2020 STEM CIP CODE; If my major is newly added, can I apply for STEM OPT?

In my last blog, I introduced the new 2020 STEM CIP Code that is updated every 10 years. In the blog, I noted that it is important to confirm the major code in your I-20 is listed in the STEM CIP code list to be eligible for STEM OPT. Regarding this update, international students have asked me whether the student whose major has been newly added to the STEM program list, can apply for STEM OPT.

If your major is considered as a STEM major in some schools or if your major is just categorized as a STEM major, this blog post will be helpful for you. As STEM OPT allows you to extend your initial OPT for 2 years, please have a thorough look. At the end of the blog, you will learn what is the action plan to be eligible for STEM OPT.

Disclaimer: SEVIS SAVVY delivers information based on the visa/immigration regulations and this is no legal advice by any means. Since institutional policies may vary, getting the confirmation from your international student advisor will be helpful to ensure that you comply with institutional policies and processes.

Contents

• Case study scenario
• The answer based on the regulation is
• STEM OPT eligibility
• Action plan

Case study scenario

Q1: I found that some schools consider my major as a STEM major but my school is not considering it as a STEM major. Moreover, I heard that some schools are in the process of adding my major into STEM majors. Why there are discrepancies?

Q2: Also, if my major is newly added in the 2020 STEM CIP code list, can I apply for STEM OPT? Would recent change only apply to new students?

The answer based on the regulation is

Let’s start with question number 1. As I explained in the CIP code update 2020 blog post, students should check their major code in the I-20 to confirm their STEM OPT eligibility. If the major code is listed in the STEM Designated Degree Program List, the student is eligible to apply for STEM OPT (It seems that the list has not been updated to reflect 2020 CIP codes as of 09/16/2020. Please go to my blog to confirm changes and updates in new CIP codes).

Now, when the new CIP codes are released, your school will go over the list and match it with the programs that are offered in your college. This is why some schools already adopted the new CIP code while some schools take a longer time to reflect changes.

Therefore, please allow some time for your school to go over the updating process. If you don’t hear back from your school by the time you apply for STEM OPT, contact the Office of International Student Services and let them know that you would like to apply for STEM OPT and according to the new CIP code list, your major seems STEM-eligible. Politely ask when you can obtain the new I-20 if your major code has to be changed.

Now move on to the second question, if the school updates the CIP codes, thus the major code is listed in the STEM Designated Degree Program List, can you get the benefit of the STEM OPT program? Would it only be applicable to new students in the program?

The answer is students who have obtained the STEM degree “at the time” they submit the STEM OPT extension application can apply for the STEM OPT. Therefore no matter you are a new or current student of the STEM-eligible program, if you are going to obtain the degree before you apply for the STEM OPT extension, you can apply for the STEM OPT. In this light, although your major was non-STEM major by the time you apply for initial OPT, you may be eligible for STEM OPT, if the program is added later to the STEM eligible program during your STEM OPT application time window.

Have earned a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a school that is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency and is certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) at the time you submit your STEM OPT extension application.

Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT) by USCIS

STEM OPT eligibility

Other than the STEM degree requirement, here is a summary of eligibility for STEM OPT extension. Based on USCIS’s eligibility list, I modified a bit to make it easy to be understood. I am going to write more details regarding the STEM OPT when I am done with the initial OPT series. Thus, subscribe for the newsletter to be notified with STEM OPT series or follow us on social media (Instagram: @sevissavvy, Facebook: @sevissavvyfb)

• Have been granted OPT and currently be in a valid period of post-completion OPT;
• Have earned a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a school that is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency and is certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) at the time you submit your STEM OPT extension application.
• Work for an E-verified employer.
• Submit the Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, up to 90 days before your current OPT employment authorization expires, and within 60 days of the date your designated school official (DSO) enters the recommendation for OPT into your Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record.

STEM CIP code updates; Action plan

To sum, go to the post where I listed all the new CIP codes and CIP code changes and check the following action plans:

• My major code in the I-20 can be found in the 2020 newly added CIP codes in the post: No action required. You are eligible for STEM OPT.
• My major code in the I-20 cannot be found in the 2020 newly added/ changed CIP codes in the post, but there’s a similar major title in the list: Ask your school if you can have the CIP code that is one of the STEM OPT eligible programs in your I-20.
• My major code in the I-20 is changed according to the 2020 newly added/ changed CIP codes: Allow some time for your school to process the update. If you haven’t heard back from the school by the time you need to apply for STEM OPT, reach out to the ISSS office and ask for an update.
• My major code in the I-20 is not changed and has been eligible for STEM OPT: No action required. You are continuously eligible for STEM OPT.

Update: The updated DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List was released on February 1, 2021. International students can check this official CIP code list to confirm their STEM OPT eligibility.

From the eligibility to how to file the STEM OPT application, all the STEM OPT-related information can be found on the STEM OPT page. To learn about essential information for F-1 students, click the F-1 visa info page.