There's a lot of information about STEM OPT, so it's crucial to learn as much as you can before you begin applying. First, watch the following video:

STEM OPT is an extension of the special work authorization called OPT for students studying in majors related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). STEM OPT is an extension of OPT that is only available for STEM students.

Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) regulations allow up to 12 months of OPT at each increasing degree level for a student in F-1 status. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) students are eligible for an extension of 24 months of OPT, meaning that the total of optional practical training can be 36 months (3 years).

The student must first be on regular OPT. Then, the student can file for the STEM OPT extension online up to 90 days prior to the student's regular OPT expiration date as seen on their EAD card. The student cannot apply for STEM OPT after the expiration date.

Failure to apply before OPT expiration, or to file last-minute without sufficient I-20 processing time, will result in the closure of STEM OPT opportunity. Then, the student will have a 60-day grace period to leave the US, enroll in a new program, or transfer to a new university.

We strongly encourage students to apply for STEM OPT as soon as possible, as it can take USCIS two to four months to adjudicate applications.

See USCIS's current I-765 (OPT application) processing times here.

Once your international advisor provides you with the special I-20 required for your online application, you must submit it within 60 days of the I-20 issuance. Failure to adhere to this regulation, and submitting your STEM OPT application with an expired I-20, will result in denial of your STEM OPT application and may cause you to fall out of F-1 visa status. Please be advised.

It may take USCIS two to four months to process a STEM OPT application. You can review current I-765 (OPT Application) processing times here.

Processing times are unpredictable and subject to change without notice, so we strongly recommend applying as early as possible!

USCIS provides students who timely filed for STEM OPT with an automatic 180-day grace period from the date their OPT card expires to continue working while their STEM OPT application is being processed (source). However, once the 180-day grace period is over, the student cannot continue working if the application is still pending.

For the full list of STEM OPT Reporting Requirements, please visit Study in the States here. 

STEM OPT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Per the requirements listed in your STEM OPT Acknowledgment form, you will be required to report any changes in your address, phone number, or employment within 10 days of the change. While you will still be able to report changes in your personal address or phone number through your SEVP Student Portal account, you will no longer be able to report changes in employment yourself in the Portal account once on STEM OPT.

Please follow this procedure to report any new or ended employment on STEM OPT: 

1. For Ended Employment: Complete and email your international advisor the “Final Evaluation on Student Progress” page (second half of page #5 of the I-983) from your previous employer. Be sure to include your employment end date in this evaluation.
2. For New Employment: Complete a new I-983 with the new employer and email it to your international advisor.

You additionally will have a six-month STEM OPT check-in and an annual evaluation from the I-983 due during your STEM OPT, per the requirements listed in the STEM OPT Acknowledgment form. Your validations are due exactly after 6, 12, 18, and 24 months counting from the start date of your STEM OPT EAD authorization (not the start date of your employment with your company). You will need to verify the following information for your international advisor, even if it has not changed:

1. SEVIS ID Number:
2. Current Home Address:
3. Current Email Address (non-TTU):
4. Current Employment Information (name and address):
5. First Date of Employment during STEM OPT period:

The “Evaluation on Student Progress” from page #5 of the I-983 is due at the end of your first year of STEM OPT. This evaluates your first year of STEM OPT. The “Final Evaluation on Student Progress” is due at the end of your second year of STEM OPT and evaluates the second year, or if you end employment. Please email your international advisor these forms when they are due.

If you created your SEVP Student Portal account, then your Portal account will send you automated email reminders whenever you have the six-month check-in and/or annual reports due. 

For further questions, please contact your assigned international advisor.

Employers play a key role in maintaining and strengthening the integrity of the STEM OPT extension program. Although compliance with the program's various reporting requirements predominately apply to students and their universities, there are instances where STEM OPT employers must assist in tracking the STEM OPT students and their practical training progress. Employers must be registered in E-Verify to employ international students on STEM OPT. In addition, the employment opportunity must be full-time (at least 21 hours per week). Review Study in the States STEM OPT Reporting Requirements here for more information.

DHS requires that the STEM OPT student and employer work together to complete the form I-983. Properly completing this form will successfully document the relationship between the STEM OPT opportunity, the academic degree received, and the learning objectives of the F-1 student.
Review the Study in the States Guide for I-983 Forms here for more information.


Site visits are when DHS officials visit the student's site of employment to ensure that STEM OPT students receive structured and guided work-based learning experiences and reduce the potential for abuses of the STEM OPT extension. During a site visit, DHS's intent is to confirm that information reported on the student's I-983 Form concerning the training opportunity is accurate, while not placing an unnecessary burden on employers. Review the Study in the State Site Visits here for more information.

I-983 Form Training Plan Section 3:

TTU Employer ID Number (EIN): 75-6002622
Number of Full-Time Employees in U.S.: 4,993
NAICS code: 611310
Start Date of Employment: The date the employee will begin STEM OPT training with the department.
TTU HR Information Page Regarding E-Verify: TTU E-Verify Webpage
E-Verify Number for TTU: 280703

Employers with employment-related inquiries may seek assistance from TTU Human Resources department. For immigration-related inquiries, the student may seek assistance from their assigned international advisor.

