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Working in the U.S.

After graduation, who decides what happens next?

Some decisions are yours. Others depend on your school, an employer, or USCIS, the U.S. immigration agency. This guide groups each step by who makes the decision.

Your programSTEM-designated programBachelor’s↺ Start overNo steps selected yet

Work authorization

Not setChoose a step below to get started

Your path so far

F-1→
Open cases:

End of this path

Green card approved

A permanent resident can generally work for any employer, with no end date on the stay. Here’s the path you built:

This path has 0 steps and includes 0 approved cases. Choose “Try another path” to compare a different one.

↺ Try another path

Step 1 · Your options now

↩ back one step

Choose what you want to explore next. The options are grouped by who makes the decision.

Your school recommends; USCIS makes the final decision

Your DSO makes the recommendation. USCIS reviews Form I-765 and makes the final decision.

Green card paths · separate from the steps above

Green card cases are separate from the steps above and do not extend OPT. You can have more than one pending at the same time. Waits depend on the category and your country of birth (chargeability), not your citizenship. India and China commonly have the longest backlogs. See the State Department’s Visa Bulletin.

The U.S. steps are closed

From abroad, two options remain on this map: come back for a higher degree on a new F-1 (the step above), or an L-1 or EB-1C through a multinational employer. A green card case can generally continue from abroad through consular processing.

↩ Back one step

Choose a step to see what it requires, who decides, and what other options remain.

What it requires

If it doesn’t work out

Rules as of Sep 17, 2026.