STEM OPT Extension: 24-Month Guide for International Graduates

You need a degree on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List, you must currently be on valid post-completion OPT, and your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify. The employer requirement is the part that eliminates the most opportunities — small companies and many startups are not enrolled.

You and your employer complete Form I-983, a formal training plan describing goals, supervision and how the work relates to your degree. Your DSO reviews it before you file Form I-765 for the extension.

The employer commits to E-Verify enrolment, to providing structured training rather than generic labour, to reporting material changes and terminations, and to evaluating your progress at 12 and 24 months. Unemployment allowance rises to 150 total days across the OPT period.

Because of these obligations, filtering for larger and E-Verify-enrolled employers early is far more efficient than applying broadly and discovering the constraint at offer stage.

Three years of authorisation typically means three H-1B registrations. Employers that file consistently give you the most attempts, and cap-exempt employers — universities, affiliated non-profits and some research organisations — can file year-round without the lottery.

Track your employer's filing history before accepting an offer. A company with zero recent filings is a real risk even if it says the right things in an interview.