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STEM OPT extension: your step-by-step guide
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1 Your degree 2 Your record 3 Employer 4 Training plan 5 STEM I-20 6 File I-765 7 While waiting 8 New card 9 Reports 10 Unemployment The usual order 6+ months before OPT ends Check the degree, your record and the employer Next Complete Form I-983 with your employer Then Get the STEM-recommended I-20 Up to 90 days before OPT ends File Form I-765 (not after the end date) After filing Keep working up to 180 days if the rule applies Every 6 months Validation report; then evaluations at 12 months and at the end STEM means science, technology, engineering and math. An eligible student can ask for a 24-month extension of OPT. It is not automatic, and the word "science" in a degree name does not decide it.
Unpaid volunteer work does not qualify. If you work through a staffing company or several firms, ask who employs you, who supervises you and who provides the training.
What it is Form I-983 is a training plan. It describes what you will learn, who supervises you and how progress is measured.
Who fills it in You fill your parts. The employer fills and signs its parts. It goes to your DSO through the school process.
Be specific Write real duties and learning goals. "The student will learn useful skills" is too vague.
A STEM extension filed on time can let you keep working for up to 180 days after your current OPT ends, while USCIS decides. It ends earlier if USCIS decides the case. First-time OPT does not have this rule. Keep the receipt and records your employer needs.
9 Complete the reports on time Never miss a report.
10 Count your unemployment days Stay within the limit.
The usual total is about 150 days across first OPT and the STEM extension together. If you used 40 days earlier, you have 110 left, not a new 150.
Plan your next step before the card ends. Your employment card and your permitted stay are different, so check both.
Who does what 1. Your school (DSO) checks your degree and recommends the extension 2. Your employer joins E-Verify and signs the training plan 3. USCIS decides your I-765 File on time, before your current OPT ends.
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