F-1 STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) Extension
Quick Links:
- General Information on 24-Month OPT Extension Based on Degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM)
- Recommend STEM OPT Extension
- Upload Form I-983
- Record-keeping Requirements during STEM OPT
- Reporting Requirements during STEM OPT
- STEM OPT Extension and Unemployment
- Related SEVIS Alerts and Lists
- H-1B Cap Gap Extension of STEM OPT
- Correcting OPT Data: Correction Requests and Data Fixes
- Icon Guide
General Information on 24-Month OPT Extension Based on Degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM)
In this document:
- STEM OPT refers to the 24-month extension of post-completion optional practical training (OPT).
- Designated school official (DSO) refers to both the principal designated school official (PDSO) and DSO, unless otherwise noted.
Students who majored in an eligible Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) field may qualify for a one-time, 24-Month Extension of post-completion optional practical training (OPT).
A student may request a first STEM OPT extension if:
- Student is in a period of Active Post-Completion OPT.
- Student’s primary or secondary major was a STEM-eligible field, or the student completed a previous primary or secondary major in a currently STEM-eligible field.
- Student has not already had a STEM OPT extension of any duration based on the qualifying STEM degree.
- Qualifying STEM degree was at the bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral level.
- Qualifying STEM degree was earned within the ten previous years of the date the DSO recommends the STEM OPT extension.
- School where the student earned the STEM degree is currently:
- SEVIS-certified
- Accredited by a U.S. Department of Education accrediting organization
- Student will be, or is working, for an employer enrolled in the E-Verify program.
A student may request a second STEM OPT extension if:
- Student is in a period of Active Post-Completion OPT.
- Student has a second STEM degree at a higher level than the one used for the first STEM OPT extension.
- Student has not already based any portion of a STEM OPT extension on the second STEM degree.
- Second STEM degree meets all the above requirements.
Regulations and Policy Guidance
- 8 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 214.2(f)(10 through (13)
- 8 CFR 274a.12(c)(3)
- SEVP Policy Guidance on OPT
- SEVP Policy Guidance: Practical Training – Determining a Direct Relationship between Employment and a Student’s Major Area of Study
- F-1 Optional Practical Training (Help Hub/Study in the States)
- STEM OPT Hub (Study in the States)
OPT Request Statuses
Status | Status Meaning |
---|---|
Requested | DSO requested OPT in SEVIS on behalf of the student, but U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has not yet received the Application for Employment Authorization (Form I-765). |
Pending | USCIS has received the Form I-765. |
Approved | USCIS has approved the Form I-765. |
Denied | USCIS has denied the Form I-765. |
Cancelled | DSO has canceled the OPT request in SEVIS. |
Withdrawn | USCIS approved the student’s request to withdraw the Form I-765. |
Process Overview
SEVIS will compute the start and end dates of the STEM OPT segment. The requested OPT Extension Start Date is the day following the current post-completion OPT End Date. The requested end date for this segment of OPT is 24 months after the requested start date. DSOs cannot change these dates.
During the full period of the extension, the school that recommended the STEM OPT must continue to:
- Maintain records on the student.
- Update required SEVIS student reporting as notified by student.
The student can continue to work for 180 days after the original USCIS Employment Authorization Document (EAD) expires if:
- Student filed a Form I-765 for the STEM OPT extension.
- USCIS received the Form I-765 for the extension before the EAD for the original post-completion OPT expired.
The Request Status will be listed as “Pending” in SEVIS once USCIS receives the Form I-765.
While a DSO recommends STEM OPT in SEVIS, it is the student who must apply for the work permit with the USCIS. If the STEM OPT is approved, USCIS will issue an EAD.
DSOs should know the USCIS regulations that extend work permission in special cases while USCIS processes extension requests.
- 8 CFR 274a.12(b)(6)(iv)-(v)
Recommend STEM OPT Extension
Students must submit a completed Form I-983 Training Plan for STEM OPT Students to the DSO before the DSO can recommend the STEM OPT extension in SEVIS. Students must submit a new Form I-983 for every new employment/training experience they accept during their STEM OPT extension.
For more information and a tutorial on completing the Form I-983, see the STEM OPT Hub on the Study in the States site.
