24-Month STEM Extension

 

Eligibility

To qualify for the STEM OPT extension, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Currently in a valid 12-month period of OPT
  • Hold a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from a school accredited by a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency and certified by SEVP at the time of your STEM OPT extension application
  • Your employer must be E-Verified
  • Your degree program on your I-20 has a CIP code included on the eligible CIP codes list
  • Have not had over 90 days of unemployment while on OPT

For more information, review:

About Form I-983

The I-983 is a five-page document completed by both you and your employer. This is not a legal contract and does not imply that an employer will sponsor you for an H-1B visa. It is a government-required form to demonstrate a genuine employer-employee relationship.

Page 1 (completed by you)

The DSO contact information is Joyce Ward, 816-235-1113. The rest of the information is on your I-20.

Page 2 (completed by your employer)

The start date of employment is the date you begin STEM OPT training with your current employer. This should be your STEM OPT start date.

Page 3

The employer site address should be your current work location: your office address, main employer site, client office, or home address if you work remotely. The government wants the actual worksite address, not the employer's headquarters. The government may visit worksite addresses to verify that students are working at those locations.

If you work remotely, keep records of training sessions or travel receipts to your company location for future use.

Signature requirements

Students and employers may physically sign the Form I-983 or use electronic signatures. SEVP accepts:

  • Electronic signatures using software programs or applications that confirm/verify signatures
  • Digitally reproduced copies of a signature (such as a scanned image of a physical signature)

We cannot process your STEM-authorized I-20 without signatures that meet these requirements.

How to apply

Your STEM extension application must be submitted to USCIS before your 12-month OPT ends. The earliest you may apply is 90 days before your 12-month OPT ends.

Students who have applied for their STEM Extension are allowed to continue working for 180 days from the end date on their OPT EAD card while waiting to receive the STEM EAD card.

Make the $200 payment for ISAO at this link:  ISAO Fee

1. Submit the ISAO request

Log into your ISAO Portal and go to your Control Center. Select "24-Month STEM Extension Request."

Follow the instructions in the request:

  • Review your information (degree level, current OPT type, etc.)
  • Select your OPT dates
  • Select your most recent employer from the list
  • Complete the Extension Questionnaire (it will auto-fill with your employer information)
  • Enter your STEM start date and select your end date
  • Verify your position title matches what is on your I-983 (update if needed)
  • Enter your actual worksite address
  • Upload your completed I-983
  • Upload your OPT STEM Fee Payment Receipt
  • Read and acknowledge the signature document
  • Submit

You will receive your STEM-Requested I-20 and instructions for applying with USCIS by email.

Do not apply with USCIS without first receiving the STEM-Requested I-20 from ISAO. Submitting without this document will result in a denial.

2. Submit your application to USCIS

After receiving your STEM-Requested I-20, submit your I-765 application online with USCIS.

USCIS Form I-765 Online Application

The filing fee is $470. Premium Processing is available for an additional $1,685. After March 1st, this fee increases to $1,780.00. Since STEM applicants can work for 180 days from the end date on their OPT EAD card without the STEM card in hand, Premium Processing is not typically recommended.

Documents required for USCIS application

Gather the following documents before submitting your I-765 to USCIS:

  • STEM-Requested I-20 (issued by ISAO after you submit your request)
  • Clear color scans of your unexpired passport photo page and F-1 visa page
  • Printout of your recent I-94
  • Clear color scans of the front and back of your EAD card (and any previous EAD cards or I-797 approval notices)
  • Copy of your job offer letter or letter from your employer
  • Copy of your official UMKC diploma and/or official UMKC transcripts
  • One 2x2 color passport photo (taken within 30 days of application, top of head not touching top of photo, plain white or off-white background, neutral expression, no glasses)

While your application is pending

Changing employers while your application is pending

While not recommended, this does occur. Report the change as soon as possible by submitting a request in the ISAO Portal. You will need to submit the I-983 form for your new employer.

We will prepare an updated I-20 with your new employer information and email it to you with further instructions. You will need to return a signed copy of this updated I-20 with the requested documents.

After approval

Congratulations! You may begin working once you receive your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card and are within the approved employment dates printed on the card.

To receive an updated I-20 showing your approval, upload the front and back of your STEM EAD card using your ISAO Portal.

Common questions after approval

If there is a mistake on your EAD card

Request a replacement card and pay the USCIS I-765 filing fee using the USCIS e-Request system.

If your EAD card was approved by the Potomac Service Center and contains incorrect information due to USCIS error, submit a letter explaining the error along with the card and supporting documents. Mail to:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Potomac Service Center
2200 Potomac Center Dr., Stop 2425
Arlington, VA 20598-2425

USCIS will issue a corrected EAD within 30 to 45 days. You do not need to submit a new Form I-765 or pay a new filing fee.

Reporting requirements

To maintain your F-1 visa status, you must update your employment history and contact information (including changes to employer address, supervisor, contact information, and job title) in the SEVP Portal. You must also submit a copy of the updated I-983 form to ISAO using the ISAO Portal.

Students on STEM cannot update new employment in the SEVP Portal by themselves. To add a new employer, submit the I-983 form for your new employer using the ISAO Portal, along with the final self-evaluation (page 5 of the I-983) from your previous employer, if applicable.

You are still required to submit your six-month participation reports and I-983 self-evaluations directly to ISAO using the ISAO Portal. This cannot be done in