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Before electronically filing the Form I-765 with USCIS online, students must first submit the  to ISSS and ISSS must make the STEM OPT recommendation in SEVIS. This is very important. If a student first submits the USCIS online application and then requests the STEM OPT recommendation I-20 from ISSS, the STEM OPT application will be denied, as the regulations require the recommendation be entered into SEVIS prior to the STEM OPT filing.

• USCIS has confirmed that an electronically filed STEM OPT application is less likely to be rejected. This is because the USCIS online filing system uses logic that limits the questions you will need to answer based on prior answers, diminishing the opportunity for errors.   
• Once the application is submitted online with final payment, students will immediately receive a receipt number and receipt notice. This means that you will not face a receipt notice delay. A paper copy receipt notice will also be mailed to you.    
• Payment will be made on a secure website using a credit or debit card. This means that you'll be able to confirm receipt of payment at the time of application. ISSS understands that once you submit payment, your whole application will be submitted to USCIS. Please make sure that you are ready to submit your entire STEM OPT application (including the required STEM OPT recommendation I-20 from ISSS, passport photos, and any other supporting documents) when you get to the payment screen.   
• Additional evidence can be uploaded to the application after submitting. However, ISSS urges students to ensure that they submit a complete application at the time of submission to USCIS. ISSS wants to reiterate that you must first receive the I-20 recommending STEM OPT from ISSS before submitting your complete application to USCIS online.   

• Complete the  with your employer 
  • Add additional pages/addendums if needed. 
  • Detailed instructions for completing the Form I-983 are included on this webpage. 
  • Signatures for the I-983 can be the following: Wet signature (ink), electronic signature using software programs or applications, or an electronically reproduced copy of a signature. 
• Complete the  and attach a copy of your: 
  • Complete and signed Form I-983 Training Plan; 
  • most recent EAD card; and 
  • documentation of the completion of your STEM degree course work. 
    • If you have completed the degree, attach a copy of your diploma and/or a copy of your final transcript indicating the degree and major. 
    • If you have only completed the course work for the degree, attach a signed letter on letterhead from your academic department indicating the degree’s major, when the course work was completed, and that the degree is still in progress.
• Attach additional documentation if applicable (e.g., I-20 from a previously obtained STEM degree) 

ISSS wants to reiterate that you must first receive the I-20 recommending STEM OPT from ISSS before submitting your completed documents to USCIS.   

Remember that you must first receive the I-20 recommending the STEM OPT Extension from ISSS before submitting your completed documents to USCIS. To receive your I-20 recommending STEM OPT, please complete the .  

You will need to upload the following materials to the USCIS online application system. Documents can be uploaded in the following formats: JPG, JPEG, PDF, TIF, or TIFF. Photos can be uploaded as a JPG, JPEG, or PNG.

Additional Notes:

• If you have a prior SEVIS ID number, ISSS recommends including the prior SEVIS ID in the additional information section.
• If you have completed less than 1 full year in F-1 status (e.g. started program in H-4 status), ISSS recommends that you upload proof of prior immigration status as well as transcripts showing that you completed 1 academic year of full-time enrollment.

is a formal training plan between the student in F-1 status and their employer that must clearly articulate the STEM OPT student’s learning objectives and affirm the employer’s commitment to helping the student achieve those objectives. The Form I-983 is not mailed to USCIS with your STEM OPT application, but ISSS uploads it to SEVIS when recommending STEM OPT. The Form I-765 is used to request employment authorization and an  (EAD).

The Form I-765 is the form where you are formally requesting STEM OPT authorization from USCIS. When electronically filing the Form I-765 with USCIS online, you will not fill out a paper copy of the Form I-765. The USCIS online filing system uses logic that limits the questions you will need to answer based on prior answers, diminishing the opportunity for errors. You will not be required to submit a copy of your I-765 to ISSS for review. The ISSS advisor who issues the I-20 recommending STEM OPT welcomes the opportunity to review your draft I-765 before you make payment and submit your complete application to USCIS. 

When filling out your online application, please be sure to select the proper eligibility category:  (c) (3) (C) STEM OPT.

must clearly articulate the STEM OPT student’s learning objectives and affirm the employer’s commitment to helping the student achieve those objectives. STEM OPT students and their employers are subject to the terms and conditions of the 24-month STEM OPT Extension regulations, effective as of the training start date requested for the associated STEM OPT period, as indicated on the Form I-983. Additional information on completing the Form I-983 can be found at the  No questions should be left blank except for page 5 of the Form I-983. When first applying for the STEM OPT Extension, page 5 should be left blank as the evaluations are only completed once a student is in their STEM OPT authorization period.

