Recipients of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in certain STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields may be eligible for a one-time 24-month extension of post-completion OPT for a total eligibility of up to 29 months. The 24-month Stem Extension OPT is adjudicated (approved) by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The end result of filing for the OPT 24-month STEM extension is an Employment Authorization Document (EAD card) which shows dates students are able to work legally in the United States.
When to Apply
Apply before your current EAD expires. USCIS recommends you apply up to 120 days before your OPT expiration. You can continue to work for up to 180 days while the application is pending.
How to Apply
As a courtesy, we can mail the application for you or you can send your application to the appropriate lockbox depending where you reside.
If you live in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Guam, or the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, be sure to mail your application to the USCIS Phoenix lockbox:
USCIS Phoenix Lockbox |
For Express Mail and Courier Deliveries: |
If you live in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, or West Virginia, be sure to mail your application to the USCIS Dallas lockbox:
USCIS Dallas Lockbox |
For Express Mail and Courier Deliveries: |
An additional 30 days of unemployment time will be available during the extension, combined with the 90 days granted during initial 12-month. The aggregate total allowed is 120 days during the possible 29 months.
Students must report immediately to International Engagement of any changes in employment through the OPT Reporting Form.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) strongly recommends that students keep evidence for each job regarding the position held, dates of position, the job title, supervisor name and contact information and a description of the job.
Report to International Engagement every six months while 24-month OPT extension or within 10 days of any changes:
Please use the STEM OPT Reporting Requirements Form form to submit the validation report and any of the other changes listed above.
Required documents to re-enter the U.S. while on STEM extension OPT:
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