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International Student and Scholar Services

STEM for Employers

What is STEM OPT?

STEM OPT is a 24-month extension of a student’s 12-month OPT, for a total of 36 months. The student must have completed a STEM designated degree from an SEVP-certified school.

Students whose current OPT is not based on a STEM degree but who previously earned a STEM degree, may claim STEM based on the prior degree.

Employment must be at least 20 hours/week, paid, and with an E-Verify employer. Volunteer work, unpaid employment, and self-employment (1099) are not allowed.

Employment must be directly related to the student’s STEM degree.

Student’s Role

  • It is the student’s responsibility to verify STEM eligibility.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to apply for STEM Extension on time through USCIS, before their OPT end date.
  • The student must report to ISSS:
    • Any changes to personal contact information within 10 business days.
    • When they start working for a new employer within 10 business days. This reporting obligation includes submission of a new Form I-983 signed by the new employer .
    • When they stop working for an employer within 10 business days. This reporting obligation includes submission of the Form I-983 Final Evaluation signed by the employer .
    • Any material changes to the Form I-983 at the earliest available opportunity. This reporting obligation includes submission of a new updated Form I-983 signed by the employer .
  • Must submit a STEM validation report to ISSS every 6 months throughout the STEM Extension period.

Employer’s Role

  • There is no cost to you as the employer, and the STEM Extension application is entirely the responsibility of the student.
  • Provide student with the company’s E-Verify number.
  • Student must already be employed or have an offer of employment upon starting STEM.
  • Complete and sign a Form I-983 Training Plan with the student and attest to the regulatory reporting requirements; see STEM OPT Reporting Requirements for more information.
  • Compensation for the position must be commensurate with that applicable to a similarly situated U.S. worker.
  • STEM Reporting Requirements (see section below)

Timing Considerations

  • ISSS needs 10 business days to process the student’s STEM recommendation I-20.
  • Students must apply through USCIS before the expiration of their OPT EAD card.
  • STEM is authorized through USCIS; see USCIS Processing Times for estimates.
  • A student can continue to work for up to 180 days after the OPT EAD card expiration date while STEM is pending, if the STEM Extension application was submitted on time.

Hiring Paperwork

  • Employers should request a copy of the student’s STEM Extension EAD Card for I-9 purposes.
  • Employers can refer to the F-1 Students section of the I-9 Handbook for Employers for instructions on how to complete the Form I-9 for an F-1 student on STEM.
  • The employment end date listed on the STEM EAD card is the date their STEM Extension employment authorization expires.
  • F-1 students who have been in the U.S. for less than five years are generally exempt from FICA (Social Security and Medicare) tax withholdings on their wages.

STEM Reporting Requirements

  • Must report to ISSS (the student's DSO as listed on their Form I-983):
    • When a student is terminated or leaves employment within 5 business days of the termination/departure.
    • Any material change to the student's Form I-983 at the earliest available opportunity.
  • Must review for accuracy and sign the 12-month and final evaluations written by the student.
    • The 12-month self-evaluation date range must span from the date the student started working for your company during their STEM Extension period to 12 months after the start of their STEM Extension.
    • The final self-evaluation date range must span from the date the student started working for your company during their STEM Extension period to the end of their STEM Extension OR the date they stopped working for your company, whichever is sooner.

Additional Resources