STEM OPT FAQ: All you need to know about STEM OPT
Before you apply for STEM OPT:- You must receive STEM OPT I-20 from the International Student Services Office before you submit the online or paper Form I-765 application to USCIS.
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Who is eligible to Apply for the STEM OPT extension?
Students who graduate in certain Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics majors might be eligible to extend the 12-month Optional Practical Training period for an additional 24 months.
When can I apply for the STEM OPT Extension?
The earliest you can apply for the 24-month STEM OPT Extension is 90 days prior to the expiration of your OPT EAD card. Your application must be received by USCIS before your current OPT EAD card expires. (Please note, this request is available in your My OPT Profile 100 days prior to your OPT end date.)
How do I apply for STEM OPT Extension?
You can visit our 24-Month STEM OPT Extension site for more information about how to apply.
We offer 2 STEM OPT 24 Month Extension workshops per semester
Employment Possibilities for STEM OPT Extension
Where can I work while on the STEM OPT Extension?
You can work anywhere in the United States.
What are the work restrictions while on the STEM OPT Extension?
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Any work must be related to your major field of study.
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Any employer must have an E-Verify number.
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You must work a minimum of 20 hours of paid work for an E-Verify employer and the work must be directly related to your field of study to count as employment while on the STEM extension.
What kind of work is considered employment on the STEM OPT Extension?
Paid employment. All employment during the STEM extension must be paid employment. Volunteer experience does not count as employment for the purpose of maintaining F-1 status during the STEM extension.
Employers
The student’s prospective STEM OPT extension employer must be enrolled in USCIS’ E-Verify employment eligibility verification program and must, along with the student, complete and sign a Form I-983. Additional resources for Employers and the Form I-983 can be found on the Study in the States website.
The student must submit the completed and signed Form I-983 to their DSO. The Form I-983 must include information clearly describing how the training opportunity being offered by the employer has a direct relationship to the student’s qualifying STEM degree. Additionally, the Form I-983 must clearly indicate that the student will work a minimum of 20 hours per week during the extension period.
F-1 students cannot qualify for STEM OPT extensions unless they will be bona fide employees of the employer signing the Form I-983, and students may not provide employer attestations on their own behalf.
The Employer’s Training Obligation: Staffing and Temporary Agencies
Staffing and temporary agencies and consulting firms may seek to employ students under the STEM OPT program, but only if they will be the entity that provides the practical training experience to the student and they have and maintain a bona fide employer-employee relationship with the student. STEM OPT participants may engage in a training experience that takes place at a site other than the employer’s principal place of business as long as all of the training obligations are met, including that the employer has and maintains a bona fide employer-employee relationship with the student.
As noted in the 2016 STEM OPT rule, certain types of arrangements, including multiple employer arrangements, sole proprietorships, employment through ‘‘temp’’ agencies, employment through consulting firm arrangements that provide labor for hire, and other similar relationships may not be able to demonstrate a bona fide employer-employee relationship and, therefore, may not meet the requirements of the STEM OPT extension.
STEM OPT Reporting Requirements
While on the STEM OPT Extension, do I have to report any information to the USCIS, SEVP or International Student office?
Yes, while on the STEM OPT extension, you need to report the following:
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Report any change in US address to the International Student office within 10 days.
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Report new employer
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Report change in current employer such as change in employer’s address, Employer Identification Number, or any changes in your training plan outlined on Form I-983.
You can report the above changes by completing the STEM Employment Update request.
Validation Requirements
In addition to STEM OPT reporting requirements listed above you are also required to validate your STEM experience.
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SEVP requires validation of your STEM OPT employment every 6 months. You can validate your STEM OPT employment by submitting the the STEM OPT Validation Request in the International Student Platform.
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In addition to the 6-Month validation, you must also submit a completed “Evaluation of Student Progress” (page 5 of I-983) 12 months and 24 months into the approved 24-month STEM extension period. If an opportunity ends early the student must submit the final evaluation within 10 days following the conclusion of the opportunity.
Not submitting a final evaluation would be a violation of the terms of Form I-983, “Training Plan for STEM OPT Students,” and may jeopardize the student’s nonimmigrant status.
Unemployment While on OPT 24 Month STEM Extension
For Students who are on STEM OPT Extension
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The OPT regulations allow 90-day of unemployment during the first OPT authorization. Once authorized for a OPT 24 Month STEM Extension an additional 60 days are allowed for a total of 150 days.
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Therefore, the maximum period of unemployment allowed is 150 days during the entire 36 month OPT period.
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You should not exceed the allotted 150 days of unemployment time.
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Each day of unemployment (including weekends) is counted towards the 150-day requirement for students on an STEM OPT Extension.
Additional Resources
USCIS website STEM OPT
DHS website STEM OPT Hub (Study in the States)
