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F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) 24-Month STEM Extension

Degree recipients in certain STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) can apply for a 24-month STEM Extension of OPT, if specific criteria is met:

  1. Students must be currently engaged in post-completion OPT.
  2. Students must have graduated with one of the qualified STEM degrees with a qualifying CIP code. See question #2 in the FAQ section below for more details.
  3. USCIS must receive the student's STEM OPT application before the expiration of the student's current post-completion OPT (standard, 24-month STEM, or cap-gap), and no later than 60 days from the date the DSO recommended the benefit in SEVIS. The earliest that you can apply is 90 days before your Post-Completion EAD expiration date.

Requirements for the 24-Month STEM Extension

Under the Preamble to the STEM extension final rule [81 FR 13079], please note:

“There are several aspects of the STEM OPT extension that do not make it apt for certain types of arrangements, including multiple employer arrangements, sole proprietorships, employment through "temp" agencies, employment through consulting firm arrangements that provide labor for hire, and other relationships that do not constitute a bona fide employer-employee relationship… Accordingly, DHS clarifies that students cannot qualify for STEM OPT extensions unless they will be bona fide employees of the employer signing the Training Plan, and the employer that signs the Training Plan must be the same entity that employs the student and provides the practical training experience. DHS recognizes that this outcome is a departure from SEVP's April 23, 2010 Policy Guidance (1004-03)."

Terms and Conditions for Employer Participation

DHS has recently provided additional guidance regarding the employer-employee relationship during the F-1 STEM OPT Extension. This information can be found on the Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT) article from USCIS.

  1. The employment must be directly related to the student’s field of study.
  2. The employment must be full-time (20+ hours per week).
  3. The employment must be with an employer who participates in the E-Verify system. If you are a Duke employee, the E-Verify number is 1404688, effective June 17, 2019.
  4. The employer must agree to complete and sign the Form I-983 Training Plan and that the training opportunity will assist the student in attaining his or her training goals.
  5. The employer must agree to report the termination or departure of an OPT employee to DVS. Employers must report termination to Duke within 5 business days, and Duke must report that termination in SEVIS.

Required Application Materials for the 24-Month STEM Extension

In order to begin the STEM OPT Extension application process, please gather the following documents:

  1. Completed and signed Form I-983

    On page 1 where it asks for DSO information, please use the contact information of your STEM OPT Extension Advisor (see below for your Advisor’s name)

  2. Completed and signed Form I-765 – YOU MUST USE THIS VERSION OF THE I-765

    STEM OPT Extension: Use the code (c)(3)(C) in Item Number 27

  3. Completed Form G-1145 E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance (recommended)
  4. Offer letter from STEM employer
  5. Copies of all Duke Form I-20s with STEM degree and current degree, if different (all three pages of each one issued)

    NOTE: If you are applying for a STEM OPT extension based on a previously earned STEM degree, you must also include a copy of your prior STEM degree (Official Transcript) and evidence that the institution is currently accredited by the U.S. Department of Education and certified by the SEVP (All Form I-20s from STEM degree school).

  6. Copy of passport biographical page
  7. Copy of most recent US F-1 student visa, even if it is expired (from your passport)
  8. Copy of most recent electronic I-94, denoting duration of status (D/S)
  9. Copy of all OPT EADs (front and back)
  10. Copy of official Duke Transcript or eSCRIP-SAFE
  11. Two (2) original passport-style photographs (see Passport Photo Requirements)

    **Using pencil, please write your full legal name and A-number (USCIS # found on your EAD card) on the back of both photos. These must be new photos that have never been used before and must meet all passport photo requirements.

  12. Personal check, cashier’s check, or money order for $410.00 made payable to: U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security (Click Here for more info about paying the application fees)

Application Process for the 24-Month STEM Extension

We have created an electronic submission process for STEM OPT Extension requests that will allow our office to process each STEM OPT request in a timely manner. We have designated two Assistant International Student/Scholar Advisors to review applications, recommend STEM OPT Extensions, and issue the new I-20. To begin your request for a STEM OPT Extension, please click here and choose “Log in with Portal Account.” You will be directed to log in with your personal (non-Duke) email address and TDS Portal password on the next page. If you do not know your log-in credentials for the TDS Portal, please contact your advisor (listed below). Please read all instructions carefully and complete all steps of the request.

