How STEM students can get extra OPT months in US?

If you’re wondering about the OPT advantages of being a STEM student or looking for a one-stop information about getting the extra OPT months, you’ve landed in the right place. The OPT is still one of the popular options for an immigrant student to earn while studying in the United States. While if you’ve chosen STEM educational course, then you’re just got lucky enough. The USCIS is allowing immigrant students who are pursuing STEM degree courses which include degree on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to avail an additional 17 months of OPT work authorization permit to get employed in the United States.

Why OPT?

It is a common interest for every immigrant student to work while studying and thereby manage their day-to-day expenses. Students from developing countries like India, in particular, are so keen on earning the money for their next term fee to avoid any financial burden to the family. And the ultimate intention of USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) behind offering OPT work permit is to open the doors for students who are in need of practical employment experience in the area of study while he/she pursue the course of education. The Operational Practical Training (OPT) is recognized by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This OPT work permit lasts for a period of time where the students holds the F-1 visa status and have finished or have been undergoing their degrees for over nine months are allowed by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to pursue employment for a maximum period of one year (12 months) on a student OPT visa. This permit is offered without any need for accessing a work H-1B visa for attaining the practical training in support of their domain of study. 

Extra 17 months for STEM students

Generally, F-1 Visa students are allowed to work under the OPT for a total period of 12 months’ time. This is declared for enabling the students to get practical training that is approved by the degree study adviser. The USCIS has allocated an additional work period under the OPT for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) students. They can utilize the entire 12 months offered by the initial OPT work term and they can extend it to further 17 months. Following are the key highlights of this OPT opportunity provided by USCIS,

• In order to avail this OPT opportunity, the students are required to fill in the application with the immigration department of the University.
• Typically, the students mostly are entitled by default to make an application for OPT lasting for a total period of 12 months.  
• STEM students can extend their 12 months OPT work authorization to overall 29 months period of time.
• This OPT opportunity is supposed to be utilized by the student during their study term of the course.
• Students can also make use of the pre-completion OPT which facilitates them to make use of it as full time (with a minimum of 20 hours per week) or as part-time (20 hours or less per week) employment.