1. STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) 24 Month Extension

2. UCM International Student Advisors
UCM Warrensburg UCM Lee’s Summit Jana Brookshier Marcie Barajas Jennifer Bock Jennifer Ashley Andrea Wiggins Cecilia Leugers

3. Advising Phone Advising Monday-Friday from 1pm to 3pm
Walk in Hours
Monday-Friday from 1pm to 3pm
MIC Campus in Lee’s Summit and GISS office Ward Edwards 1800
Live Chat is also available Monday-Friday from 1pm to 5pm by going to this site:
Phone Advising
Students living outside of the Warrensburg/Kansas City area can call in Monday-Friday anytime between 8am and 5pm to get a message to their advisor requesting a call back.

4. Stem Optional Practical Training(OPT) 24 Month Extension
What will this power point cover
About Stem OPT and Eligibility
Employment Requirements
Application Process
STEM OPT Reporting Requirements
Planning Beyond STEM OPT

5. What is STEM OPT? Who is eligible?
S cience
T echnology
E ngineering
M athematics

6. What is STEM OPT? Who is eligible?
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEM OPT is a 24-month extension of your OPT if approved by USCIS.
Students with a STEM qualifying bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an accredited University can apply for the STEM extension if they are in a valid period of post completion OPT and have an offer of paid employment for at least 20 hours per week from an E Verified employer.

7. Eligibility Continued…
Must have earned a Bachelors or Masters degree in a STEM field or in a related area.
Please refer to this link to see if your degree is STEM eligible: m-list.pdf
Participating in post-completion OPT in a field that is based on your degree.
Employed or have offer of employment for an E Verified company.
The E-Verify Number is 6 digits XXXXXX versus EIN which is 9 digits XX-XXXXXXX
Accumulated no more than 90 days if unemployment during your post completion OPT.
Be within 90 days of the end of the current OPT approval period.

8. Employment Requirements

9. STEM OPT Employer Requirements
Must be E Verified
Must have IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN)
The EIN is 9 digits XX-XXXXXXX versus E-Verify which is 6 digits XXXXXX
Must complete and sign form I-983 Training Plan
The employer must have resources to provide training and supervision as specified in form I-983
Must be able to meet additional reporting requirements and could be subject to DHS site visits.

10. Qualifying STEM Employment
Employment must be directly related to the qualifying STEM degree
Employment must assist the student in reaching his or her training plan goals
Must be paid and cannot be volunteer work
Must be 20 hours or more a week
Employment must be in the context of a bona-fide employer/employee relationship. The following are not considered bona-fide employment
Multiple employer arrangements
Sole Proprietorships
Temp Agencies
Consulting Firms
*The employer that signs the form I-983 must be the same entity that employs you and provides the practical training experience.

11. Application Process

12. STEM Application Process
Students must submit their application for 24-month extension to USCIS before the end date on their post completion OPT but no more than 90 days before that date.
You have 60 days from the date your I-20 is issued to send your application to USCIS.
It’s strongly advised that students submit form I-983 and other required documents to UCM as soon as they are ready so they can be reviewed and corrections made before a STEM I-20 can be issued.
You can continue to work for up to 180 days while your STEM application is pending with USCIS.

13. STEM Application Process continued…
To receive a 24 Month STEM Extension I-20 from UCM you must first submit the following:
A completed STEM Extension Request located on our forms page
Send a completed I-983 to along with employment offer letter
Your I-983 will be reviewed by your International Student Advisor. Once the form has been reviewed and any necessary corrections made you will be issued an I-20 reflecting the STEM Extension recommendation. (Typically 2-3 weeks after you have completed STEM Extension Request)
Once you receive the I-20 from UCM you will mail it to USCIS along with the documents listed on the mailing instruction sheet we provide with your I-20
*It is recommended that you send a pre-paid fedex label for us to ship your Stem I-20 to you as sometimes documents can get lost in regular USPS mailing.
For help with your application to USCIS please refer to our I-765 guide located here:

14. What happens after you submit your application to USCIS?
Once your application is received by USCIS is typically takes days for your request to be processed
If your post completion OPT period has ended and a STEM extension request has been filed with USCIS you can continue to work for 180 days while it’s pending
You should receive an I-797 receipt notice from USCIS 2-4 weeks after USCIS has received your application
Once your STEM Extension is approved you will receive your EAD card in the mail
While your STEM application is being reviewed you may receive an Request for Evidence (RFE) from USCIS by mail.
If you receive an RFE it’s because USCIS needs additional information before making a decision on your STEM application
Send the information requested on the RFE back to USCIS before the date listed on page 1 using the envelope the provided.

15. Travel while STEM Extension is Pending
We do not recommend you travel if your 12 month OPT end date has passed and you have not received your approval for your STEM Extension
Leaving the country while you have a pending application could be viewed by USCIS as abandonment of your application
Please contact your International Student Advisor if you have emergency travel that arises while your application is pending

16. STEM OPT Reporting Requirements

17. STEM OPT Reporting Requirements
If you are approved for STEM OPT you must report any change in employment to UCM within 10 days and submit the following:
New offer letter
I-983 completed by new employer
UCM form New/Change of Employer during OPT/ 24 Month STEM Extension
Evaluation on Student Progress located on the last page of the I983. You will complete this page and it will be signed by your former employer and yourself.

18. STEM OPT Reporting Requirements continued…
Every 6 Months during extension period you must complete a validation report to confirm your name, Sevis ID, current mailing and physical address, name of employer and address, work site location and date you began working there.
The 6 Month validation report is located on our forms page:
You must complete a minimum of 2 self-evaluations during the course of your 24-Month STEM OPT period
The first within 12 months of the STEM OPT start date and a second concluding evaluation at the end of your STEM OPT period
Self-evaluation forms can be found on the last page of the I-983 form
You must have the self-evaluation form completed and signed off on by your employer before submitting them to us at

19. STEM OPT Reporting Requirements continued…
Anytime your work site location changes you must report that information to us using this link:
We will also need site location updated on your I-983 and submitted to
Failure to comply with these reporting requirements could have negative effects on your SEVIS record

20. Additional Information
Students who are granted a 24-month STEM Extension are allowed an additional 60 days of unemployment in addition to the initial post completion OPT 90 day limit.
If you transfer to another school or begin a new program at UCM during your STEM Extension the work authorization will automatically end even though your EAD card will still appear valid.
You should always travel with your EAD card in hand and your travel endorsements are valid for 6 months during your STEM extension period.
If you are traveling outside the US you will need to have proof of employment, a valid F-1 Visa and passport, and a travel endorsed I-20 to return to the US.

21. Planning Beyond STEM OPT

22. After 24 Month STEM period has ended...
You are allowed a 60 day grace period from the last day of your STEM Extension to do one of the following:
Make plans to depart the US
Get accepted into a new degree program at UCM
Get accepted to another university and transfer your SEVIS record from UCM to that university
Apply for a change of status from F-1 to another visa type