Can I keep working after OPT ends if my H-1B is selected (cap-gap)?
Yes. If a cap-subject H-1B petition with a change-of-status request is timely and properly filed for you while you are in valid F-1 status (including post-completion OPT), you automatically get a 'cap-gap' extension of your F-1 status and OPT work authorization. Under the 2025 rule, that extension now runs until April 1 of the relevant fiscal year (or the H-1B start date, whichever is earlier), rather than only to Oct. 1. The extension is automatic; you do not file a separate application or get a new EAD.
Watch out
You must already be in an authorized OPT period when the petition is filed; if you are only in the 60-day grace period the status extends but work authorization does not, and the extension ends if the petition is denied, withdrawn, or not selected.
Informational, not legal advice. Immigration rules change and individual cases differ. Confirm anything that affects your status with your school’s DSO or an immigration attorney before acting.
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