OPT Approved with Wrong End Date After Premium Processing and What I Did

I wanted to share my experience in case this happens to anyone else.

Timeline

• Feb 18 – Received initial OPT approval after upgrading to Premium Processing (PP).
• I only received an email from the PP facility — no portal update or official notice at that time.

When I checked the details:

• My start date was updated to Feb 18 (approval date, 30 days later than originally requested).
• My end date remained Jan 19 (original end date).

This meant I was losing about 30 days of OPT.

What I Did

1. Contacted my DSO immediately.
   • Asked if it was their mistake or something I did wrong with PP.
   • DSO confirmed it was a USCIS error.
   • They advised me to email the PP facility ASAP.
2. Important advice from my DSO:
   • If I pursue correction, USCIS might need to re-review the case.
   • This could delay the approval further.
   • Since it was Premium Processing, they might respond faster.
   • If they don’t fix it in time, they might still send the incorrect card. In that case, I would have to:
     • Mail the incorrect EAD card back
     • Include supporting documentation
     • Wait ~30–45 days
     • No international travel during that time
   • Since I have STEM extension eligibility, the DSO said I could consider letting go of 30 days to avoid complications.

What Happened Next

• I decided to email the PP facility anyway (using the email provided in the approval notice).
• They replied the next day and forwarded my case to the original processing unit.
• I received a portal update the same day.
• I assumed I would receive the incorrect card.

But on Feb 25, I received another update — Dates were corrected.

It took about one week, but USCIS fixed the issue before the card was finalized.

If This Happens to You:

• Contact your DSO immediately
• Email the Premium Processing facility ASAP
• Act early — timing matters
• Weigh the tradeoff between correction vs. potential delay
• If you have STEM extension eligibility, consider how losing days affects you long-term

In my case, they corrected it within a week.

Hope this helps someone.