STEM OPT

To be eligible for the STEM OPT Extension OPT:

• You must be a recipient of a U.S. Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degree in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) designated degree program. You can check if your HSC major is STEM eligible using the current STEM Designated Degree list linked here. (You can use the CIP code listed on your I-20.) You can apply based on any previous STEM degree from an SEVP, accredited U.S. institution within the last 10 years.
• You must be currently authorized for 12-month OPT and have not exceeded 90 days of unemployment.
• You must be employed for at least 20 hours per week (or have a future job offer) directly related to your STEM field of study from an employer who is registered in the USCIS E-Verify Program.
• Your employer must have an EIN number.
• Employment must be paid and “commensurate with the terms and conditions of employment for other similarly situated U.S. workers in the area of employment”. Volunteer (unpaid) employment is NOT permitted.
• Your employer is able to fully complete the Form I-983 and abide by all employer obligations, including Dept. of Homeland Security Site visits.
• You are applying no more than 90 days before your 12-month OPT expires and no later than the expiration of your 12-month OPT EAD.

YES! You must be employed or have a future job offer for at least 20 hours per week or more, directly related to your STEM field of study(link is external) from an employer who is registered in the USCIS E-Verify Program. STEM-eligible employers must have e-Verify & EIN numbers and the student must have a “bona fide employer-employee relationship”. To establish a bona fide relationship, the employer may not be the student’s “employer” in name only. Employment must be paid and “commensurate with the terms and conditions of employment for other similarly situated U.S. workers in the area of employment”. Volunteer (unpaid) employment is NOT permitted.

See the Employment/Unemployment section below regarding what types of employment are allowed.

During your pending STEM OPT application and after the  STEM OPT approval by USCIS, F-1 students will remain in F-1 status . The STEM OPT Extension  is a benefit of your F-1 status and extends your ability to remain in the United States for the purpose of seeking employment in your STEM field of study. This means that you will continue to use your HSC STEM OPT I-20 and F-1 documents to travel and you will still need to get fresh travel signatures from ISO (every 6 months). This also means that ISO is still responsible for reporting changes about your status to SEVIS and helping you maintain your F-1 status while you are on OPT.

Yes, you will need a Social Security Number (SSN) for any paid employment in the United States. If you haven’t already received an SSN during your OPT period, you can apply for a replacement SSN as part of your STEM OPT application to USCIS. (Or if you lost your original SSN card, you can apply for a replacement at that time.) You will not receive the SSN card until after your STEM OPT is approved.