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OISSS > For International Students > F-1 > 17-month STEM Extension Information

17-month extension of opt for stem degrees
(Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)

On April 8, 2008 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published an Interim Final Rule in the U.S. Federal Register that makes important changes to post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 students.  This is an Interim Final Rule, which means that it is currently in effect, but is subject to change.  There are some aspects to this interim rule which need further clarification, as well as instruction from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on how to implement the new regulations.  Updates will be posted on this webpage as they become available.

OPT may be extended by 17 months for certain students who are in a valid period of post-completion OPT, who have graduated  from U.S. schools with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and for which that degree is the basis for the student’s current period of OPT.  This new rule will allow 2 opportunities for H-1B petitions to be filed and selected for students whose UNC degree Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code matches one of the program codes on the current USCIS STEM Designated Degree Program List.  UNC CIP codes are determined by the UNC General Administration and cannot be changed. A list of UNC degrees that qualify for the STEM extension can be found here. Students will need to complete a new application for OPT through ISSS to request this one-time 17-month extension. 

In order to be eligible for the 17-month OPT extension, numerous requirements must be met by the student, the employer and the school. Below please find instructions and application materials for the 17-month STEM extension of OPT. If you are applying for a different type of OPT, please see additional information on our General OPT Information page.

• Eligibility Requirements
• When to Apply
• How to Apply
• USCIS Processing of the OPT Application
• Maintenance of F-1 Status for Students Engaging in OPT
• Travel Information

Eligibility Requirements for the 17-month STEM extension of OPT

• The student must be in valid F-1 status and currently participating in an unexpired authorized period of post-completion OPT based on a STEM degree.

• The student cannot have received a previous 17-month STEM extension.

• The student must have completed a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in a USCIS designated STEM field.

• Student must have a job or a job offer from an employer registered in the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) E-Verify program.

• Student's employer must agree to report the termination or departure of the OPT employee to the student's school within 48 hours of the event.
  

When to Apply for the 17-month STEM extension of OPT

A student may submit a STEM extension OPT application up to 120 days prior to the end of his or her post-completion OPT, but the complete application must be received by the appropriate USCIS Service Center prior to the expiration of the student's current Employment Authorization Document (EAD). ISSS recommends that students submit their applications to USCIS at least 90 days prior to the expiration of their EAD. 

An I-20 recommending OPT is required when the application is submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). ISSS requests 2-3 weeks to review the application and issue the new Form I-20. If the student is not meeting with an ISSS advisor in person, the student must allow enough time for paperwork to be sent via regular U.S. mail. Once the new I-20 form is signed by the student, the application is ready to be submitted to USCIS. USCIS must receive the OPT application no more than 30 days after the Form I-20 recommending OPT has been issued by ISSS.

Students may continue employment for up to 180 days with an expired post-completion EAD while the STEM extension application is pending. If the STEM extension is denied by USCIS, the student must immediately end employment. The employment authorization period for the 17-month extension begins on the day after the expiration of the initial post-completion EAD and ends 17 months later, regardless of the date the extension is approved by USCIS.

A student must apply for OPT from within the United States.

How to Apply

• Forms and Documentation: Download the following PDF document to begin your application:

OPT Application Checklist of the documents to be completed before the application is submitted to USCIS. 

• Submit the "Memorandum of Understanding for 17-month STEM Extension" to ISSS during advising hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. -4 :00 p.m. to request a Form I-20 for the extension. After ISSS reviews the Memo of Understanding and verifies the student has earned a STEM designated degree, a new Form I-20 will be issued recommending the 17-month STEM extension. The I-20 will be mailed by ISSS to the student at the residential address indicated on the Memo of Understanding. Once signed, the application is ready to mail to USCIS. 
  
  
• Mail the Application: The student is responsible for mailing the application to the appropriate USCIS Service Center (as indicated in the Instructions for Completing Form I-765). Applications must be received by USCIS no later than 30 days after the I-20 has been issued by ISSS and prior to the expiration of the student's current EAD.

USCIS Processing of the OPT Application:

• Notice of Action: USCIS will send an official Notice of Action (Receipt Notice) to the address listed on the I-765 application approximately two to four weeks after receiving the application. This notice will confirm official receipt of the application and assign a case number to the pending application.
  
  
• Request for Evidence: In the course of adjudicating the application, USCIS may send a Form I-797 “Request for Evidence” to an applicant if an item is missing, or if USCIS requires additional information before making a decision on an application. If such a letter is received, the student should contact ISSS immediately.
  
  
• Checking the Status of the OPT Application: Students may check their case status on-line at USCIS. It may take up to 90 days for USCIS to reach a decision on the case.
  
  
• Amendment or Cancellation of OPT Application: Please be aware there is limited opportunity to amend or cancel applications after they have been mailed to USCIS. There is no provision for amending or canceling an OPT recommendation after adjudication by USCIS. Applications for OPT that have not yet been mailed may be cancelled or amended by immediately contacting ISSS.
  
