Here to Help: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
December 13, 2012
Please note: On May 10, 2016, DHS replaced the 17-month STEM OPT extension with a new 24-month STEM OPT extension. All existing 17-month STEM OPT EADs will remain valid until the EAD expires, is terminated or revoked. For more information about the new STEM OPT rule, please visit the STEM OPT Hub.
Here to Help provides information on each of the government agencies that has a role in the international student process.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS) is a Department of Homeland Security agency that authorizes benefits for students and exchange visitors. If you want to work, extend your stay, change your immigration status or become a U.S. citizen, you must work with USCIS.
You may need to work with USCIS to change your visa status. For example, if you are in the United States on a on a valid nonimmigrant status for a purpose other than attending school, such as for tourism, and you are interested in studying at a U.S. school, a USCIS official can process the correct paperwork. To change your status, you will need to file a Form I-539, “Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status." You will also need to use this form if you are a M student or F student in your senior year and want to request to extend your stay in the United States to finish your coursework.
USCIS can also help you change your status to H-1B status, so you can continue to work in the United States after you finish your program of study. To apply for H-1B status, your current or prospective employer must petition USCIS on your behalf by filing Form I-129, “Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker.”
If you want to work while you are still a student, and you are eligible to apply for off-campus employment, you must file a Form I-765, “Application for Employment Authorization,” with USCIS for approval. If your application is approved, you will receive a Form I-766, “Employment Authorization Document,” (EAD) in the mail. This EAD grants you permission to work in the United States, and you must show it to your employer. In addition to off-campus employment, you have to apply with USCIS upon completion of your program of study for a post-completion OPT, such as 17-month STEM extension. USCIS will provide you with an EAD card upon approval. You can learn more about employment on the Working in the United States page.