Optional Practical Training (OPT) 24-Month STEM Extension Overview & Application Process

The OPT Workshop PowerPoint presentations can be downloaded by clicking here.

The following PowerPoint presentations will walk you through the OPT application process with USCIS.

• Students must have a qualifying degree in a STEM designated program. See the current STEM Designated Degree Program list.
• You must be currently authorized for the initial 12-month OPT.
• You must not have exceeded 90 days of unemployment.
• You must be in a paid job for at least 20 hours per week at each STEM employer.
• Employers must be enrolled in E-Verify and have an IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN). The student must have a “bona fide employer-employee relationship,” and that student may not be self-employed.
• The student and employer must complete a Form I-983 Training Plan before applying for the extension with USCIS.

• You are required to work only for an employer registered in E-Verify.
• Periodic student and employer reporting obligations and self-evaluations must be submitted timely to a DSO. (See Step 3 in the Reporting Requirements section).
• You must be applying within the 90 days your initial 12-month OPT expires. There is no grace period after the end date listed on your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card.
• The 24-month STEM OPT extension starts the day after the expiration of your standard post-completion OPT. If your Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization is pending as of that date, you are authorized to continue employment for up to 180 days after the expiration date.

STEM OPT Timeline: USCIS must receive your 24-month STEM OPT application before the expiration of the current post-completion OPT, but no sooner than 90 days and no later than 60 days from the date of the recommendation on SEVIS. According to the Study in the States page, Forms I-765 received on or after the post-completion OPT expiration date will be denied

1. Passport Size Photo – All photos must meet the following specifications:
   • Submit a color photo, taken in last 6 months
   • Use a clear image of your face. Do not use filters commonly used on social media.
   • Have someone else take your photo. No selfies.
   • Take off your eyeglasses for your photo.
   • Use a plain white or off-white background.
   • For more information on photo standards, visit the Department of State website.
2. Copy of your passport photo/bio page, most recent visa, and the most recent I-94 printout.
3. Official/Unofficial transcript.
4. Copy of your STEM degree
5. A Form I-983 Training Plan completed by you and the employer. For more information about how to complete this form, click on the Form I-983 instructions.

1. Obtain a recommended STEM OPT Form I-20. Before applying for the STEM OPT extension with USCIS, you must present to your DSO a completed Form I-983 Training Plan.
2. Gather required documentation.
3. File a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization with USCIS marked with the proper eligibility code: (c)(3)(C) for STEM Extension You must submit your application to USCIS within 60 days when the DSO recommended the benefit in SEVIS.
4. Pay the fee in the amount of $410. For more information about paying with a credit card, visit the following website.

USCIS offers premium processing for certain F-1 students seeking OPT who have a pending Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. To request premium processing, visit the following website for more information. It is recommended that you give careful consideration before submitting the Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service. Check current processing times, when your OPT application was received by USCIS, and the requested OPT start date before paying for premium processing.

Check the USCIS processing times website and select the following:

• Form: I-765|Application for Employment Authorization
• Form Category: Based on a request by a qualified F-1 academic student [(c)(3)]
• Field Office or Service Center: Potomac Service Center

• You must submit the OPT Personal & Employer Information Form within 10 business days of any new or changes in employment, address, phone number, or email.
• Validation Report. You must complete the above OPT Personal & Employer Information Form every six months validating your STEM OPT participation. The validation report starts on the date the 24-month OPT extension begins and ends when your F-1 status expires or the 24-month OPT extension concludes (whichever comes first).
• Self-Evaluations. Self-evaluations are recorded on the Form I-983 and submitted at the 12- and 24- month marks from the start date of the STEM extension or at the end of any employment. Evaluations must be signed by you and your employing supervisor. You must submit your evaluations no later than 10 days following the conclusion of the reporting period to isss@louisville.edu.
• If there has been a material change to the training plan described on the Form I-983, you must submit the updated information to your DSO.

• A student must work at least 20 hours per week in a qualifying position to be considered employed. If a student has a variable schedule, within a month, it should average out to at least 20 hours per week.
• During the STEM OPT, you may not accrue an aggregate of more than 150 days of unemployment, including any post-completion OPT period. Unemployment time is counted each day during the OPT dates indicated on the EAD.
• If you travel outside of the United States while unemployed, the time spent outside the United States will still count as unemployment against the 150-day limit.
• If you exceed the allowable period of unemployment while on STEM OPT, you are considered to have violated your status.

Yes, you will need a SSN to report your earnings to the United States government. You may request a SSN card on the Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization when applying for your OPT.