# Can I get a data scientist job on OPT? Source: https://realanalystjobs.com/answers/can-i-get-a-data-scientist-job-on-opt Live data from Real Analyst Jobs, 7 November 2026. Category: Data science (US). By Anil Kumar, founder. Methodology: https://realanalystjobs.com/data. Updated 7 November 2026. Yes. OPT is work authorization of its own, so an employer does not have to sponsor you to hire you as a data scientist on it, as long as the role relates to your degree. 80 entry-level US data science roles are open on realanalystjobs.com on 7 November 2026; 80 of them do not rule out sponsorship. 62 are at employers with an H-1B record. > Optional practical training (OPT) is temporary employment that is directly related to an F-1 student's major area of study. > > [USCIS, Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students](https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/optional-practical-training-opt-for-f-1-students), checked 7 November 2026. ## What the board shows today Entry level means the posting states an entry level or uses junior or graduate title words, and never a senior title. 44 of the 80 roles that do not rule out sponsorship are at employers we matched by name to E-Verify's public employer list. Most data science postings ask for a graduate degree or a few years of experience, so the entry-level list is short compared with the whole data science list. ## STEM OPT A STEM OPT extension needs an employer enrolled in E-Verify that signs a training plan with you (Form I-983). Employers choose which hiring sites use E-Verify, so confirm the site you would join and check the company's E-Verify number on your Form I-983. Whether your degree qualifies is for your school's DSO to confirm. ## Where the numbers come from Every number on this page is computed from the live analyst roles on realanalystjobs.com on 7 November 2026, read from the employers' own career pages and re-checked daily, and it updates as roles open and close. H-1B figures come from the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub (data as of 2026-06-30). Nothing is estimated or projected. ## Sources - Employers' own careers pages: Every live role and what its posting says about sponsorship, checked 7 November 2026. Each role links to its posting. - [USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub](https://www.uscis.gov/tools/reports-and-studies/h-1b-employer-data-hub): Approved H-1B workers per employer, data as of 30 June 2026. - [USCIS, Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students](https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/optional-practical-training-opt-for-f-1-students): Quoted rule text, checked 7 November 2026. ## Frequently asked ### Can I get a data scientist job on OPT? Yes. OPT is work authorization of its own, so an employer does not have to sponsor you to hire you as a data scientist on it, as long as the role relates to your degree. 80 entry-level US data science roles are open on realanalystjobs.com on 7 November 2026; 80 of them do not rule out sponsorship. 62 are at employers with an H-1B record. ### Do I need sponsorship to start a data scientist job on OPT? No. Sponsorship matters later, for an H-1B. Postings that say they will not sponsor can still hire you on OPT, but the job would likely end when your OPT does. ### Where does the data come from? Roles are read daily from employers' career pages; H-1B approvals from the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub and LCAs from DOL OFLC disclosure data, matched by company name. ## See the roles - [Data scientist jobs for OPT students](https://realanalystjobs.com/opt-jobs/data-scientist) - [Entry level and new grad data scientist jobs](https://realanalystjobs.com/data-science-jobs/entry-level) - [Data scientist jobs with visa sponsorship](https://realanalystjobs.com/data-science-jobs/visa-sponsorship) - [Data scientist jobs at H-1B sponsors](https://realanalystjobs.com/data-science-jobs/h1b-sponsors) - [Data scientist jobs in the US](https://realanalystjobs.com/data-science-jobs) - [OPT jobs by analyst role](https://realanalystjobs.com/opt-jobs)