Uzbek, Kazakh and Central Asian F-1 Students: OPT, H-1B and Visa Rules Country by Country

Turkmenistan is on the travel-ban list, yet its students can still apply for F-1 visas. Here is what each Central Asian passport means for OPT, H-1B and a green card.

If you are one of the Uzbekistan students in the USA, or you hold a Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik or Turkmen passport, your US work path is the one every F-1 student uses: OPT, then STEM OPT if your degree qualifies, then an employer-sponsored H-1B. Nationality changes the visa counter, not the work rules. As of 2026-11-01, Turkmenistan is the only one of the five on the Proclamation 10998 travel-ban list, and only for immigrant visas, so Turkmen students can still apply for F-1 visas. The $70,000 OPT fee is a proposal whose legal payer would be the school, and Central Asian green card applicants wait in the rest-of-world queue.

Status as of 2026-11-01. In effect: Proclamation 10998 (since 2026-01-01, unchanged); in-person F, M, J and H-1B interviews in your country of nationality or residence; wage-weighted H-1B selection; Proclamation 11069's $100,000 H-1B payment, on paper only. Proposed: the OPT fee rule (comments close 2026-11-09; still a proposal after that). Blocked: the duration-of-status rule (by a federal court since 2026-09-14; summary judgment briefed; DHS's appeal pending), so the 60-day F-1 grace period still applies; collection of the $100,000; USCIS's hold memos on travel-ban nationals.

Uzbekistan students in USA and across Central Asia: the short answer

Central Asian F-1 students use OPT, STEM OPT and the H-1B lottery on exactly the same terms as everyone else. As of November 2026, no Central Asian country faces a student-visa suspension, because Turkmenistan's listing blocks only immigrant visas. Your real constraints are where you interview, any scholarship contract you signed, and the rest-of-world green card queue.

How many Central Asian students are in the US?

About 10,300 active F and M records in October 2026, by our sums of DHS's SEVIS tables, up 3.4% from October 2025 while the national total fell 7.1%. Kazakhstan has the largest group, and bachelor's records outnumber master's about two to one.

Active SEVIS records by country of citizenship, October 2026 vs October 2025 (our sums of DHS tables)

These are active records, not enrollments, from Study in the States' October 2026 and October 2025 tables. Turkmenistan's largest group is language training (385 of 920 records).

Central Asia country by country: where you interview and what applies

Since 2025-09-06 you apply in your country of nationality or residence, and since 2025-10-01 F, M, J and H-1B applicants, renewals included, interview in person (State's interview waiver update). Every embassy page below tells F, M, J and H-1B applicants to set social media accounts to "public" or "open."

Visa rules by country (embassy pages and State's treaty list checked 2026-11-02)

Sources: Proclamation 10998; embassy pages for Tashkent, Astana and Almaty, Bishkek, Dushanbe and Ashgabat; State's treaty list in 9 FAM 402.9-10. The bond applies to B-1/B-2 visitors "found otherwise eligible," not to F-1, which matters if parents plan to attend your graduation; a final rule made the program permanent from 2026-08-03.

E-2 for Kazakh and Kyrgyz nationals. Beyond investors, E-2 covers executive, supervisory or essential-skills employees of a US business at least 50% owned by nationals of the same treaty country who share that nationality (9 FAM 402.9). It sits outside the H-1B lottery but is uncommon, so have an attorney assess it and confirm on State's treaty country table. TN, E-3 and H-1B1 are closed to all five nationalities.

Is Turkmenistan on the US travel ban list for students?

Turkmenistan is on the list, but not for students. Proclamation 10998, effective 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on 2026-01-01, says its Turkmenistan restrictions "modify and supersede" section 3(f) of the stricter Proclamation 10949 of June 4, 2025. In its words: "The suspension of entry into the United States of nationals of Turkmenistan as nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas is lifted. Because some concerns remain, the entry into the United States of nationals of Turkmenistan as immigrants remains suspended."

Turkmenistan: old rule, new rule, what to do (as of 2026-11)

The Turkmenistan section does not name H-1B. USCIS's hold memos on pending benefit applications from listed nationals (PM-602-0192 and PM-602-0194) are blocked: one federal court vacated them on 2026-06-05, and another enjoined them on 2026-08-24 for a class of held applicants from all 39 countries, Turkmenistan included (USCIS alert). USCIS will follow the order "pending possible further judicial review"; if a Turkmen OPT or H-1B case stalls, tell your DSO or attorney.

The list can change: section 7(a) requires a State review every 180 days, the next around mid-December 2026 by our arithmetic, with nothing announced. Our guide to which F-1 students the 39-country entry suspension affects covers the other 38 countries, and State keeps its suspension announcement current.

Where do Central Asian students apply for US visas?

