To qualify for the 24-month extension, you must:
Have been granted OPT and currently be in a valid period of 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.
Previously obtained STEM degrees: If you are an F-1 student participating in
a 12-month period of post-completion OPT based on a non-STEM degree, you
may be eligible to use a previous STEM degree from a U.S. institution of
higher education to apply for a STEM OPT extension. You must have received
both degrees from currently accredited and SEVP-certified institutions, and
cannot have already received a STEM OPT extension based on this previous
degree. The practical training opportunity also must be directly related to
the previously obtained STEM degree.
For example: If you are currently participating in OPT based on a master’s
degree in business administration but you previously received a bachelor’s
degree in mathematics, you may be able to apply for a STEM OPT extension
based on your bachelor’s degree as long as it is from an accredited U.S.
college or university and the OPT employment opportunity is directly related
to your bachelor’s degree in mathematics.
STEM degrees you obtain in the future: If you enroll in a new academic
program in the future and earn another qualifying STEM degree at a higher
educational level, you may be eligible for one additional 24-month STEM OPT
extension.
For example: If you receive a 24-month STEM OPT extension based on your
bachelor’s degree in engineering and you later earn a master’s degree in
engineering, you may apply for an additional 24-month STEM OPT extension
based on your master’s degree.
Work for an employer who meets all the requirements listed below in the STEM
OPT Employer Responsibilities section.
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.
f you are an employer who wants to provide a practical training opportunity
to a STEM OPT student during their extension, you must:
Be enrolled in E-Verify, as evidenced by either a valid E-Verify Company
Identification number or, if the employer is using an employer agent to
create its E-Verify cases, a valid E-Verify Client Company Identification
number.
Remain a participant in good standing with E-Verify, as determined by USCIS.
Have a valid Employer Identification Number (EIN) issued by the Internal
Revenue Service for tax purposes.
Report material changes of the STEM OPT student’s employment by submitting
a modified Form I-983 to the DSO at the earliest available opportunity.
Report the STEM OPT student’s termination of employment or departure to the
DSO within 5 business days.
Implement a formal training program to augment the student’s academic
learning through practical experience.
Provide an OPT opportunity that is commensurate with those of similarly
situated U.S. workers in duties, hours, and compensation.
Terms and Conditions for Employer Participation
To ensure the integrity of the program and provide safeguards for U.S.
workers, any employer wishing to employ a student participating in the STEM
OPT extension program must ensure that:
The employer will have and maintain a bona fide employer-employee
relationship with the student.
The employer has sufficient resources and personnel available to provide
appropriate training in connection with the specified opportunity at the
location(s) specified in the Form I-983, Training Plan for STEM OPT Students.
The STEM OPT student will not replace a full- or part-time, temporary or
permanent U.S. worker.
The training opportunity will assist the student in attaining his or her
training goals.
DHS may, at its discretion, conduct a site visit of the employer to ensure
that program requirements are being met, including that the employer
possesses and maintains the ability, personnel, and resources to provide
structured and guided work-based learning experiences consistent with the
Training Plan.