To qualify for the STEM OPT extension, students must have a US-certified degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decides which degrees (according to CIP code) are qualified for the STEM OPT extension.

Review DHS's list of qualified STEM degrees here.

*Note: If you are an interdisciplinary student, please reach out to your international advisor for additional guidance.

The student must first be on regular OPT. Then, the student can file for the STEM OPT extension online up to 90 days prior to the student's regular OPT expiration date as seen on their EAD card. The student cannot apply for STEM OPT after the expiration date.

Failure to apply before OPT expiration, or to file last-minute without sufficient I-20 processing time, will result in the closure of STEM OPT opportunity. Then, the student will have a 60-day grace period to leave the US, enroll in a new program, or transfer to a new university.

We strongly encourage students to apply for STEM OPT as soon as possible, as it can take USCIS two to four months to adjudicate applications.

See USCIS's current I-765 (OPT application) processing times here.

Once your international advisor provides you with the special I-20 required for your online application, you must submit it within 60 days of the I-20 issuance. Failure to adhere to this regulation, and submitting your STEM OPT application with an expired I-20, will result in denial of your STEM OPT application and may cause you to fall out of F-1 visa status. Please be advised.

The Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) regulations allow F-1 students who have earned degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) fields to extend their work authorization for an additional 24 months beyond the initial 12-month OPT period. This extension is designed to provide students with more time to gain practical experience in their field of study.

It may take USCIS two to four months to process a STEM OPT application. You can review current I-765 (OPT Application) processing times here.

Processing times are unpredictable and subject to change without notice, so we strongly recommend applying as early as possible!

USCIS provides students who timely filed for STEM OPT with an automatic 180-day grace period from the date their OPT card expires to continue working while their STEM OPT application is being processed (source). However, once the 180-day grace period is over, the student cannot continue working if the application is still pending.

The STEM OPT start date is automatically the day after your regular OPT expires, even if you have not received your STEM OPT EAD card yet. You will be given an automatic 180-day grace period to continue working after the new start date on STEM OPT until your application is adjudicated. You cannot continue working once the 180-day grace period ends if your application is still pending, but you may start work again once the application is approved.

If you apply for STEM OPT and it is pending longer than the 180-day grace period you have after your regular OPT expires, you will still remain in status until the STEM OPT application is adjudicated. If the application is taking longer than the expected USCIS's I-765 processing times, you may be eligible to submit an inquiry via USCIS's e-Request website here.

You can also consider filing for Premium Processing for an additional fee by following the instructions here. Premium Processing guarantees that your application will be adjudicated in 30 calendar days, plus 1-3 weeks shipping time to receive your EAD.

When you began regular OPT, you started with 90 unemployment days. If none of those days were used, you will receive an additional 60 days for STEM OPT, totaling 150 unemployment days. Remember, it is the student's responsibility to keep track of all accrued unemployment days. You may be able to review your unemployment days in your SEVP portal.

Unemployment days do not reset once STEM OPT begins. Your unemployment days used from regular OPT will "roll over" into your STEM OPT period. For example, if you accrued 20 unemployment days during regular OPT, then you would have 130 unemployment days remaining for your STEM OPT period.

BEFORE  you exhaust your 150 unemployment days, you must take action in one of these:

• Leave the country
• Receive admission for a new program at TTU (a new I-20 must be issued before the end of the 150 days)
• Transfer out to a new school (SEVIS record must be released before the end of the 150 days)
• Apply for a new visa status, commonly an H-1B (Please consult an immigration attorney for further assistance)
• Find full-time STEM OPT employment related to your major with an e-verified employer to stop the unemployment clock

Be aware that EIN and E-Verify numbers are completely different numbers.

• Your I-983 form will ask for the 9-digit EIN number.
• Your online STEM OPT application will ask for the 4-7 digit E-Verify number.

No, self-employment is not eligible for STEM OPT. The US Department of Homeland Security has clarified that STEM OPT employment requires a bona fide employer-employee relationship between the student and the employer.

Traveling with a pending application with USCIS is risky, as you are required to remain in the US until you receive your EAD card. There is also some risk that your SEVIS record may change while traveling (such as application approval/denial, or Requests for Evidence), and that you may re-enter with an outdated I-20 or miss time-sensitive requests from USCIS.

However, if you must leave the US during this time, please reach out to your international advisor.

No, volunteer/unpaid positions are not allowed for STEM OPT employment.

If you are moving, you will need to update your address in your myUSCIS account here: How to Change Your Address | USCIS. If this does not work, you can file an AR-11 form online. You should also reach out to the United States Postal Office (USPS) to change your address as well to ensure you receive your EAD card.

Please inform your international advisor if your address has changed so they can update your records as well.

Please reach out to your international advisor immediately for further guidance and provide them with the official I-797 Denial Notice which details the reasons for which your STEM OPT was denied.

Your next steps will be determined by the timing of the denial and other factors which your international advisor will discuss with you.

First, you should contact both USCIS helpdesk here and the US Postal Service here to find out more information on where your EAD card is. Additionally, you can find assistance through the missing US Postal Service mail webpage here. 

If you learn that your EAD card may be lost for good, you can file for a replacement EAD card here, but please be advised that it will require the same fee as the original I-765 application.

Sometimes mail packages are delivered to your neighbors, so you may want to inquire with them as well.