United States · F-1 to H-1B timing
F-1 cap-gap extension end date calculator.
Enter the fiscal year of the H-1B request, your OPT end date and, if you have it, the start date on the approved petition. The tool shows where your status and work authorization end.
An F-1 student with a timely, nonfrivolous H-1B change-of-status petition has status and OPT work authorization extended until April 1 of the fiscal year of the H-1B request, or until the approved petition's start date if that is earlier.
Enter your dates
Result
Enter the fiscal year of the H-1B request, then press Find the end date.
What cap-gap does
H-1B petitions subject to the annual cap start on October 1, the first day of the federal fiscal year. That is usually after an F-1 student's OPT has ended, which leaves a gap with no status or work authorization.
8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(vii)(A) closes that gap. It automatically extends the status, and any employment authorization granted under 8 CFR 274a.12(c)(3)(i)(B) or (C), of an F-1 student who is the beneficiary of a cap-subject H-1B petition requesting a change of status. The extension runs "until April 1 of the fiscal year for which such H-1B status is being requested or until the validity start date of the approved petition, whichever is earlier".
The petition has to meet three conditions: it was timely filed, it requests an H-1B start date in the fiscal year for which status is requested, and it is nonfrivolous. The student must also not have violated the terms of status. The extension covers any F-2 dependents too.
How the tool counts
Fiscal year N starts on October 1 of year N-1, so the April 1 date falls in year N. For fiscal year 2028, the cap-gap period can run to April 1, 2028.
If you enter the approved petition's start date and it falls before April 1, the tool uses that earlier date.
Worked example
A student's OPT ends June 30, 2027. An H-1B petition for fiscal year 2028 is filed in April 2027, requesting an October 1, 2027 start.
When it is approved, the extension ends on October 1, 2027, the earlier of the start date and April 1, 2028. That adds 93 days beyond the OPT end date (31 in July, 31 in August, 30 in September, plus October 1).
If the petition were approved with a June 1, 2028 start date instead, April 1, 2028 would apply, because it comes first.
When the extension ends early
Under (f)(5)(vii)(B), the extension terminates automatically if the petition is rejected, denied, revoked or withdrawn, or if the change of status request is denied or withdrawn. This holds even if the petition is approved for consular processing.
An H-1B approval is therefore not enough on its own. It has to be an approval that includes the change of status.
Points that trip people up
- Travel. The provision read for this page does not address leaving the country; ask the DSO or an attorney before you travel.
- Employer and grace period. Cap-gap runs from the OPT end date; the grace period after OPT is a separate rule covered by the F-1 grace period calculator.
- Unemployment days. The OPT unemployment limits are a separate rule; the OPT unemployment days calculator covers them.
- H-1B fees. This page deals with dates, not fees. The H-1B $100,000 checker shows the described scope of the payment.
What this does not cover
Whether your H-1B petition counts as timely, selection in the registration process, or the STEM extension itself. It does not check your SEVIS record.
Sources
- eCFR: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(vii) — the cap-gap provision. Read November 1, 2026 (current to October 29, 2026).
- eCFR: 8 CFR 274a.12(b)(6)(v) — employment authorization for a student whose H-1B status was extended under (f)(5)(vii).
Retrieved November 1, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cap-gap extension?
An automatic extension of F-1 status and OPT work authorization for a student who is the beneficiary of a timely, nonfrivolous, cap-subject H-1B petition requesting a change of status, under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(vii).
How long does cap-gap last?
Until April 1 of the fiscal year for which H-1B status is requested, or until the validity start date of the approved petition, whichever is earlier.
What fiscal year do I use?
The one that contains the H-1B start date you requested. Fiscal year 2028 starts October 1, 2027, so a cap-gap extension for it can run to April 1, 2028.
Does cap-gap extend my work authorization too?
Yes. The extension covers the employment authorization under 8 CFR 274a.12(c)(3)(i)(B) or (C), which is post-completion OPT and STEM OPT.
What ends cap-gap early?
Rejection, denial, revocation or withdrawal of the H-1B petition, or denial or withdrawal of the change of status request. This holds even if the petition is approved for consular processing.
Do my F-2 dependents get cap-gap?
Yes. The regulation says the automatic extension of status also applies to any F-2 dependents.
Do I need to have kept my status?
Yes. The student must not have violated the terms or conditions of nonimmigrant status.
Not legal advice
This page applies the cap-gap rule to the dates you enter. It is not legal advice and does not check whether your petition qualifies. Confirm with your designated school official and your employer's immigration counsel.