  
• Approval: Once the application is approved, USCIS will mail the student an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Students must immediately submit a copy of the EAD to ISSS once the card arrives. Please note it can take up to two weeks for the EAD card to arrive once the online case status at USCIS is updated to "Approved".

Maintenance of F-1 Status for Students Engaging in OPT

• Student Reporting Requirements: Students are required by DHS to report the following information to ISSS through the entire period of the 17-month STEM extension of OPT.  Failure to report properly could be considered a violation of  F-1 immigration status.
  
  
  • The student must report to ISSS within 10 days, a change in any of the following:
    
    
    • legal name
    • residential or mailing address
    • employer name
    • address of employment
    • new employer or loss of employment
      

    ISSS will verify your current employer information in SEVIS when recommending the 17-month STEM extension of OPT.  Therefore, if the information submitted by the student on the Memo of Understanding changes, the updated personal or employer information must be reported to ISSS within 10 days by any one of the methods listed below. 

    1. Report the required information using the OPT Data Information Form
    2. Email the required information to oisss@unc.edu with "OPT address and employer update" in the subject line.
    3. Fax the form or a letter with the required information to ISSS: Fax Number 919-962-4282.
    4. Write to International Student and Scholar Services with the required information: CB# 5240, Room 2004, FedEx Global Education Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C.  27599-5240

  In addition, students who have applied or been approved for the 17-month STEM extension must submit a validation report to ISSS every 6 months starting from the date the extension begins and ending when the student's F-1 status ends. It is the student's responsibility to initiate these 6-month reports and to send them to ISSS to be updated in SEVIS. The validation report may be submitted by any of the methods listed above and must contain the following:

  • Full legal name
  • SEVIS ID number
  • current mailing and residential address
  • name and address of current employer
  • date student began working for current employer
    
    
• Restrictions on Unemployment: Students approved for post-completion OPT may not accrue more than an aggregate of 90 days of unemployment during the initial 12-month OPT period.  Students approved for the 17-month STEM extension are allowed an additional 30 days of unemployment; therefore, the limit of unemployment is an aggregate of no more than 120 days for the entire 29-month period.
  
  Time spent outside of the U.S. while unemployed will count towards days of unemployment. Traveling outside the U.S. while employed as a part of the employment or during a period of leave authorized by the employer will not count as unemployment. If students change employers during the period of authorized OPT, they are allowed 10 days between the end of one job and the beginning of the next without accruing any time of unemployment.
  
  It is strongly recommended that students keep thorough and accurate records of their OPT employment in case they are ever required to show proof of their OPT activities.
  
  
• Restrictions regarding OPT Employment: Students approved for the 17-month STEM extension are required to maintain paid employment of at least 20 hours per week in a position directly related to the student's STEM degree for an employer enrolled in E-Verify.  
  
  Students approved for the 17-month STEM extension can be employed by multiple employers, but all employers must be enrolled in E-Verify.
  
  
• Beginning a new program of study: Authorization for OPT is automatically terminated if the student officially transfers to another school or begins study at another educational level.
  
  
• 60-Day Grace Period: Once students have completed their period of OPT, they are permitted to remain in the United States for up to sixty days in order to prepare for departure from the U.S. Students are not permitted to continue employment during this period. While travel within the U.S. is permitted during the grace period, departure from the country and re-entry in F-1 status is not permitted during this time. Once a student departs the U.S., the grace period is concluded.
  
  
• Change of Program Level: Students who intend to continue their education immediately following completion of OPT must obtain an I-20 for the new program of study within 60 days of the end of their OPT and must begin the new program of study within 5 months of the end of the OPT. If the program of study will begin more than five months after the end of the OPT, the student will need to leave the U.S. within the 60-day grace period and request a new "initial attendance" I-20 in order to re-enter to begin the new program of study.
  
  
• Change/Adjustment to another Immigration Status: Students who intend to remain in the U.S. following completion of OPT and whose primary purpose will not be full-time study may qualify to apply for a change of immigration status.

Travel Information:

Students should consult with an advisor at ISSS BEFORE traveling outside the U.S. In order to re-enter the U.S. in F-1 status during the 17-month STEM extension of OPT, students will need the following:

• EAD
• Form I-20 with the OPT endorsement
• a travel signature on the I-20 less than six months old
• valid F-1 visa
• valid passport.
• proof of employment or a job offer.

Students who are on OPT and have a pending H-1B petition should be especially careful about travel. Please see the memorandum on considerations for travel during that period.

Note on Extended Absence from the U.S. or Entry to the U.S. in a New Immigration Status: Authorization for OPT is automatically terminated if the student is physically absent from the U.S. for more than five months or if the student is admitted to the U.S. in another temporary non-immigrant status (such as entry as a B-2 visitor).