If you are currently on OPT and your company has sponsored you for an H-1B visa (fiscal year 2010), you may be eligible for a "Cap-Gap" extension on your OPT. The length of a cap-gap extension will depend on the current status of your H-1B petition. Because not all students are eligible for the cap-gap, do not assume that the cap-gap extension is a guaranteed extension of your OPT, nor that you can automatically continue working if your OPT has already expired.

If you have filed an H-1B petition in a timely manner, please contact an international student advisor to talk about your eligibility for the cap-gap extension. Note: If you are eligible, please provide an international student advisor with a copy of your H-1B receipt or approval notice, and a new I-20 will be printed for you. The OIP is not automatically notified of students on OPT who have applied for H-1B visas, so please let us know if you would like a new I-20.

Please note: The U.S. government makes a limited number of H-1B's available each year, but there are exceptions for certain employers who are not subject to this limit or "cap." If your H-1B petition will be submitted by a "cap-exempt" employer, the "cap-gap" extension does not apply to you. Such cap-exempt employers include higher education (universities), certain non-profits related to or affiliated with higher education, and certain non-profit or research organizations within the government.

For more information on the Cap-Gap rule, please go to the USCIS.gov website and search for the word "cap-gap." If you have any questions about your eligibility, please visit with an international student advisor in the OIP.