- Do not begin your application with USCIS until you receive the STEM OPT Form I-20 from the ISSO. Submitting your STEM OPT application without the STEM OPT Form I-20 will lead to the denial of your OPT application.
- You must submit your STEM OPT application within 60 days of the recommendation date on the bottom of page one of your new Form I-20 and USCIS must receive your application before your current OPT period ends.
- You may submit your STEM OPT application online or by mail.
To File Online:
- Log in or create an account with USCIS. After setting up this account you will be able to:
- Select and complete the "Application for Employment Authorization (Form I-765)"
- Upload additional required documents
- Pay your fees
- Track the status of your case
- Communicate with USCIS through a secure inbox
- Respond to Requests for Evidence
- Review the USCIS I-765 instructions and the ISSO’s I-765 Supplemental Instructions for assistance with completing Form I-765
- Once you have followed all of the instructions and uploaded all the required documents to your USCIS account, you can submit your STEM OPT Extension application
- You will be able to download a Receipt Notice immediately. A duplicate paper Receipt Notice will be sent to you at a later date
Note: Submitting a STEM OPT application to USCIS without a new Form I-20 recommending you for STEM OPT will result in the denial of your application and possibly forfeit your STEM OPT.
To File by Mail:
Assemble your paper STEM OPT Extension application in this order, from top to bottom:
- Form G-1145 (pdf) (optional but recommended) to request email or text notification when USCIS accepts your application.
- Photos and check/money order should be paper-clipped to the front of Form I-765.
- Original, signed Form I-765 -Use the USCIS instructions and the ISSO I-765 Supplemental Instructions to complete your application. Typing is preferred, but you may handwrite in areas that you cannot complete on the electronic form. Please ensure to download the most recent version of Form I-765 from the USCIS website.
- Copy of new STEM OPT Form I-20-Include copies of page 1 and page 2 (Do not mail the original)
- Copies of all other Form I-20s for which you have received work authorization (CPT/OPT) (from the most recent to the oldest)
- Copy of Form I-94
- Copy of F-1 Visa
- Copy of your Passport Photo ID Page and Passport Expiration Page (may be the same page)
- Copy of any previously issued Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), if applicable
- Copy of Brandeis diploma
Note: Submitting a STEM OPT application to USCIS without a new Form I-20 recommending you for STEM OPT will result in the denial of your application and possibly forfeit your STEM OPT.
Submit your STEM OPT application to USCIS within 60 days of your STEM OPT recommendation date ( the date on your new STEM OPT Form I-20.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) offers Premium Processing for certain F-1 students applying for STEM OPT. Premium Processing provides expedited processing (30 calendar days) of a STEM OPT application for an additional fee of $1,685 filed with Form I-907.
Premium Processing would rarely be needed for STEM OPT applications since STEM OPT applicants are allowed to continue their employment up to 180 days after the end date of their OPT.
We recommend that you give careful consideration prior to submitting a Premium Processing application to USCIS and check the current USCIS processing times.
The 30 calendar day premium processing timeframe does not include the time it takes to produce an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). The EAD will be produced within 1-2 weeks after the OPT/STEM OPT approval.
- Go to USCIS My Account
- Choose “File a Form Online”
- Choose “I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service” in the drop-down menu under “Select the form you want to file online.”
- Click “Start Form”
- Your pending STEM OPT case should display under “Add Premium Processing to a Case".