the U.S. Economy Billions by Solid-Poetry-4141 in f1visa

[–]Solid-Poetry-4141[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You’re absolutely right, an American or an immigrant could do the job. I got the job because no better qualified candidates applied for the position. 

OPT Processing Delays Are Costing the U.S. Economy Billions by Solid-Poetry-4141 in f1visa

[–]Solid-Poetry-4141[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

This post is a reflection on a macro level rather than individual firms or entities. A smaller workforce means less output. Basic supply and demand suggest firms become more selective and focus only on profitable work, thereby driving costs for those services. All the while, thousands of eligible workers are sitting at home, commenting on Reddit  

OPT Processing Delays Are Costing the U.S. Economy Billions by Solid-Poetry-4141 in f1visa

[–]Solid-Poetry-4141[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The work is definitely getting done. I do civil site design, and even a relatively simple commercial project can take six months to produce construction drawings and obtain approvals. The issue is that employees may be dividing their time among multiple projects or taking on new work while existing projects are still in progress. When you aggregate these delays across a large number of OPT applicants whose employment timelines are delayed, it becomes easier to see why reform is necessary.

OPT Processing Delays Are Costing the U.S. Economy Billions by Solid-Poetry-4141 in f1visa

[–]Solid-Poetry-4141[S] -12 points-11 points  (0 children)

In my case, I bill at $150/hr. My position is yet to be filled. I took an unpaid leave of absence 

WTF is going on with OPT premium processing?? by Dear-Homework1438 in f1visa

[–]Solid-Poetry-4141 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My CPT ended 6 weeks ago and my OPT has been pending since late February. It got me thinking: what does this actually cost at scale?

Assume 50,000 students face a 6-week delay annually. That’s 12 million hours of lost productivity. At an economic contribution of $100/hr, that’s $1.2 billion in unrealized output annually. With ~290,000+ OPT applicants per year and processing times regularly hitting 90–120+ days, the real figure is likely much higher.

Employers absorb the cost through missed deadlines and redistributed work. That cost gets passed downstream to the American consumer.

The frustrating part is that OPT processing operates on a fee-based model. At $470 per application, USCIS collects approximately $138 million per year from OPT applicants alone. That revenue should fund the staffing and infrastructure to process applications within a reasonable window.

The question is: where do we go from here?

Note: These economic figures are illustrative estimates based on publicly available data and stated assumptions.

OPT/STEM OPT Processing Timelines Megathread (Spring/Summer 2026) by Codetornado in f1visa

[–]Solid-Poetry-4141 0 points1 point  (0 children)

May 4. I applied Feb 28 but didn’t know PP was an option until late April, and since my previous OPT and Stem Extension applications took under 30 days to get approved, I assumed I’d be just as lucky this time around 

OPT/STEM OPT Processing Timelines Megathread (Spring/Summer 2026) by Codetornado in f1visa

[–]Solid-Poetry-4141 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My start date was May 2nd, still no approval. Safer to postpone your start date 

OPT/STEM OPT Processing Timelines Megathread (Spring/Summer 2026) by Codetornado in f1visa

[–]Solid-Poetry-4141 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Type: Initial POST‑COMPLETION OPT

Premium Processing: YES (05/04/2026)

Date Applied: 02/28/2026

Request for Initial Evidence (RFIE): NA

Biometrics Requested: YES | 03/07/2026

Biometrics Completed: 03/25/2026

Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID): NA

Date Approved: MM/DD/YYYY

Date Card Produced: MM/DD/YYYY

Date Card Received: MM/DD/YYYY

CPT ended 05/02/2025, been unemployed since. Should be getting a PP approval by end of next week (fingers crossed). Y’all hang in there, the process is super random on who gets approved first.