Students Studying in The United States F-1 STEM OPT Extension

F-1 students who receive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degrees and meet the requirements below may be eligible to apply for a 24-month extension of their Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT).

The 24-month STEM OPT Extension is a type of employment authorization adjudicated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It is available to eligible F-1 students for the purpose of gaining practical experience directly related to their program of study. A STEM Extension application requires a student to be on an approved period of Post-Completion OPT, to have an E-verify employer that provides a student with formal training and learning, a STEM OPT recommendation on the Form I-20, then a timely application to USCIS for final adjudication. If successful, USCIS will issue an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) granting the student 24-months of work authorization.

Eligibility

All four of the below criteria must be met in order for a student to be eligible for the 24-month Optional Practical Training extension:

1. Students who are on Post-Completion OPT; and
2. Who have earned a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD (certificate programs are not eligible) in a field included on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s list of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields within the last 10 years (see below for more details about how to find out if your degree is STEM eligible); and
3. Who are employed for more than 20 hours per week in a paid job directly related to his/her field of study; and
4. Who are working for an employer that is enrolled in the U.S. Government’s E-Verify program.

STEM Eligible Degrees

To verify STEM eligibility, look at the code listed under “Primary Major” on Page 1 of your I-20 and compare that code in the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) column of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security STEM Designated Degree Programs list. If your major code is on the list, then it is considered to be STEM eligible.

Please note : the DHS STEM Designated Degree Programs list was recently updated on July 22, 2024 . Please be sure you are accessing the most recent STEM list linked above, which can also be found on the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement website on this page in the “Resources” section under the “DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List and CIP Code Nomination Process” tab. No students at Northeastern University were impacted by the update.

STEM Extension Application Timeline

Students may apply to USCIS for the STEM OPT Extension work authorization no earlier than 90-days prior to the Post-OPT EAD expiration date.

Completed applications must be received by USCIS within 30-days of the STEM OPT recommendation date and prior to the expiration date on the Post-Completion OPT EAD to be properly (timely) filed. USCIS will not accept applications for the STEM Extension that are received beyond the expiration date of the Post-OPT EAD.

COMPLETING THE FORM I-983

All students must submit a completed Form I-983 to OGS in order to receive the STEM OPT Extension recommendation on their Form I-20. Students should reference the official USCIS Instructions of the Form I-983 and the resources available on the Study in the States website as they complete the I-983.

Additionally, OGS has prepared a supplemental guide to filling out the Form I-983 to assist students as they complete their application for the STEM OPT Extension. Because the STEM OPT Extension application is a personal petition to USCIS, OGS is unable to advise on how to complete each section of the form. However, this guide offers clarification on some of the I-983 instructions provided by USCIS.

Please Note: All fields on the Form I-983 must be completed in full when you submit your STEM Extension request to OGS. This resource does not provide guidance on how to complete every field of every section of the I-983; rather, it has been created to help guide students through the most frequently questioned sections.

Form I-983 Supplemental Guide

(For more information, click each step below)

Section 1: Student Information (completed by student):

• SEVIS School Code of School Recommending STEM OPT: S EVIS School Code can be found in the school information section on page one of your I-20, under school code and approval date.
• DSO Name and Contact Information: Enter the full name and contact information, including official address, phone, and email of OGS below (please DO NOT use the DSO information on your I-20):
• • Boston campus: Rachael Elliott
    360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
    [email protected] / 617.373.2310
  • Seattlecampus: Desiree Waits
    401 Terry Avenue N., Suite 103, Seattle, WA 98109
    [email protected] / 617.373.2310
  • Silicon Valley campus: Giscard Dimanche
    4 North 2nd Street, San Jose, CA 95113
    [email protected] / 617.373.2310
  • San Franciscocampus: Giscard Dimanche
    600 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
    [email protected] / 617.373.2310
  • Oakland campus: Giscard Dimanche
    5000 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland CA 94613
    [email protected] / 617.373.2310
  • NU/The Roux Institute: Desiree Waits
    100 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101
    [email protected] / 617.373.2310
  • Arlington campus: Desiree Waits
    1300 17th St North, Arlington, VA 22209
    [email protected] / 617.373.2310
  • STEM OPT Requested Period : “From” date should be the day after your current 12-month OPT ends and “To” date should be 2 years minus one day . For example, 06/06/2022 – 06/05/2024
  • Qualifying Major and Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Code: Enter both your major and the degree’s (CIP) code found on page 1 of your I-20
  • Level/Type of Qualifying Degree: Enter the academic level upon which you are basing STEM OPT. (Ex, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D.)
  • Date Awarded: Enter the date on your transcript or diploma
  • Based on Prior Degree?: Check “No” if your STEM OPT is based on your most recently obtained degree. Check “Yes” if your STEM OPT is based on a previously obtained STEM degree
  • Employment Authorization Number: This is the 9-digit number found on your OPT EAD

  Section 2: Student Certification (completed by student):

  All fields must be completed in full. Please pay particular attention to the following section:

  • Student Certification: Review the certification and affirm the statement with your signature. If signing digitally, you may sign all signature fields on the Form I-983 using electronic signatures produced with software programs or applications or use digitally reproduced copies of a signature.
    • Typed signatures on the I-983 will not be accepted

    Section 3: Employer Information (completed by employer):

    Instructions for employers to complete this section can be found on the USCIS I-983 Instructions PDF.

    All fields must be completed in full. Please pay particular attention to the following sections:

    • Number of Full-Time Employees in U.S.: Provide the number of full‐time employees in the United States (must be more than one)
    • Start Date of Employment: Please use the first day of your STEM OPT , not your first day of employment

    Section 4: Employer Certification (completed by employer):

    All fields must be completed in full. Please pay particular attention to the following section:

    • Printed Name and Title of Employer Official with Signatory Authority: Employer’s name and title must be included. If signing digitally, official may sign all signature fields on the Form I-983 using electronic signature s produced with software programs or applications or use digitally reproduced copies of a signature
      • Typed signatures on the I-983 will not be accepted

      Section 5: Training Plan for STEM OPT Students (completed by student and employer):

      Instructions for both employer and student to complete this section can be found on the USCIS I-983 Instructions PDF .

      All fields must be completed in full. Please pay particular attention to the following sections:

      • Employer Name: Enter the company’s name, as it appears in “Section 3: Employer Information.”
      • Site Name: May be the same as employer name in Section 3. However, if you are working for a branch or subsidiary, or anywhere other than the headquarters, provide the name of this work site
      • Site Address: Enter the exact address of the work site where you will be physically working. If you are working remotely due to COVID-19, please provide the worksite address where you would be working once the COVID-19 accommodations are lifted by the government (not your home address)

      Section 6: Employer Official Certification (completed by employer):

      All fields must be completed in full. Please pay particular attention to the following section:

      • Printed Name and Title of Employer Official with Signatory Authority: Employer’s name and title must be included. If signing digitally, official may sign all signature fields on the Form I-983 using electronic signatures produced with software programs or applications or use digitally reproduced copies of a signature.
        • Typed signatures on the I-983 will not be accepted

        Evaluation on Student Progress (completed by student and employer):

        This page must be blank when you are submitting STEM I-20 request to OGS.

        You will be required to submit a validation report to OGS every 6 months, as well as a 12-month and 24-month evaluation. You can learn more on the Reporting STEM OPT Extension webpage.