In your country of nationality, or where you legally reside: for a US student visa in Uzbekistan, Tashkent; in Kazakhstan, Astana or Almaty. A faster post next door is a gamble: the Ashgabat page warns that applicants elsewhere "might find that it will be more difficult to qualify." Dushanbe offers only "emergency and mission-critical visa services as resources and local conditions allow," so Tajik students should check its page early, and everyone should use State's Global Visa Wait Times tool the week they plan to travel. An expired F-1 stamp does not end your status inside the US; you need a new one only to re-enter.

Can Uzbek and Kazakh students get OPT and an H-1B?

Yes. No OPT, STEM OPT or H-1B eligibility rule turns on a Central Asian passport. As of 2026-11-01:

• Unemployment: 90 days on OPT; 150 days in aggregate on STEM OPT (SEVIS Help Hub).
• Fees (G-1055, edition 10/26/26): Form I-765 is $520 on paper or $470 online; the $1,780 figure is optional premium processing (30 business days), not the filing fee.
• Processing: on 2026-11-01, USCIS's processing-times tool showed 80% of F-1 (c)(3) cases done within 5 months; check it when you file.
• STEM OPT: the 180-day automatic extension for timely filers still applies (USCIS STEM OPT page).
• Travel: Cornell, Johns Hopkins and USC advise against travel abroad while initial OPT is pending (Cornell).

The proposed $70,000 OPT fee: who would pay

Misconception you may have read: "Central Asian students will have to pay $70,000 to work on OPT." Correction: the fee is proposed, and the school is the legal payer. The proposed rule (91 FR 64566, docket ICEB-2026-0100) would have the school pay $70,000 before the initial OPT recommendation and $30,000 before each later one, STEM OPT included. Schools could pass the cost to students or employers.

It would reach only DSO recommendations dated 60 or more days after a final rule; the $100,000 in headlines is the NPRM's own OPT-plus-STEM-OPT example. Comments close 2026-11-09 at 11:59 p.m. ET (more than 4,700 as of 2026-11-01). See who would pay the proposed OPT fee.

H-1B: the lottery, wage levels and the $100,000 payment

• Weighted selection (in effect since 2026-02-27): a Level IV wage registration is entered four times, Level I once, so the wage level of your offer shapes your odds. A US master's degree adds a second chance in the advanced-degree selection.
• Timing: FY2028 registration is not announced; USCIS must give 30 days' notice, and March 2027 is only an expectation (registration page).
• The $100,000 payment: Proclamation 11069 is in effect on paper through 2027-09-21, but courts blocked the agency policies and the fee is not being collected. USCIS's I-129 page: "If this order is later lifted, DHS still plans to collect the payment." A change of status USCIS grants inside the US, the usual OPT route, was never covered; a denied one would be.
• Cap-exempt employers: universities and affiliated nonprofits skip the lottery but get no cap-gap, and public universities in Florida (to at least 2027-01-05) and Texas (to 2027-05-31) have paused new H-1B petitions.

Do Kazakh government scholarships require returning home?

Bolashak does, in writing. Its graduate work-obligation page (read 2026-11-02) says holders must "return to the Republic of Kazakhstan to work according to the received specialty in the Republic of Kazakhstan continuously for at least two/three/five years": five in Astana, Almaty and Shymkent (agreements from 2018-06-19), three in the regions, two in certain education organizations (agreements before 2020-05-06).

One deferral ground is "an industrial internship" at a Fortune Global 500, Forbes Global 2000 or Forbes Top 100 Digital company, "for no more than 12 months," requested within one calendar year of the degree. The Center "submits application to the Commission for consideration," so deferral is decided, not automatic. The obligation is backed by a pledge on real estate, released once the work time is served.

Our reading: USCIS does not check the contract on an OPT I-765 or an H-1B, but the pledge sits in Kazakhstan, and a 12-month deferral, if the Commission accepts your job as an internship, can match OPT at a listed company but not STEM OPT or an H-1B. Ask the Center for International Programs and a Kazakh lawyer about the contract, and your DSO about OPT timing.

J-1 holders. Home-government funding triggers the INA 212(e) two-year home-residency rule (five ways to waive it). Only Tajikistan, of the five, is on the 2024 Skills List, for agriculture, architecture, communications technologies, computer and information sciences, and engineering, so a Tajik J-1 in those fields can be subject to 212(e) without government money. For El-Yurt Umidi or ministry funding, read your agreement's return clause; the foundation's site did not open for us on 2026-11-02.

How long is the green card wait for Central Asian applicants?

Chargeability follows your country of birth, and all five countries fall under "All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed," the rest-of-world column.

November 2026 Visa Bulletin, rest of world (released 2026-10-22; as of 2026-11)

USCIS says November I-485s "must use the Dates for Filing chart" (filing charts); consular cases always use Final Action Dates, and any December date is a forecast until the Visa Bulletin publishes. PERM usually comes first: DOL's FLAG processing times showed analyst review at January 2026 priority dates, averaging 303 days, as of 2026-10-21.

