OPT STEM Employment Rule
All types of employment must relate to the student's program of study. In order to receive the STEM OPT extension, a student must pursue their practical training through an employer that is enrolled in USCIS' E-Verify employment eligibility verification program.
Additionally, STEM OPT extension applicants must select employers that can guarantee the student will complete a minimum of 20 hours of paid work per week and provide the student with formal training and learning objectives. No volunteer work or self-employment is allowed on the STEM OPT extension. Students who receive a 24-month STEM OPT Extension are allowed an additional 60 days of unemployment for a total of 150 days over their entire post-completion OPT period.
The student must work with their potential STEM OPT extension employer to complete the Form I-983, which must include how the training opportunity has a direct relationship to the student’s qualifying STEM degree.
F-1 students cannot qualify for STEM OPT extensions unless they will be bona fide employees of the employer signing the Form I-983 because F-1 students may not provide the employer attestation (i.e., signatures) on their own behalf. However, they may use a start-up business so long as all regulatory requirements are met. The employer that signs the Form I-983 must be the same entity that employs the student and provides the practical training experience.
Please note that a student’s post-completion OPT employer does not need to be the same as the student’s STEM OPT extension employer.
A list of STEM Degree Programs can be found online.