To recommend the STEM OPT extension after receiving the completed I-983 Training Plan for STEM OPT Students, DSOs should:
1. Go to the Student Information page.
2. Click OPT Request from the Student Information page. The OPT Employment page opens.
3. Click Extend. The Extend OPT Employer page opens.
4. Enter the employer information.
Note: An * (asterisk) indicates required fields.
Field |
Description |
|
---|---|---|
* |
Explain how employment is related to student’s course of study |
If this STEM extension is based on a prior STEM degree, the DSO will also enter the following information in this field, “Extension based on prior STEM degree:
DSOs must note in this field they have seen the Form I-983 by entering text, “I have reviewed the Form I-983. It is complete, signed, and addresses all program requirements.” Based on the student’s summary, describe how the job relates to the major area of study. Include the following elements:
Example: PhD in Computer Science: Student is employed as a Computer and Information Research Scientist at ABC Research Institute. She works as part of a team of scientists and engineers that designs experiments to test the operation of various software systems. Her work builds on research in complex algorithms and machine learning, which she studied as part of her dissertation. See SEVP Policy Guidance: Practical Training – Determining a Direct Relationship between Employment and a Student’s Major Area of Study for more details and for more samples. Note: These remarks do not appear on the Form I-20. |
|
Employment ID |
|
* |
Employer Name |
|
* |
Employer EIN |
|
|
Employer ID |
Note: If a student works more than once for the same employer, SEVIS will assign a different employer ID to each new job. |
|
Job Title |
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* |
Start Date |
Note: Do not enter an employer start date before the actual start date for the STEM OPT. If the employer employment dates are outside the actual dates of the OPT STEM period, SEVIS will not consider the student employed.
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|
End Date |
Note: The date entered in the End Date field will not affect the overall SEVIS-calculated STEM extension end date. Do not enter an employer end date after the actual end date for the STEM OPT. If the employer employment dates are outside the actual dates of the OPT STEM period, SEVIS will not consider the student employed. |
* |
Full Time/Part Time Indicator |
By default, this field is pre-populated as full-time. It is not editable. |
* |
Employer Address |
|
Note: The Supervisor Information section will be renamed to Employer Official in a future SEVIS release. |
||
* |
Supervisor Last Name |
|
* |
Supervisor First Name |
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* |
Supervisor Telephone Number |
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* |
Supervisor Email |
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5. Click one of the following:
- Cancel: Returns to the OPT Employment page without adding the OPT extension request to the student’s record.
- Extend OPT Employer: Processes the recommended OPT extension in SEVIS. An Update Successful message displays.
- Click Print I-20 and sign page one of the Form I-20. Give the printed Form I-20 to the student. The student must also sign page one of the Form I-20 and submit a copy of the Form I-20 to USCIS, along with the Application for Employment Authorization (Form I-765).
- Click Return to Employment List. The OPT Employment page lists the requested extension and a link to upload the Form I-983. (See Upload Form I-983 section for more details.)
USCIS highly recommends sending transcripts with the STEM OPT application if the extension is based on a prior degree.
DSOs can find additional employment authorization filing information and requirements at the USCIS Form I-765 site.
Upload Form I-983
DSOs may upload a Form I-983 when a:
- STEM OPT extension recommendation is added to the record.
- STEM OPT employer is added to the record.
- 12-month self-evaluation is reported in SEVIS.
- 24-month or final self-evaluation is reported in SEVIS.
- Material change was made to STEM employer information.
These events may be added to the record by a DSO directly in SEVIS or through batch processing or by SEVP through a correction request or data fix. Only DSOs can upload a Form I 983.
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- You cannot upload the Form I-983 through batch. If you use batch processing to submit any of the actions listed above, you must log in to SEVIS after SEVIS processes your batch to upload the Form I-983.
- Upload each Form I-983 separately. Do not combine multiple Forms I-983 into one PDF.
To upload a Form I-983:
1. Go to the OPT Employment page.
SEVIS only displays the upload link after a STEM OPT employer is added to the record. Each STEM employer in the student’s record will have its own upload link. The link will not display for deleted employers.
