STEM OPT eligibility, process, required documents

STEM OPT (Optional Practical Training) allows STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) majoring students to extend their OPT period for 24 months. Thus, students who qualify for the STEM OPT can stay and work in the United States for 3 years (=initial OPT 12 months + STEM OPT 24 months).

The first step to check if you are eligible for STEM OPT extension is to check your I-20 and see if the CIP code of your major is listed in the STEM Designated Degree Program List (last updated: July 2024; to check the most recent list of STEM OPT-eligible CIP codes, click here). To learn more about how to check the CIP codes and updates of CIP codes in 2020, read the related blog posts below. In this blog post, STEM OPT eligibility, the application process, and require documents to file the STEM OPT will be discussed. If you would like to work in the United States for 3 years in total or if you are majoring in one of the STEM majors, this blog post is for you.

Related blog post 1: 2022 + 2023 STEM OPT list: NEW STEM fields
Related blog post 2: 2020 STEM CIP CODE; If my major is newly added, can I apply for STEM OPT?

Contents

• STEM OPT eligibility
• STEM OPT application process
• Required documents for STEM OPT

STEM OPT eligibility

Studyinthestates well outlined how to determine STEM OPT extension eligibility on its website. Additionally, USCIS (U.S. Customs and Immigration Services) listed the eligibility for STEM OPT on the page titled “Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT).” To qualify for the STEM OPT, OPT participants should…

• Have been granted OPT and currently be in a valid period of post-completion OPT;
• Have earned a STEM-qualifying bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an accredited and certified school
  • On the first page of your I-20, you will find the CIP code under the major. The CIP code needs to be on the STEM Designated Degree Program List to qualify for the STEM OPT.
• have an offer of paid employment for at least 20 hours per week from an E-verified employer that meets the “STEM OPT Employer Requirements and Responsibilities“
• 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.

To check if your employer is E-verified, you can go to e-verify.gov, scroll down to the Search area (see the image below), and search for your employer by filling out the search area.

STEM OPT application process

Now, if you are qualified to apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension, it’s time to work on the STEM OPT application.

• Confirm the job offer letter with your employer. OPT applicants should work for more than 20 hours.
• Complete the Form I-983 Training Plan with the employer (supervisor) and submit it to the DSO (Designated School Official; your international student advisor).
  • When you fill out the Form I-983, you don’t have to complete page 5, as it is for evaluation during and after the STEM OPT period.
• DSO reviews the Form I-983. If it looks good, DSO will issue the updated I-20 with a STEM OPT recommendation.
• The student files the STEM OPT application within 60 days from the date that the DSO requested STEM OPT on SEVIS and before the initial OPT end date.
  • All the required documents can be found in the next paragraph.
• USCIS issues the EAD card and sends it out to the STEM OPT applicant.

Related blog post: My STEM OPT is in pending and my EAD end date is near

Required documents for STEM OPT

1. Form I-765

First, STEM OPT applicants should complete the I-765 to receive an updated EAD card. As this is the same form that students have filed to apply for the initial OPT, most of the students might already know how to complete the form. Few things to keep in mind are the eligibility category- STEM OPT: (c)(3)(c) and provide the employer information for question number 28 in part 2. Also, you should mark “Yes” for the question “Have you previously filed the Form I-765” in part 2 and include copies of the front and back of your EAD card as proofs.

When you complete Form I-765, I can’t emphasize enough how important checking the most recent edition of the form is. Before you start completing the form, please go to I-765, Application for Employment Authorization webpage of USCIS to check what the current edition date is that USCIS accepts. To learn how to check the edition date in detail, please refer to the related blog post below.

Related blog post: IMPORTANT I-765 form update: 8/25/2020 edition

2. Other required documents

Other than the Form I-765, USCIS listed the following as required documents to apply for STEM OPT extension.

• The Form I-94
• Front and back copies of the EAD (Employment Authorization Document) card
• Two identical colored passport-style photos (see the image for the size requirements)

• STEM OPT requested I-20 that DSO signed up to 60 days before the filing date
• A copy of STEM degree or the transcript that shows STEM OPT-eligible degree
• Copies of the passport photo page and visa
• Application filing fee

3. Filing fee

The current filing fee for the Form I-765 is $410 as of November 2020. As it can be changed at the time you apply for the STEM OPT, please go to USCIS’s Form I-765 webpage to double-check the filing fee. If you are completing the online Form I-765, you will be able to make payments by credit card. To learn more, check out the following post:

Related blog post: How to file Form I-765 online for OPT, STEM OPT

If you are filing the paper Form I-765, the filing fee can be paid by personal check, cashier’s check, or money order. The images below for each payment method will help you write a check or money order. As you can see, applicants should spell out U.S. Department of Homeland Security instead of writing U.S. DHS.

Check

USPS Money Order

Western Union Money Order

MoneyGram Money Order

To sum, once you confirm your degree is STEM OPT eligible and you are currently working for a STEM OPT-eligible employer, you can apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. Current OPT applicants can apply for STEM OPT as early as up to 90 days from the initial OPT end date but before the OPT end date. Students can begin the STEM OPT process by completing the Training plan I-983 with their supervisors. Once DSO reviews and recommends the STEM OPT on their SEVIS record, STEM OPT applicants now have 60 days to file the STEM OPT application to USCIS.

Required documents are Form I-765, I-94 record, filing fee, a copy of passport photo page, a copy of visa, two photos, copies of EAD cards (front and back), and a copy of the STEM OPT Requested I-20. When it comes to STEM OPT, meeting the reporting requirements is very important. If you are applying for STEM OPT or if your STEM OPT request is approved, please click the related blog post to learn more about STEM OPT reporting requirements.

Related blog post: How to write your OPT is “directly related to” major