– Be an F1 student who has already been approved for 12 months of post-completion OPT, with no more than 90 days of unemployment.
– Have earned a degree in a field included on the U.S. Government’s list of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields within the last 10 years.
– Be applying for OPT STEM Extension no more than 3 months before your 12-month OPT expires and no later than the expiration of your 12-month OPT.
– Be employed in a job directly related to their field of study.
– Have a job offer from an employer with a valid E-verify number.

Yes, you do need a job offer before you apply for OPT STEM Extension. The employer must be enrolled in the U.S. Government’s E-Verify program.

The E-verify number can be provided to you by the employer. HR is a useful resource for students seeking the E-verify number. If in doubt, USCIS has developed a search tool to search all currently enrolled employers. Please follow the link below:
https://www.e-verify.gov/about-e-verify/e-verify-data/participating-employers

DHS grants STEM OPT extensions to eligible F-1 students who are currently in a period of post-completion OPT once per degree level (i.e., bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate). A student may participate twice in the STEM OPT extension over the course of their academic career. Students may not apply for STEM OPT extensions during the 60-day grace period following an initial (usually 12-month) period of post-completion OPT. To participate twice in the STEM OPT extension, a student must earn a second qualifying degree at a higher education level and must be participating in an initial period of OPT at the time they apply to USCIS for their second STEM OPT extension. In some cases, students may be eligible to use a prior STEM degree to qualify for their second STEM OPT extension.

Students can begin to apply for OPT STEM Extension when they have less than 90 days remaining on their current EAD card. It is recommended that students apply as soon as possible. Applications for OPT STEM Extension must be sent to USCIS before your initial OPT end date.

It can take up to 7 business days for the International Office to review a complete application and generate a new I20. Please note: Incomplete and incorrect applications may take a longer period of time.

To begin your application click on the button below.  It is highly recommended that you read through the rest of this website to learn more about the application process, how to mail your application, and further regulations concerning STEM OPT Extension.

DO NOT OPEN MORE THAN ONE APPLICATION.  DOING SO WILL DELAY YOUR APPLICATION.

See below on how to get back into your incomplete application

Log into the Portal by selecting “I have a SAUMAG Username and password”.  See the next question below for further instructions.

Use your SAU login information to log into the application

• Select “I have SAUMAG username and password”
• Username: SAU email without the “@mulerider.saumag.edu” email address (ex mmrider1234), Password: Your SAU password
• Select “Request, 20XX” (pick the year your OPT Extension will begin)
• You will be taken to your STEM OPT Extension Request Application page.

You do not need to click the application button again to log back into the application.  To get to your application log into the student profile page

Student Profile

Once on the profile page, you will see your incomplete application listed on the left-hand side of the page.

There are number steps in the OPT application process:

1. Login to the OPT application portal.
2. Fill out the Questionnaires
3. Upload all the documents listed under the Attach Document section

The following documents are required to apply for OPT:
• Current EAD card

• I-983 form  I-983 MUST be signed by hand, or electronic signature using software, applications, reproduced copies of the signature. Do NOT type in a name. Signatures only.
• Employment Offer Letter on company letterhead must include:
*Company name, full street address and phone number
*Employment Start Date
*Employer Identification Number (EIN or FEIN) NOT E-verify
*This can be in a separate letter from your original letter.

You can follow these instructions on how to complete your I-983:

• SAU I-983 Instructions
• DSO Information: choose one for your I983: Rebekah Barnes, rsbarnes@saumag.edu; Victor Duke, viduke@saumag.edu; Keyana Gilliam, keyanagilliam@saumag.edu; Cindy Grimes, cindygrimes@saumag.edu

You should select the day after your current OPT end date. You can find this date on your current I20 and on your EAD card. This is the only date that SEVP will accept. This date is referring to the start of your extension and not the start of your employment with your company.

Please note: This is also the start date that you enter in Section 3 on your I983 form.

If you question if this is correct you may visit the SEVP I-983 Overview page and review their instructions which states the above instructions.

We will contact you once your I-20 is ready. When your application has been reviewed and your I-20 has been created you will be emailed to come pick it up. You must wait for this notification.

Yes, you can have your I20 mailed to you. If you wish to receive a hard copy in the mail, please complete the document pick up form to make payment for shipping costs.

You need to include the following documents in your OPT application package:
• G-1145 Form This will allow you to receive email and text notifications about the status of your application.
• I-765 Application – To be completed in your USCIS application
• Required I-765 filing fee
• Two passport type photos taken within 30 days of filing the application that meet the requirements on the Department of State website.
• Copy of your I-94.
• Photocopy of the identification page(s) of your passport, including photo and expiration date.
• Photocopy of your current visa.
• Copy of your recommendation I-20 (signed)
• Photocopy of student data pages of all your previous I-20s.
• Photocopy of your previous EAD card (both sides).
• Proof of STEM Degree: Final OFFICIAL Transcript (Preferred) or Photocopy of your diploma
showing the major and degree level that makes you eligible for the STEM Extension.
• Letter of Employment from Employer on letterhead

You can travel with a pending OPT STEM Extension application but it is not recommended, as there are many risks involved:
• You will be unable to reenter the US after your 12 month OPT end date unless you have your new EAD card and an approved STEM I20 with travel signature.
• Someone will need to have access to your mail to ensure you do not miss any correspondence from USCIS.
• If you fail to respond to a Request for Evidence your application will be denied.
• If your OPT STEM Extension application is denied you can have problems reentering the US, even if your current EAD card is still valid.

