OPT Nightmare: Students Forced to Work Without Pay

An international student on STEM OPT recently revealed that he had been working without pay for months. His employer stopped processing payroll in February 2025 and has since gone completely silent.

The one question in the minds of everyone: why didn’t he stop working? Well, that’s what highlights the real issue with the system.

Despite the blatant exploitation, the student kept working desperate to hold on to his visa status. Under the US immigration rules, a student cannot remain unemployed for more than 150 days during OPT and STEM OPT combined. So quitting isn’t an option for student who fear this deadline.

The F-1 visa holder even asked if he could now get his pending salary paid in bulk without triggering issues. But still no response from the employer.

This is what it has come down to: Someone working full-time has to beg to be paid and still worries it might look “suspicious” to USCIS.

This is a systematic failure. Companies know these students have limited options and they see that as an opportunity to exploit them. Students, trapped by fear of strict rules, and visa deadlines—keep showing up for work, paycheck or not.

It’s not just one story. It’s the silent suffering of thousands who came to the US hoping for opportunity but instead got trapped by the cruel immigration laws.