F-1 students with STEM degrees in fields listed on the ICE STEM Designated Degree Program List may be eligible for the OPT STEM Extension.
F-1 students with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) degrees in fields listed on the ICE STEM Designated Degree Program List may be eligible for the OPT STEM Extension. It allows you to continue working off-campus in a job related to your major directly after the completion of Post-Completion OPT.
A student may request a second STEM OPT extension if:
The earliest you can apply for the OPT STEM Extension is 90 days prior to the expiration of your EAD card. If it is submitted too early, the USCIS will deny the application.
Your application must be received by the USCIS before your current OPT EAD card expires.
The USCIS must receive your STEM OPT application before your current EAD expires AND within 60 days of the issuance of your I-20 with the OPT STEM recommendation.
Do NOT submit your application to the USCIS more than 90 days before your current EAD expires. If you do, your application may be denied.
Login to your USCIS account and check your personal details. If your address needs to be updated make sure to do so before requesting your STEM OPT I-20.
Check our troubleshooting tips before emailing. The answer to your concern may be listed.
3. Complete the e-form and upload all required documents. Only documents saved as PDF or JPEG are acceptable. You must submit:
General information on completing Form I-983 can be found on the Department of Homeland Security's website.
UB specific information is available on the next tabs.
Students must list the physical location of their employment on the I-983. The work site location should be where day-to-day duties are conducted and this may be different than the employer's primary address.
If working remotely from home, you should not enter your home address in the work site address fields. Instead, you would enter the address of your employer where you would report to work if not working remotely.
4. Click "Submit”. After reviewing your application, ISS will enter your OPT STEM recommendation into the SEVIS system, which will produce a new I-20 with the OPT STEM recommendation. You will receive an email when your OPT STEM I-20 is ready. Check our e-form processing page for current processing times.
There are two methods to file your I-765 with USCIS, a paper I-765 you submit by mail or online with a USCIS online account.
You must choose only one method for your application. Do not submit multiple OPT applications to USCIS without first speaking to an ISS advisor to discuss your situation.
1.) Before your current EAD expires AND
2.) Within 60 days of the issuance of your I-20 with the OPT STEM recommendation.
Do NOT submit your application to the USCIS more than 90 days before your current EAD expires. If you do, your application may be denied.
ISS recommends that you use a mailing address on your Form I-765 where you can receive mail for 3-5 months after applying for OPT. However, if your mailing address changes after you submit your OPT application to USCIS, you must notify the USCIS, the Post Office and the SEVP Portal of your change in address within 10 days of the change. Failure to notify USCIS and the Post Office in a timely manner could result in delays in receiving your EAD.
To notify the USCIS, use their online Change of Address Form. You will need your OPT Application Receipt Number to complete the form. If you move to a new address, you should also notify the US Postal Service (USPS) using their online form.
Currently, processing time at the USCIS can be as long as 5 months. However, processing times vary widely, depending on the time of year and workload at the Service Center to which you send your application. We encourage you to regularly review the processing times found on the USCIS website.
If you have a job offer and 120 days has passed since the Receipt Date on your I797 Receipt Notice, you may contact us for assistance. We can inquire with USCIS about the status of your application. However, we cannot guarantee that our inquiry will result in an expedite or change in processing times.
Once you have waited 150 days, or beyond the current maximum published USCIS processing times, we recommend that you take the following actions:
Planning to contact USCIS? Be sure to review their tip sheet to help make your communication with USCIS as effective as possible.
Premium processing, which provides expedited processing, is available for OPT applications with USCIS. Please refer to USCIS's premium processing page for details on cost, eligibility, and timing.
If you do not request premium processing USCIS expedite criteria are very strict and it can be difficult to provide sufficient evidence. Having a job offer or the possibility of losing that job do not generally qualify for an expedite unless you can effectively make an argument that your situation does meet the criteria. If considering an expedite, please ensure that you have sufficient documentation and a compelling argument.
Additional information on expedite criteria and how to file can be found on the USCIS page.
If you submitted your complete application to the USCIS in a timely manner (i.e. before your EAD card expired), then you may continue working for up to 180 days while your application is pending with the USCIS. However, if your application is denied by the USCIS, you must stop working upon the date of denial.
It is possible to change employment while your application is pending with the USCIS. However, you are required to report any change of employment to ISS and to the USCIS. ISS must issue you a new I-20 reflecting your new employment information. Your new employer must meet all USCIS criteria for a STEM Extension employer and you must submit a new Form I-983 and Final Evaluation for your previous employment, to ISS.
Contact ISS for instructions on how to report your new employment to the USCIS.
If your Post-Completion EAD has expired, we do not recommend traveling outside the U.S. until after your OPT STEM Extension application is approved and you have your new EAD card.
For additional, general OPT travel information visit our Travel pages.
Review the Maintaining Status During OPT STEM Extension section of our website for information on reporting requirements & deadlines, STEM evaluations, immigration status, and more.
It is imperative that you read, understand, and adhere to OPT STEM requirements. Failure to do so could result in the denial of future immigration benefits.
If you maintained your immigration status during your OPT STEM Extension, you will have a 60-day grace period after your EAD expires. You are permitted to remain inside the U.S. during those 60 days to prepare for your departure, apply to change your status (if eligible) or begin a new degree program. If you are not admitted to a new degree program or do not submit a change-of-status application before the end of the 60 days, you must leave the U.S.
During your 60-day grace period, you may not work. If you fail to depart the U.S. before the end of your 60-day Grace period (if eligible), you may begin to accrue unlawful presence.
We've changed how our OPT advising works and added a sign-up system to ensure we meet with students in the order they visit. Please read the updates, use the new form to sign up, and keep track of where you are in the advising queue so you are available for your turn.