STEM OPT

STEM OPT extensions are available to certain F-1 students who are currently on an initial period of post-completion OPT. STEM OPT can be granted once per degree level (i.e. bachelor's, master's, or doctorate) and up to two times over the student's entire academic career. F-1 students who would like to request a STEM OPT extension must first submit an OPT application. Once OPT is granted, the student must continue to maintain all OPT and F-1 status requirements in order to be eligible for an extension request. The student can then request a STEM OPT extension application once they reach 90 days before the end date listed on their OPT EAD card.

In order to be eligible for a STEM OPT extension request, an F-1 student must hold a bachelor's degree or higher in a STEM eligible field from an accredited school certified by SEVP at the time the extension application is submitted to USCIS. 

In certain circumstances, some F-1 students may be eligible use a prior STEM degree earned in the U.S. to fulfill eligibility requirements. To use a prior STEM degree, you must:

• Have received your most recent degree (which does not need to be STEM-related) from a currently accredited Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school in the U.S.
• Have received your prior, qualifying STEM degree in the U.S. within 10 years of applying for the STEM OPT extension
• The qualifying STEM degree must be on the Department of Homeland Security's STEM Designated Degree Program List at the time you submit your STEM OPT extension application (rather than at the time you received the degree)

Click here for more information on Eligible STEM Fields.

Students must have a job offer from a STEM OPT eligible employer in order to complete their extension application to USCIS. An employment opportunity is considered STEM OPT eligible if:

• The employer is enrolled in the USCIS' E-Verify employment eligibility verification program
• The job offers at least 21 hours of work per week
• The job offer is paid
• The job will provide formal training and learning objectives directly related to your qualifying STEM degree

Students on STEM OPT cannot be self-employed or work in an unpaid position.

Students must complete the Form I-983: Training Plan for STEM OPT Students together with their prospective employer. Pages 1-4 of the Form I-983 will be completed for the initial application and page 5 (Evaluation of Student Progress) will be left blank until it's time for the student to complete their annual reporting requirements during the authorized STEM OPT period.

Review more information on the Form I-983 on the Department of Homeland Security's website here.

Review the STEM OPT extension application checklist and collect the documents as listed. Contact an OISS advisor for assistance if you have any questions or if you'd like to schedule an appointment.

Complete and submit your STEM OPT Extension application to OISS (in-person or through email). Please allow 3-5 business days for our office to process your request. Once your STEM OPT application has been reviewed and you are deemed eligible for an extension, an OISS advisor will issue a new I-20 with your STEM OPT recommendation. The OISS advisor will send you an email with instructions to pick-up your new I-20 or, if you're off island, a link to process an I-20 shipment to your location.

It is required that all F-1 HPU students have a new I-20 with a STEM OPT recommendation from our office in order to complete an extension application. If you mail an extension request to USCIS without a STEM I-20, your application will be rejected.

Keep your new I-20 with all of your previous I-20s. Do not throw away any Form i-20.

Collect your new I-20 with a STEM OPT recommendation along with mailing instructions from our office. You must endorse and sign your new I-20 at the bottom of page 1. OISS recommends that you make a copy of your entire STEM OPT extension application before mailing it out to USCIS.

Mail your STEM OPT extension application out to USCIS once your packet is complete. Refer to the mailing instructions given to you by an OISS advisor or review your designated mailing location on the USCIS website. OISS recommends that you send the application with a tracking number to ensure your application has reached its destination.

Remember that your application must be received before your Post-Completion OPT expires and within 60 days of your STEM OPT I-20 issuance.

You must report any updates to your contact or employer information within 10 days of any change. You can choose to update this information through the OPT Employer Form or your SEVP Portal. This could potentially include changes to your:

• Legal name
• Current address
• Phone or email address
• Current supervisor
• Dates of employment

Updates to your employment information may require additional documentation. Once you submit updates to your OISS advisor, they may request you submit a new Form I-983.

To maintain legal F-1 status during your 24-month STEM OPT authorization period, you must report the following information to OISS every six months:
Confirm to OISS through our STEM OPT 6 Month Validation Report Form or check the information through the SEVP Portal and report validation to iss@hpu.edu:

           • Legal name
           • Residential or mailing address
           • Employer name and address
           • Status of current employment

You must report any changes to the above information, including loss of employment, within 10 days of the change.

*Failure to report information to OISS every six months will result in the termination of your F-1 student visa status (including OPT), per USCIS regulations.

You must submit an annual self-evaluation to your OISS advisor about the progress of your training experience. This self-evaluation must be signed by you and your employer on page 5 of the I-983 Training Plan.

*Failure to submit the self-evaluation to OISS each year will result in the termination of your F-1 student visa status (including OPT), per USCIS regulations.

If you believe your STEM OPT employer is not complying with the terms and conditions of the 24-month STEM OPT extension regulations, the Form I-983 instructions, and the completed Form I-983 on file with OISS, you may:

• Contact the Student and Exchange Visitor Program at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by following the instructions found on ICE.gov.
• Report violations through this Homeland Security Investigations tip submission form.

There are a number of enforcement and oversight mechanisms to help ensure compliance, including reporting requirements, employer site visits, periodic evaluation of a student’s training and required notification of any material changes to or deviations from the Training Plan.

For easy reference, please follow the chart below for STEM reporting requirements. All forms must be submitted to iss@hpu.edu.

All reporting deadlines must be calculated from the start date printed on your STEM EAD Card