Using OPT Again After a Second US Degree: How Unused Time and New Eligibility Work
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 19, 2026
Completing a new US degree at a higher level, such as a master's after a bachelor's, gives you a fresh 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT), even if you never used your OPT time at the earlier degree.
🎓 OPT is granted per degree level, not once per lifetime.
Unused OPT time from a bachelor's degree does not carry over or add extra months to a master's OPT period.
A second degree at the same level, like a second bachelor's, does not create new OPT eligibility.
STEM OPT extension eligibility also resets at each higher degree level, up to two extensions in a lifetime.
⏱️ Unemployment day limits reset with each new period of OPT.
OPT eligibility resets with each higher degree level
US immigration rules tie Optional Practical Training to your degree level, not to a single lifetime allowance. Each time you complete a program at a higher academic level than before, such as a bachelor's degree followed by a master's degree, you become eligible for a new 12-month period of post-completion OPT, according to Study in the States . This applies whether the new program is a master's after a bachelor's, a doctorate after a master's, or any other step up in academic level.
The rule exists because OPT authorization ties to a specific SEVIS record and degree program. When your Designated School Official (DSO) issues a new Form I-20 for a higher-level program, that record carries its own OPT eligibility, separate from any prior degree.
What happens to OPT time you never used
Many students complete a bachelor's degree without applying for OPT at all, then start a master's program right away. That earlier OPT allowance does not transfer forward. You do not get 24 months of OPT at the master's level because you skipped OPT at the bachelor's level. Instead, you become eligible for a fresh 12 months tied to the master's degree.
The same applies if you used only part of your OPT time at the bachelor's level, for example three months of a possible 12. The remaining nine months do not add to your master's OPT period. Each degree level stands on its own with its own 12-month cap.
When a new degree does not reset eligibility
The reset only applies when you move up to a higher academic level. Study in the States sets the requirement that you have not used all the OPT available at your current level of study before applying again. A second bachelor's degree, or a second master's degree in a different subject at the same level, does not automatically create a new OPT period the way moving up a level does. Check with your DSO before assuming a new program at the same level qualifies.
Moving from an associate degree at a community college into a bachelor's program counts as moving up a level, since a bachelor's degree sits above an associate degree. The same logic applies at every step: associate to bachelor's, bachelor's to master's, and master's to doctorate each open a new 12-month OPT period.
Example: bachelor's degree into a master's degree
A student who completes a bachelor's degree and never applies for OPT, then enrolls directly in a master's program, keeps that unused bachelor's-level OPT unused. Once the master's program ends, the student becomes eligible for a new 12-month OPT period tied to the master's degree, and a further 24-month STEM OPT extension if the master's field qualifies.
| Degree level | Post-completion OPT | STEM OPT extension (if STEM field) |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | Up to 12 months, a fresh allowance for this level | Up to 24 months, first use of the extension |
| Master's or doctorate | Up to 12 months, a fresh allowance for this level, regardless of bachelor's-level use | Up to 24 months, allowed a second time if this is a second qualifying STEM degree and you apply during an initial OPT period |
STEM OPT extension eligibility follows the same pattern
If your new degree qualifies as a STEM field, apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension on top of your 12 months of post-completion OPT, per Study in the States guidance on STEM OPT eligibility . DHS allows one STEM OPT extension per degree level.
The STEM OPT extension is available twice in a student's lifetime, but only if the second use ties to a second qualifying STEM degree at a higher academic level than the first, and you are in an initial period of regular post-completion OPT, not already on a STEM extension, when you apply for the second one. A master's degree in the same STEM field as your bachelor's still counts, as long as it is a genuinely higher-level qualifying degree.
Unemployment day limits also reset
Each period of post-completion OPT comes with its own unemployment allowance: up to 90 days during the initial 12-month OPT period, and up to 150 days total if you move into a STEM OPT extension. These limits reset when you start a new OPT period tied to a higher degree level. Unemployment days used during OPT at your bachelor's degree do not carry over and count against you during OPT at your master's degree.
Track your days carefully within each period, since going over the limit inside a single OPT period risks a terminated SEVIS record.
Steps to apply for OPT after completing a higher degree
Confirm with your DSO that your new program counts as a higher academic level than your prior degree.
Ask your DSO to recommend OPT in SEVIS and issue a new Form I-20 with the OPT recommendation.
File Form I-765 with USCIS within the window your DSO specifies, typically opening 90 days before your program end date.
If your new degree is in a STEM field, plan your STEM OPT extension application before your initial 12-month OPT period ends.
Confirm current filing windows and fees directly with USCIS before you apply, since processing times and form details change.