• Signatures for the I-983 can be the following: Wet signature (ink), electronic signature using software programs or applications, or an electronically reproduced copy of a signature. 

Section 1: Student Information (completed by the student)  

• Student Name: Enter your full name (Surname/Primary Name, Given Name) as it appears on your passport.  
• Name of School Recommending STEM OPT: Enter school name (see “School Information” section on your Form I-20) Example: University of Colorado Boulder 
• Name of School Where STEM Degree Was Earned: Enter the name of the school from which you earned the degree upon which the STEM OPT is based. This may or may not be the same school recommending the STEM OPT if you are using a prior qualifying STEM degree.  
• SEVIS School Code of School Recommending STEM OPT: University of Colorado Boulder’s F-1 School Code is DEN214F00155000. 
• DSO Name and Contact Information: Enter the name of an ISSS Advisor, their email address, phone number, and the following address: 2249 Willard Loop Drive Boulder, CO 80309. If you are unable to fit all of this information into the space provided, you may hand write it very neatly in black ink.  
• Student SEVIS ID Number: Enter your SEVIS identification (ID) number (see “SEVIS ID” at top of your Form I-20, beginning with N)  
• STEM OPT Requested Period: The duration of your STEM OPT extension is based on your current post-completion OPT end date, regardless of whether the authorized dates match actual training dates. For a student currently on post-completion OPT requesting a STEM OPT extension, the start date of the STEM OPT should be the day after your current post-completion OPT ends.  
• Qualifying Major and Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Code: Enter the code per Form I-20 for the school and degree program you are basing your STEM OPT request. The CIP code is a six-digit code (XX. XXXX) following the major. Example: 11.0701 - Computer Science.  
• Level/Type of Qualifying Degree: Enter the academic level upon which you are basing STEM OPT. (For example, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D.)  
• Date Awarded: Enter the program end date listed on the Form I-20 for the school and degree program upon which you are basing your STEM OPT request.  
• Based on Prior Degree: Check “Yes” if your STEM OPT is based on a previously-obtained U.S. STEM degree and is not the same degree upon which your current post-completion OPT was granted. Check “No” if your STEM OPT is based on your most recently obtained degree, and that is the degree upon which your current post-completion OPT is based.  
• Employment Authorization Number: Enter the number found on your Employment Authorization document (EAD card) underneath “USCIS#”&�Բ�����;

Section 2: Student Certification (Completed by Student)  

Review each item carefully and affirm the statements by signing the Form. 

Section 3: Employer Information (Completed by Employer)  

• Be sure to your employer fully completes section 3. The employer name should be written as the company’s legal E-Verify name.  
• Start Date of Employment: The date entered here needs to reflect the dates of your training with your STEM Extension/E-Verify employer after your post-completion OPT has ended and during the STEM OPT authorization period. In other words, the start date of employment is the date when the student will begin the STEM OPT training with the employer. This is confirmed in the . 
• If you receive any company benefits (health insurance, dental insurance, 401K, etc.) you should list those benefits below your salary. “Standard company benefits” can be written if applicable.  
• Students in F-1 status working at the University of Colorado Boulder during the STEM extension period only:  
  • Employer’s E-verify Name: The Regents of the University of Colorado
  • Employer Address: should be determined by the individual completing section 3 of the Form I-983
  • Employer ID Number (EIN) = 84-6000-555  
  • NAICS Number = 611310  
  • Number of Full-Time Employees at CU Boulder= approximately 7,000+

Section 4: Employer Certification (Completed by Employer)  

• Employer Certification: The Employer Official with Signatory Authority, who is an appropriate individual in the employer’s organization, who is familiar with the student’s goals and performance, and who is an employee who has signatory authority for the employer should review the certification and affirm the statement by signature.  
• Students in F-1 status working at the University of Colorado Boulder during the STEM extension period only:  
  • The chair of the department or the director of the unit where you work is the only individual authorized to sign on behalf of CU Boulder. In Section 6, Employer Official Certification of the Training Plan Form, the student’s direct supervisor should sign.  

