A U.S. degree has an end date on the diploma. The immigration steps around it do not line up neatly with that date. Study status, practical training, employer sponsorship and permanent residence each run on separate clocks, and each depends on a decision made by someone else.
The study years
F-1 status lasts while a student pursues a full course of study. Programs that run longer than four years, such as doctoral degrees, are the reason the fixed-period rule drew so many objections. That rule is blocked for now, and we explain the status in our court order article.
The work-authorization years
After graduation, post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT)Temporary work authorization that lets eligible F-1 students work in a job directly related to their field of study. It can be used before or after completing a program, for up to 12 months in total at each education level, and students with certain STEM degrees can apply for a 24-month extension. USCIS grants it on Form I-765 after the school's designated school official recommends it.See it in the glossary is generally 12 months, and a qualifying STEM degree may allow a 24-month extension, giving up to three years of practical training. The F-1 rules set those limits. Those years are not guaranteed, and they depend on finding qualifying work and, for the extension, an E-Verify employer.
The H-1B years
To keep working after OPT, most graduates need an employer to win a spot in the annual Cap-subject and cap-exempt (H-1B)The H-1B category has an annual limit of 65,000 new visas or statuses per fiscal year, plus 20,000 more for people with a U.S. master's degree or higher. Petitions counted toward that limit are cap-subject. Petitions from higher education institutions, their related or affiliated nonprofits, and nonprofit or governmental research organizations are cap-exempt.See it in the glossary selection. A new H-1B is generally granted for up to three years and can be extended to a total of six, under the limit in the statute, with exceptions for people whose permanent residence process is underway. Read the steps in our student-to-worker guide.
The green card years
Permanent residence through an employer can involve Labor certification (PERM)The Department of Labor process in which an employer shows that no qualified U.S. worker is available for a position, required for most EB-2 and EB-3 petitions.See it in the glossary and a numerical queue. Wait times differ sharply by category and country, as we describe in the immigration queue explainer. A backlog can extend the H-1B years, but it does not shorten the wait.
Why the clocks matter
A missed registration, a layoff, a change of program or an unexpected rule change can restart or end a stage. Each stage has its own documents, its own deadlines, and its own agency. That is why planning around the degree alone underestimates the process.
Our Visa Library page on the F-1 visa covers the first stage in detail, and the H-1B page covers the next.