Turkmen nationals: immigrant visas abroad are suspended, with narrow exceptions. The proclamation never mentions Form I-485 and the hold memos are blocked, but memo PM-602-0199 (in effect, challenged) calls adjustment "a matter of discretion and administrative grace"; see our guide to an employment green card from a travel-ban country and work with an attorney.

What to do next, in order

1. Confirm your country's status in Proclamation 10998 and on your embassy's visa page before any trip.
2. Ask your DSO when they can enter your OPT recommendation in SEVIS and which I-765 filing window applies to you.
3. Read your scholarship agreement and ask your sponsor before accepting an offer.
4. Comment on regulations.gov under docket ICEB-2026-0100 by 11:59 p.m. ET on 2026-11-09 if you want DHS to hear from you.
5. Build a sponsor list from the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub and DOL's LCA disclosure files (latest: FY2026 Q3).
6. Book visa appointments only through your own post's official embassy site.

Turning a Central Asian background into a sponsored offer

Sponsorship turns on the role, the wage level and the employer's filing history, not your passport. Before you apply, check the employer's initial approvals in the Data Hub and its LCAs for your job title, which show the wage level it offered; Kazakh and Kyrgyz candidates should also note compatriot-owned companies (E-2). Russian plus a Central Asian language helps at employers with Eurasian operations, and diaspora groups often know which managers have sponsored; our guide to networking through country communities shows how to use them. The target-list tactics in our Eastern European F-1 students' H-1B guide transfer well; use this page for current fees and rules.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the whole region is banned. Only Turkmenistan is listed, and only for immigrant visas.
• Believing you will pay $70,000. The fee is proposed; the school would be the legal payer, though it could pass the cost on.
• Accepting an offer before reading your scholarship contract. A Bolashak work obligation survives an approved EAD.
• Flying home with OPT pending. A missed biometrics appointment can delay or deny the case.
• Treating the duration-of-status rule as live. It is blocked; D/S and the 60-day grace period apply.

Frequently asked questions

Is Turkmenistan on the US travel ban list for students?

Only for immigrant visas: Proclamation 10998 (in effect since 2026-01-01) lifted the B, F, M and J suspension, so students can apply in Ashgabat. The other four countries are not listed as of 2026-11-01.

Can Uzbek students get OPT and an H-1B?

Yes, on the same terms as everyone else: up to 12 months of OPT, a 24-month STEM extension for qualifying degrees and the same lottery. The OPT fee is only proposed as of 2026-11-01, the school would be the legal payer, and comments close 2026-11-09.

Do Kazakh government scholarships require returning home?

Bolashak requires two, three or five years of continuous work in Kazakhstan, backed by a pledge on property. A commission can defer it up to 12 months for an industrial internship at a listed global company. USCIS does not enforce the contract, but the pledge sits in Kazakhstan.

Where do Central Asian students apply for US visas?

In your country of nationality or residence, in person: Tashkent, Astana or Almaty, Bishkek, Dushanbe and Ashgabat. Dushanbe says appointments remain limited.

How long is the green card wait for Central Asian applicants?

You share the rest-of-world queue: in the November 2026 bulletin EB-1 is current, EB-2's Final Action Date is 2025-04-01 and EB-3's is 2024-06-15. PERM usually comes first, and Turkmen nationals are barred from immigrant visas abroad, with narrow exceptions.

Sources

• Proclamation 10998, Federal Register text; State's suspension announcement
• State: interview waiver update, wait times, treaty table, 9 FAM 402.9 (E visas), Visa Bulletin
• Embassy visa pages: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
• Study in the States: October 2026 SEVIS data, October 2025 SEVIS data, unemployment counter
• Federal Register: OPT fee NPRM, weighted selection, visa bonds, 2024 Skills List
• USCIS: G-1055, I-129, hold-policy court order alert, filing charts, Employer Data Hub
• DOL FLAG processing times, OFLC disclosure data; Bolashak work obligation page

How we checked this: on 2026-11-02 we read the Proclamation 10998 text, the five embassy visa pages, State's E-visa treaty list in the Foreign Affairs Manual, the 2024 Skills List, USCIS's hold-policy alert, Bolashak's obligation page and the DHS SEVIS tables; other rules, fees and dates were checked against USCIS, State, DHS and DOL pages as of 2026-11-01.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice; your own I-20, I-94, EAD and notices govern, so take F-1, OPT and SEVIS questions to your DSO and petition or green card strategy to a licensed immigration attorney.

If you are on OPT or STEM OPT and want help finding employers that actually sponsor, F1Jobs runs focused, visa-aware job searches for international candidates.