2. Click Upload for the relevant employer. The Upload Form I-983 page opens.
3. Click Upload Evidence. The Upload Evidence modal opens.
4. Click Browse and select the file you want to upload.
5. Click the Upload Reason drop-down list and select the reason for the upload:
- Form I-983 – 12-Month Training Evaluation
- Form I-983 – 24-month or Final Training Evaluation
- Form I-983 – Edit Employer
- Form I-983 – New Employer
6. Click Submit. SEVIS adds the document to the list at the bottom of the page.
DSOs must retain the original Forms I-983 in the student’s file.
View History of Uploaded Form I-983 for an Employer
The Upload Form I-983 page also serves as a historical listing of Form I-983 documents uploaded for a specific employer. You can access the Upload Form I-983 page from either of the following:
- OPT Employment page (as shown above)
- Employment Information page (as shown below)
Click Upload for the employer whose documents you want to see. The Upload Form I-983 page opens.
The upload information is also captured on the Event History page.
Record-keeping Requirements during STEM OPT
During the STEM OPT, DSOs must maintain the following in the student’s file:
- All Forms I-983 training plans submitted by the student
- All self-evaluations submitted by the student
Reporting Requirements during STEM OPT
There are three types of student reporting requirements while on the STEM OPT extension:
- General Reporting: Any changes in the student’s legal name, address, employer, or employment status within 10 days of the change.
- Validation Reporting: A 6-, 12- and 18-month validation report to the DSO that confirms the student’s name, address, employer name and address, and employment status are correct.
- Self-Evaluations: Self-evaluations are submitted to the DSO at the end of any employment and at the 12- and 24-month marks from the start date of the STEM extension. A concluding self-evaluation occurs at the end of any period of employment, regardless of its duration, for example; 14 months.
DSOs can only submit the concluding evaluation in SEVIS at either the 12- or 24-month mark.
General Reporting
During the STEM OPT extension period, such as the initial 12 months of post-completion OPT, the student must:
- Students must report any changes to the DSO in the student’s legal name, address, employer, or employment status within 10 days of the change. Students on STEM OPT can also use the SEVP Portal to change personal contact information and existing employer information. However, they must submit any new employer information to their DSO on the Form I-983.
DSO Actions:
- Use the Personal Information link on the Student Information page to update the student’s name or address changes in SEVIS.
- Use the OPT Request link on the Student Information page to update the employer or employment status changes in SEVIS.
For additional related information, see:
Validation Reports
During the STEM OPT extension period, the student must make a 6-, 12-, 18- and 24-month validation report to the DSO that confirms the student’s current name, address, employer, and employment status are correct.
DSO Action: Use the Report OPT Employment link on the Student Information page to report the validation has been completed.
DSOs can only access the Report OPT Employment function during the three separate reporting windows. (See Deadlines for Validation Reports and Self-Evaluation.)
SEVIS will auto-terminate the student record, if the following statements are true:
- Student is in a period of active STEM OPT extension.
- SEVIS record was not updated to reflect the validation report.
- Date is 46 days after the reporting deadline.
Note: This auto-terminate functionality is currently disabled but will be enabled in a future release. However, even though the auto-terminate is not on now, a government official can still terminate a record at any time.
The DSO is required to report the student’s participation within 21 days of the established report date.
Planning Tool for 24-Month Extension of STEM OPT
This interactive tool provides a customized reporting schedule for a student.
Self-Evaluations
Students must report the progress they have made toward the training goals outlined on the Form I-983 for a particular employer. The student creates the self-evaluation; and then the employing supervisor must confirm and sign each self-evaluation. DSOs must keep these self-evaluations in the student’s file. The timelines for submission include:
- Student still works for original employer: The student must submit the first assessment within 12 months of the STEM OPT start date, and a second, final assessment that recaps the training and knowledge acquired during the complete training period.
- Student changes employers:
- Must submit the first assessment within 12 months of the OPT STEM start date
- Must submit a self-evaluation no later than 10 days of the ending of employment with current employer.
Deadlines for Validation Reports and Self-Evaluations
DSOs must validate a student’s employment data three times during the STEM OPT extension. Validation reporting is done in SEVIS. Paper documentation is NOT mailed to SEVP. Timelines include:
Activity | Timeline |
---|---|
Validation Reports due |
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Self-evaluations due |
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Report link displays in SEVIS |
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Report link no longer displays in SEVIS |
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- If a DSO receives an early report of concluding employment from a student, the DSO must edit the OPT employer information to shorten the employment end date to reflect the last date of the training. If the student does not have any other employers, SEVIS will begin to count days of unemployment.
