H-1B Cap-Gap Calculator: How Long Your F-1 Status and Work Permit Last
If an H-1B change-of-status petition with an October 1 start date is filed on time and accepted while an F-1 student's status or OPT is still valid, the F-1 status and work authorization are automatically extended to April 1 of the following year or the H-1B approval start date, whichever comes first (the rule since January 17, 2025; before that it was September 30), filling the gap in between.
H-1B cap-gap calculator
Understand your work authorization during F-1 to H-1B transition
What is cap-gap?
When an F-1 student is selected in the H-1B lottery with a timely filed petition, their F-1 status and OPT work authorization are automatically extended until October 1 (H-1B start date).
The expiration date on your EAD card
Requirements
The H-1B must be filed and accepted while F-1 is valid
This includes during OPT or within the 60-day grace period after OPT ends. If it is filed after F-1 status has already ended, there is no cap-gap extension.
It must be a change of status, not consular processing
The H-1B petition must request a change of status. If you choose to get the visa at a consulate abroad, the automatic extension does not apply.
Extended to April 1 of the next year, not September 30
Under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(vi)(A), status and work authorization are automatically extended to April 1 of the H-1B's fiscal year, or the H-1B's approved start date, whichever comes first. This was changed by the H-1B modernization rule effective January 17, 2025 — before that it really was October 1. So if your H-1B is still pending on October 1, you don't have to stop working. Note that the USCIS Policy Manual still says October 1; the regulation controls. Work authorization is extended only if your original OPT was still valid; if OPT had already ended, only status is extended, not work authorization.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happens to cap-gap if the H-1B is denied or withdrawn?
- The automatic extension ends right away, and the 60-day grace period usually applies (if still available). Contact your school's DSO as soon as possible.
- Can I travel during cap-gap?
- It is very risky. After leaving during cap-gap you usually can't re-enter in F-1 status and have to wait until the H-1B takes effect and enter on the matching visa.
Sources: Data and Law
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This tool gives estimates based on public regulations and government data, for reference only. It is not legal advice. We are not a law firm. Every case is different — talk to an immigration lawyer before making a decision.