Does OPT Unemployment Include Weekends?
Short answer
Yes. Weekends count as unemployment days on post-completion OPT. The 90-day limit is measured in calendar days, so a Saturday or Sunday without qualifying employment counts the same as a Monday.
Weekends Count Toward the 90 Days
The 90-day unemployment limit on post-completion OPT is counted in calendar days. Every day from the OPT start date on your EAD through your OPT end date is either a day with qualifying employment or a day of unemployment. Saturdays and Sundays fall into the same two categories as weekdays.
Qualifying employment is work of at least 20 hours per week that is directly related to your degree field. While you hold that job, the weekends inside it are not unemployment days, because employment is measured by the period you are hired for and not by the days you are in the office.
Source: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(E), OPT unemployment day limits
Other Days That Count
- Federal holidays count, along with any other day off.
- Days between two jobs count, including the weekend that falls between them.
- Days from your OPT start date until your first job begins count.
- Days after your last job ends and before your OPT end date count.
Paid time off inside a job you still hold is not unemployment, because the job has not ended. A week of vacation adds nothing to your count.
How to Check Your Own Count
SEVIS holds the official number and your Designated School Official (DSO) maintains it. Check the employment you have reported in the SEVP Portal against the dates you actually worked, and report every new job and every end date within 10 days. The OPT unemployment days guide covers what happens at 90 days.
The 90 days are cumulative across the whole OPT period. Starting a job stops the count but does not reset it to zero. STEM OPT raises the total to 150 days.
Track Your Unemployment Days
Enter your OPT dates and any periods when you were not employed. The tool counts your total unemployment days.
OPT information
OPT type
Unemployment periods
No unemployment periods entered. If you have been continuously employed throughout your OPT, leave this section blank.
Add a gap in employment. Leave end date blank if you are currently unemployed.
Enter your OPT dates above to see your unemployment day count.
This tool counts calendar days based on what you enter. Your official unemployment day count is in your SEVIS record. Verify the count with your DSO before approaching the limit.
See how many unemployment days you have left
Enter your OPT start date and track the days you can spend between jobs before your authorization is at risk.
Related Questions
How Many Unemployment Days Are Allowed on OPT?
90 days. Post-completion OPT allows at most 90 days of unemployment across the entire authorization period, counted in calendar days. A 24-month STEM OPT extension raises the combined total to 150 days.
Read answerWhen Does the OPT Unemployment Clock Start?
On the OPT start date printed on your EAD. The 90-day count begins that day even if you are still looking for your first job, and it runs through your OPT end date.
Read answerHow to Check Your OPT Unemployment Days
Log in to the SEVP Portal and count the gaps between the employment dates it lists, or ask your DSO for the count in your SEVIS record. The portal shows your reported employers but no running day total.
Read answer