If you have questions regarding the application process:

Frequently Asked Questions

To receive this benefit ALL of the following must be true:

  • You must already have and be in the initial 12-month OPT status. You cannot get the full 36 months approved up front.
  • Your degree must be in specific Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) fields as defined in the regulation per a Department of Education (DoEd) CIP code list.
  • Your employer must be participating in the E-Verify electronic employment verification program.
  • You must submit to DVS a completed I-983 form which verifies your employment meets the STEM criteria.

CIP codes are a U.S. Department of Education (DoEd) categorization of educational programs in the U.S. Universities assign CIP codes to degrees according to the DoEd list. The federal government and educational programs use the CIP codes for a wide array of reporting and record-keeping purposes. A current listing can be found at ICE STEM Designated Degree Programs webpage.

If your degree field is not listed, then you are not eligible. For example Law, Public Policy, and many other fields are not on the list. If you have had a Form I-20 issued recently, you should find your CIP code printed on page 1. At Duke, the Office of the Registrar, the SISS Office, and academic departments determine which CIP codes are assigned to degree programs. Completed courses in science or math will not make you eligible if your degree is not on the eligible CIP code list.

The easiest way to know if your employer is in E-Verify is to ask someone in the Human Resources or Payroll department of your employer. E-Verify employers will know if they participate. E-Verify affects all new hires for an employer, not just OPT students. If your employer does not participate, it may or may not be willing to adopt E-Verify to accommodate a few OPT employees. For more information on E-Verify that you can read and share with your employer see the DHS web site at the USCIS E-Verify webpage.

You can look up employers that participate in E-Verify with the USCIS E-Verify Employers Search Tool (link is external).

If your employer is not in E-Verify and is unwilling to participate, then you cannot get the extra 24 months to work for that employer; you will have to look for another employer or end your OPT at 12 months.

For the STEM 24 extension, the rule sets the aggregate unemployment time at 150 days which includes the standard 12 months and 24 month STEM extension. Aggregate means that you add up individual days, even if they are spaced apart. The rule is not clear on who will be counting this time and what action the DHS will take when it is reached, but you must report these interruptions in employment. (See Q5 below regarding reporting.) DHS could deny future benefits or take other action. Students should be mindful of the rule for the future, keep records of self-employment and volunteer activities, and manage their employment carefully.

You are already required to report changes of address within 10 days of any move. We have instructions for that on our Change of Residential Address webpage. You may make all of the following reports easily and electronically through the "Address Update" portal.

After you report to Duke, Duke must report key information to DHS through SEVIS in order to keep your SEVIS file open and your employment authorization valid. Your employer must also report to the school within 48 hours of termination of your employment, and the school must report that termination in SEVIS. While there is no established process, an employer can send an email to your DVS advisor to report the termination.

Please review the Department of Homeland Security's Form I-983 Overview webpage for detailed instructions on how to complete this form.

If you are an F-1 student participating in a 12-month period of post-completion OPT based on a non-STEM degree, you may be eligible to use a prior STEM degree earned from a U.S. institution of higher education to apply for a STEM OPT extension. You must have received both degrees from currently accredited and SEVP-certified institutions, within the past 10 years, and cannot have already received a STEM OPT extension based on this prior degree. The practical training opportunity also must be directly related to the previously obtained STEM degree.

Example: If you are currently participating in OPT based on a master’s degree in business administration but you previously received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, you may be able to apply for a STEM OPT extension based on your bachelor’s degree as long as it is from an accredited U.S. college or university and the OPT employment opportunity is directly related to your bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

If you enroll in a new academic program in the future and earn another qualifying STEM degree at a higher educational level, you may be eligible for one additional 24-month STEM OPT extension.

For example: If you receive a 24-month STEM OPT extension based on your bachelor’s degree in engineering and you later earn a master’s degree in engineering, you may apply for an additional 24-month STEM OPT extension based on your master’s degree.