Section 5: Training Plan for OPT STEM Extension Students (Completed by Employer)  

• Federal regulations require each STEM OPT student to prepare and execute with his or her prospective employer a formal training plan that identifies learning objectives and a plan for achieving those objectives. The STEM OPT student and his or her employer must work together to finalize the plan.  
• Take care to address the questions being asked in Section 5 of the Form I-983.  
• Students in F-1 status working at the University of Colorado Boulder during the STEM extension period only:  
  • Site address needs to be the physical address where you will be working while on the STEM OPT Extension. 

Section 6: Employer Official Certification (Completed by Employer)  

• The individual who signs this Certification need not be, but can be, the same individual who signed the Employer Certification in Section 4. An employee with signatory authority for the employer should review the certification and affirm the statement by signature. On the material change certification (#4 under section 6), please note that material changes in the plan can include (but are not limited to) the following:  
• Any change of Employer Identification Number (EIN) resulting from a corporate restructuring; 
• Any reduction in compensation from the amount previously submitted on the Form I‐983 “Training Plan for STEM OPT Students,” that is not tied to a reduction in hours worked; 
• Any significant decrease in hours per week that a student engages in a STEM training opportunity, and;  
• Any decrease in hours below the 20‐hours‐per‐ week minimum required under this rule. 

Students in F-1 status working at the University of Colorado Boulder during the STEM extension period only: The student’s direct supervisor should sign the Employer Official Certification of the Training Plan form 

Evaluation on Student Progress 

Student evaluations are a shared responsibility of both the student and the employer to ensure that the student’s practical training goals are being satisfactorily met. The student is responsible for conducting a self-evaluation based on his or her own training progress. The employer must review and sign the self-evaluation to attest to its accuracy.

When first applying for the STEM OPT Extension, page 5 should be left blank as the evaluations are only completed once a student is in their STEM OPT authorization period.

These evaluations are required at the following times:  

• Evaluation on Student Progress (top of page 5 of Form I-983) required after completion of 12 months of STEM OPT period. Enter start and end dates for first 12 months of STEM OPT training period.  
• Final Evaluation on Student Progress (bottom of page 5 of Form I-983) due within 10 days of the conclusion of 24-month STEM OPT period OR if the STEM OPT training ends early, the student must submit the final evaluation within 10 days following the conclusion of the training opportunity.  

The Employer Official with Signatory Authority must sign, print name, and enter the date of signature to show concurrence with the evaluation information that the student has entered.  

Failing to submit a final evaluation would be a violation of the terms of the Form I-983 and may jeopardize the student’s nonimmigrant status. 

ISSS will reach out to students on STEM OPT to remind them to complete the 12 month and 24 month evaluations. It is the student’s responsibility to submit the evaluations in a timely matter. This includes providing a final evaluation within 10 days of completion if the student leaves a job before the 24-month STEM extension ends.

You MUST submit your application to USCIS while you are inside of the United States. ISSS wants to reiterate that you must first receive the I-20 recommending STEM OPT from ISSS before submitting your completed documents to USCIS. 

•     Check the mailing address accuracy on the form I-765.
•     Check with neighbors to see if the EAD was misdelivered.
•     Use the USPS tracking number that USCIS provided; check with to see if they have confirmation of delivery.

Option 1: Open an inquiry with the USCIS Contact Center using the

•     Use this option if there was a USCIS error.
•     No work is permitted during this time without the physical EAD.

Option 2: File a new I-765 application for a replacement EAD. Use this option if there is no explainable USCIS/USPS error.

•     File a new for a replacement card.
•     What is your reason for applying? Please select “Replacement of lost, stolen, or damaged employment authorization document.” Indicate that yes, you have previously filed a Form I-765.
•     Pay USCIS filing fee again.
•     Upload copies of I-797 approval notice and the I-20 showing the original OPT recommendation.
•     Receive receipt for replacement card filing. Verify with your employer/I-9 office: You may work up to 90 days with the I-797 receipt while awaiting your replacement card. (See USCIS Handbook for Employers M-274, Section 4.0 Completing Section 2 of Form I-9 and .)

It is very important that you get your EAD corrected, even if the error was made by USCIS. Upload your EAD to the MyISSS Portal under Training/Employment Related Forms > EAD Card Submission. Alert to the error and wait for further instructions. You should also review this handout on EAD errors and corrections.