Optional Practical Training STEM Extension Information & Application

Generally, eligibility to apply for the STEM OPT Extension is based on you, your degree, your job and your employer.

Your Degree:

• The degree serving as the basis for a STEM OPT Extension application must be in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics field that is included on the Department of Homeland Security’s STEM Designated Degree Program List. Use the list below and the CIP code found on your I-20 to see if you qualify on the basis of your major. Note: CIP codes are used to standardize majors across institutions and are what students should use to determine if their major appears on the STEM list. You can find the CIP code for your degree in the ‘Program of Study’section on page 1 of your I-20 (XX.XXXX)

Click Here to see if your major qualifies for STEM OPT

You:

• Are on post-completion OPT and hold an appropriate degree in one of the DHS-approved STEM fields (see list above; Graduate Certificate programs do not qualify).
• Have had fewer than 90 days of unemployment during your 12-month period of post-completion OPT.
• Will ensure that the appropriate USCIS Service Center receives your completed application before the expiration date on your current post-completion OPT card.
• Will work with your employer to prepare and sign the I-983 Training Plan.

Your Job (Or Job Offer):

• Is at least 20+ hours per week in a paying job (there is no salary minimum, but you must be paid something)
  • Unpaid internships and volunteer work are not eligible employment opportunities for the STEM OPT Extension. Similarly, students cannot represent themselves as both employer and employee on the I-983 form, meaning self-employment is also not allowed.
  • Students may work for more than one employer, but all employment must meet STEM OPT Extension eligibility requirements. Moreover, each STEM OPT job must be at least 20 hours per week.
• Is directly related to your STEM field of study.
• Constitutes a bona fide employer-employee relationship. A STEM OPT Extension eligible job must involve a bona fide employer-employee relationship between the student and the employer. The employer that signs Form I-983 must be the same entity that provides the practical training experience to the student. Moreover, a STEM OPT student must be supervised by the employer’s own personnel.

Your Employer:

• Must be enrolled in E-Verify by the time USCIS processes your STEM I-765
  • E-Verify is an Internet-based system operated by DHS in partnership with the Social Security Administration. Note: E-Verify is not a searchable system, you will need to ask your employer if they are enrolled in E-Verify.
• Have a Federal/IRS Employment Identification Number (EIN)
• Agree to the terms of STEM OPT, have “sufficient resources and personnel available” to train you, and complete the employer-specific sections of the I-983 Training Plan in a timely.
  • The requirement to complete sections of the Form I-983 Training Plan includes annual or final evaluations and timely reporting (within 10 days)

We recommend that you begin the application process for the extension three to four months before your current OPT expires. Your application for a STEM-recommended I-20 from the ISSO can be submitted up to 100 days in advance of when your current OPT EAD expires — this is a soft deadline that is meant to prevent students from applying too early and risk a denial (read on). Your actual I-765 application for a STEM EAD from USCIS can be submitted up to 90 days in advance of when your current OPT EAD expires — this is a hard date, and if USCIS receives a STEM I-765 earlier than 90 days before the 12 month EAD expires, they will deny the request.

If you file a timely application for an extension, you will be able to continue employment while the extension application is pending with USCIS, until it is approved or denied, or for 180 days—whichever comes first.

1. First, begin filling out the Form I-983 (only page 1-4) with your STEM OPT-eligible employer.

2. Next, pay the required $225 STEM OPT Services Fee.

3. Access and submit the Application for a STEM OPT-Recommended I-20 from the ISSO. You’ll need the completed Form I-983 and a copy of your most recent EAD card too, as these will be uploaded into the application.

4. Wait for the ISSO to issue your STEM OPT-recommended I-20. The processing time is 10 business days, and your I-20 will be uploaded to your ISSO connect portal.

5. Begin preparing your STEM OPT I-765 application with the Guide to Filing STEM OPT Extension I-765 Online and other resources in the “Application Resources” section below.*

6. Once your new I-20 is uploaded and you’ve filled out the I-765 online, you can submit your application to USCIS, provided USCIS does not receive your I-765 application earlier than 90 days before your 12 month OPT EAD expires.

7. Wait ~60 days for your STEM OPT EAD card to arrive; review your new (and more complicated than regular OPT) reporting requirements (see section titled, “Student Reporting Requirements While on STEM OPT”)​

Consult the following resources to help you throughout the process:

• Filing Guide for ONLINE I-765 STEM OPT 24 month Extension
• Detailed Form I-983 Instructions
• F-1 OPT 24 Month STEM Extension Frequently Asked Questions

Students on STEM OPT have two different reporting mechanisms, depending on the information being reported:

1) You MUST self-report the following conditions or circumstances in your SEVP Portal Account:

• Change of contact information (US address, email, phone, permanent address in home country)

2) You MUST report the following conditions or circumstances to the ISSO using the ISSO’s Reporting Form:

• Change of name
• Complete employment and return to home country
• Change of job status (quit, fired, laid-off, relocated, change or add employers, etc.)
• If there are material changes to those listed on the I-983 training plan, you must submit an updated I-983 to the ISSO within 10 business days. Examples of material changes can be found here.
• Every 6 months you must submit the Employment Verification form (these are the 6, 12, 18, and 24 month Validation Reports)
  • Note: you can submit the webform for an Employment Verification report up to 21 days, but no earlier, than the actual 6, 12, 18, or 24 month date

These updates cannot be submitted via email. Additionally, you must also complete an annual “Evaluation of Student Progress” with your employer and submit it to the ISSO using the Reporting Form.

For more on your STEM OPT Reporting Requirements go to Department of Homeland Security Study in the States page at: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students-stem-opt-reporting-requirements

NOTE: Failure to submit the required updates listed above in a timely manner as well as accrual of more than 150 days of unemployment could result in the termination of your SEVIS record.

STEM OPT REPORTING WORKSHOP SLIDES 06/13/2022

Consult the additional resources below for further guidance on how to fill out Form I-983, eligibility and requirements:

Study in the States launched the STEM OPT Hub in coordination with this new rule to help school officials, F-1 students and interested employers understand the new regulation. On the STEM OPT Hub, stakeholders can find information regarding:

• The new Form I-983, “Training Plan for STEM OPT Students.”
  • Download Sample Form
• Reporting requirements for designated school officials (DSOs), students and employers.
• Eligibility requirements for students and guidance for DSOs to recommend OPT.
• Employer site visits.
• The DHS STEM Designated Degree List.