It is highly advised that you originally apply for STEM OPT with the employer that you wish to work with while on your OPT STEM Extension.  Trying to change your employer’s information while applying for STEM OPT causes delays with your application which means it will take much longer for you to receive your EAD card.

If an unforeseen occasion occurs and you need to change employers while applying for your extension you will need to follow these steps:

1. Submit a new Employer Update with the following documents for your new employer:
   • Employment offer letter
   • I-983
2. Write a letter addressed to USCIS stating:
   • Include your name, SEVIS ID number, and I-767 receipt number from your original application
   • The change from Employer A to Employer B, include employers’ names and addresses
   • The dates of ending employment at Employer A and the start date at Employer B
   • The reason for the change.
   • Make sure to sign and date the letter.
3. Upload the following to the same USCIS Account you uploaded your original application to:
   • Letter to USCIS.
   • Updated copy of your STEM OPT I-20.
   • Signed I-765.
   • New I983

• Your residential address – update this in your SEVP portal
• Your phone and email address – update this in your SEVP portal
• Employer’s name or address
• Job Title(s)
• Explanation of how your job(s) relates to your field of study at SAU
• Start and/or end dates of employment
• Any periods of unemployment
• Date of exiting the U.S. (You must provide date of exit if you decide to exit the U.S and complete your OPT status prior to the end date of your OPT)
• If your visa status changes while on OPT

If you change employers during your 24-Month STEM period you must:

• Submit an OPT Employment Update form with the new employer’s information.  The link is below.
  • This will require a new I-983 form.
• Ensure your previous employer provides written proof of termination date (See Loss of Employment)

 

Employment Reporting

Be advised that your F-1 record may be terminated for failure to submit these required updates.

Students on OPT 24 Month STEM must also submit a “OPT Extension Validation Report” every 6 months starting from the date the extension starts and ending when the student’s F-1 status ends or the extension ends, whichever is first.
Please follow the link below to submit the validation reports/ evaluations:

Employment Reporting

Both STEM OPT students and employers must report material changes to, or deviations from,
the student’s formal training plan. These include:

• Any change of the employer’s EIN number, resulting from a change in the employer’s ownership or structure.
• Any reduction in student compensation that is not tied to a reduction in hours worked.
• Any significant decrease in hours per week that a student engages in a STEM training opportunity.
• Changes to the employer’s commitments or student’s learning objectives as documented on the Form I-983.

Please follow the link below to submit a new I983 form outlining any of the above changes:

Employment Reporting

Employers play a key role in maintaining and strengthening the integrity of the STEM OPT Extension program. Although compliance with the program’s various reporting requirements predominately apply to students and DSOs, there are instances where STEM OPT employers must assist in tracking the STEM OPT students and their practical training progress.

Complete and Certify the Form I-983

The STEM OPT employer must work with the student to complete the Form I-983 and designate an Official with Signatory Authority to certify that information in the document is true and correct. The form is not complete until the employer has signed and certified it in the designated areas.

Evaluation on Student Progress

The STEM OPT employer must review the student’s annual self-evaluation on their own progress and sign it to attest to its accuracy.

Material Changes to an Existing Form I-983

Employers must work with the STEM OPT student to report to the DSO any material changes to, or material deviations from, the student’s formal training plan, by filling out a new Form I-983.

Loss of Employment

If your employment is terminated for any reason, your employer is required to notify ISS within 5 days. You must inform your employer of the reporting requirements at the end of your employment. Ask them to email ISS at RSBarnes@saumag.edu with the following text in the subject line of the email: “OPT Employment Termination.” Your name, your SEVIS ID number and the start and end date of the STEM employment must be included in the email message.

Your job must be a minimum of 20 hours per week and in the field of your major.
– You must ensure that your job is closely related to your STEM degree program.
– Volunteer/Unpaid positions and self-employment are NOT supported by the 24- Month OPT STEM Extension.
– You can work at a client location.

You can start working after your start date. Any work before that date is considered employment. You cannot start working unless you have received your EAD card.

No. You need to have an EAD card to start working. It is recommended that you work closely with your employer to negotiate a new employment start date. When you receive your EAD card, you will receive a new start and end date. You will still be eligible to work for 12 months.

Students with 24-Month STEM Extensions may have up to 150 days of unemployment during the total OPT period including initial 12-Month and 24-Month STEM OPT period. Ensure that you are working over 20 hours per week. Anything below that is included in your unemployment limit.

• Travel outside of the United States while unemployed will count as unemployment against the 90/150-day limits.
• If a student travels while employed either during a period of leave authorized by an employer or as part of their employment, the time spent outside the United States will not count as unemployment.