STEM OPT Extension

Completing Form I-983

The STEM OPT student will obtain the Form I-983 and is responsible for returning the completed and signed form to their DSO. You are responsible for completing Sections 3 to 6 of the I-983 and must provide a signature on the student’s annual self-evaluation.

Employer Name: Indiana University, Department of X

Street Address: Department name and department address

Employer Website URL: http://www.iu.edu/

Employer ID Number EIN: 356001673

Number of Full-Time Employees in the US: 24,960

NAICS Code: 611310

OPT Hours Per Week: (must be at least 20)

Start Date of Employment:

Compensation: Salary amount bi-weekly/monthly and other compensation (i.e. insurance benefits, housing, tuition waivers, transportation costs, etc.)

Departments should refer to the IU Research Administration Budget Rates to calculate the total fringe rate for the employee's salary and appointment type. Contact your department's fiscal officer and/or HR representative with any questions related to compensation.

By completing this section, you attest that the student on STEM OPT will not replace a full-time or part-time temporary or permanent U.S. worker, and certify that the terms and conditions of employment are commensurate with similarly employed U.S. workers.

The signature of Employer Official with Signatory Authority will most likely be the Department Chair but could be the School Dean or the departmental fiscal officer.

You and the STEM OPT student create a formal training plan that identifies learning objectives and a plan for achieving those objectives. The following information must be included in the plan:

  • Student’s name, exactly as it appears on their Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” and in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.
  • Employer name, exactly as it appears in Section 3 of the Form I-983. Please specify the department name as the Site Name on the form.
  • The specific STEM field (title and code) of the training opportunity.
  • Contact information (i.e., name, title, email address and phone number) for the individual who will evaluate the student’s goals and performance.
  • Details about the tasks and assignments the student will carry out during the training opportunity and how those tasks relate to the student’s STEM degree. The plan must also describe the specific skills, knowledge and techniques the student will learn or apply and an explanation as to how the student will achieve the goals set out for the training opportunity.
  • Explanation about how the employer will provide oversight and supervise the STEM OPT student.
  • Information about the measures you will use to assess that the STEM OPT student is acquiring new knowledge and skills.

The same individual who signed the Employer Certification in Section 4. Regarding material change certification, note that material changes can include but are not limited to:

  • Any change of the company’s EIN (i.e., the company’s Federal Tax ID number) resulting from a change in the employer’s ownership or structure.
  • Any nontrivial reduction in hours worked.
  • Any significant decrease in hours per week that a student engages in a STEM training opportunity.
  • Any decrease in the hours below the minimum 20 hours per week required.

DHS Site Visits

A provision in the STEM OPT rule allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to perform site visits to employer locations that employ STEM OPT students.

DHS will provide notice to the employer at least 48 hours in advance of the visit, unless the visit is triggered by a complaint or evidence of non-compliance with the STEM OPT regulations. Site visits will include review of information related to STEM OPT employment as documented in the Form I-983 training plan. If you are notified of a DHS site visit please contact OIS.