OPT Filing and SEVIS Transfer for Students in Boston
The 90, 60 and 30 day OPT rules — and why the 30 runs from a different date. Plus how a SEVIS transfer works when you change schools, and the offices, phone numbers and processing times at Northeastern, Harvard, BU and MIT in one place.
OPT filing windows — three numbers
These are federal limits. Your school cannot change them, and USCIS denies filings that fall outside them.
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| 90 days before | You may file from 90 days before your program end date. Earlier is denied. |
| 60 days after | You must file within 60 days of the program end date. Together these make a 150-day window. |
| within 30 days | The one most often missed. Form I-765 must reach USCIS within 30 days of the date your DSO entered the OPT recommendation in SEVIS. Filing before the recommendation, or after those 30 days, is denied. |
STEM extension uses different numbers: from 90 days before your current OPT EAD expires, and within 60 days of the DSO recommendation.
SEVIS transfer — when you change schools
Changing schools means moving your SEVIS record. An admission letter alone does not do it: you have to request the transfer from your current school.
- You need an admission letter showing the new program's start date
- If you leave before finishing, the transfer request must be in before withdrawal is processed
- Transferring mid-term, stay enrolled full time and stay in the country until the record moves
- If you have already graduated, request it before the grace period ends
- J-1 holders cannot transfer while changing field of study
International student offices in Boston
Collected here because each school publishes this separately. Note that at some offices the phone line closes earlier than the office itself.
| School | Office | Phone | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern | OGS 354 Richards Hall, 360 Huntington Ave |
617-373-2310 |
Mon–Fri 8:30–17:00 phone until 16:30 · closed Tue 15:00–16:00 |
| Harvard | HIO Smith Campus Center 864, 1350 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge |
617-495-2789 |
Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 9:00–15:00 Tuesday 11:00–17:00 |
| Boston University | ISSO 888 Commonwealth Ave, 2nd floor |
617-353-3565 |
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9:00–17:00 Wednesday 12:00–17:00 |
| MIT | ISO Building E18-219, 50 Ames St, Cambridge |
617-253-3795 |
Mon–Fri 9:00–16:00 walk-in 10:00–15:00 (Wednesday 13:00–15:00) |
Put the school's processing time in your plan
Working backwards from the federal window alone leaves you late. Your school's processing time comes first.
- Harvard HIO — 5–7 business days
- Northeastern OGS — up to 15 business days for a standard e-form
So a SEVIS transfer requested at Northeastern three weeks before the term starts can still be tight.
Schools and agencies change these without notice. Confirm on the official pages below before you act.
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