SEVIS only allows a DSO to report receipt of the conclusion of employment evaluation from a student during the window for 12- or 24-month reporting. Since unemployment has been accounted for by the entry of the employment end date, whichever window is the earlier of these two reporting alternatives is sufficient for reporting.
The Report OPT Participation link appears in the Employment/Training section on the left-hand side of the Student Information page.
Report STEM OPT Participation and Receipt of Self-Evaluations
To report (validate) STEM OPT participation and receipt of self-evaluation:
1. Click the Report OPT Participation from the Student Information page. The Report OPT Participation page opens.
At the 12- and 24-month marks, SEVIS displays two checkboxes on the Report OPT Participation page – one for the validation report and another for the self-evaluation. You must check both boxes before SEVIS will allow submission.
2. Review the information displayed on the screen:
a. If the employer address or information is wrong, correct the information:
- Add any missing employer.
- Edit incorrect information in an employer record.
- Delete all employer information, if the student never worked there.
b. If the student’s address is wrong, update the address on the Personal Information page, which is accessed from the Student Information page.
c. If the address and employer information is correct, click the checkbox to verify that the student has confirmed his or her current address and employment.
3. Click the self-evaluation checkbox to indicate receipt of the student’s self-evaluation for either the 12- or the 24-month reporting deadline for each employer listed on the page. Each Form I-983 will be uploaded separately later.
4. Click either Report OPT Participation or Cancel:
- Report OPT Participation: Verifies the student has confirmed his or her current address and employment information, and you have received the self-evaluation.
- A message indicates that the update was successful.
- Click Return to View Record to view the Student Information page.
Note: The Student Information page will no longer display the Report OPT Participation link.
- SEVIS records the event in the student’s Event History, as “STEM OPT x-month Participation Reported.” No separate notation is added for the self-evaluation.
- SEVIS adds the student to the Students Requiring STEM OPT Form I-983 Upload alert list.
- Cancel: Returns the user to the Student Information page without validating the student’s information.
5. Return to the OPT Employment page.
6. Click Upload to upload a separate Form I-983 for each employer. Refer to the Upload Form I-983 section above for details.
STEM OPT Extension and Unemployment
Students authorized for STEM OPT must be employed by an E-Verify-certified employer. A student on STEM OPT can be unemployed for a total of 150 days. This includes any of the remaining 90 days of unemployment allotted from the standard post-completion OPT.
- Student whose record lacks employer information is considered unemployed.
- DSOs must enter new employer information into SEVIS based on the student’s completed Form I-983.
- Students on STEM OPT can edit most employer information via the SEVP Portal, but not the employment start date.
- SEVP officials can manually terminate a student who accrues more total days of unemployment than regulations allow.
- See the Unemployment Counter article on the SEVIS Help Hub for more information.
H-1B Cap Gap Extension of STEM OPT
SEVIS will automatically extend STEM OPT if:
- On or after April 1,(as directed by USCIS timely filing rules), an employer files an eligible H-1B petition to change the student’s status.
- Requested start date for the H-1B is October 1.
- Student’s OPT or STEM OPT extension ends on or after April 1, and the H-1B petition was filed with USCIS before the EAD expired.
Correcting OPT Data: Correction Requests and Data Fixes
If OPT information in SEVIS does not reflect applications filed with or decisions made by USCIS, DSOs can ask to have the record corrected. There are two ways to correct data in a student record.
Method | What Can be Fixed |
---|---|
Correction Request | This option is used to request changes (using SEVIS) for the following:
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Help Ticket (Data Fix) |
This option is used for more complicated data fixes and requires DSOs to call the SEVIS Help Desk (1-800-892-4829). Types of OPT-related data fixes include:
Note: These changes may add a student to the Students Requiring STEM OPT Form I-983 Upload alert list, as only a DSO can upload a Form I-983. |
Icon Guide
See the SEVIS Help Icons on the SEVIS Help Hub for a quick-reference of the icons used in this user guide.