Complete the following forms and upload them to your International Student and Scholar Services Portal.

Note: Save each form individually and upload all government forms to your International Student and Scholar Services Student Portal. Please fill them out on your computer and save them as PDFs – do NOT print them out or fill them out with a pen.

All documents must be typed. Electronic signatures are not valid on the I-765 - Do not sign the I-765.

• Fill out the OPT STEM Request in the "Request Center" in the OISS Portal
• I-983
• Fill out a draft PDF I-765 Form and upload it to the OPT STEM Request

Once International Student and Scholar Services receives all of these documents and the request, a DSO will review them and contact you if corrections need to be made and when the I-20 is ready.

Processing your I-20 for OPT may take up to seven business days.

Submit your online I-765 application to USCIS and pay your application fee. Your application must be received/submitted within 60 days of the date on the OPT I-20. It is your responsibility to submit your application on time!

After you submit your application, You will receive your receipt notice in your myUSCIS portal and in an email/text 7-10 days after USCIS has accepted your application. This does NOT mean that your OPT has been approved, or that you have been granted any benefits.

When applying for the OPT STEM Extension application, you will be asked to upload and include the following documents: 

1. 1 passport photo (2" x 2") with white background (use photo tool to verify)
2. Copy of Passport ID page
3. Copy of F-1 visa stamp page
4. Copy of your most recent I-94
5. copy of original EAD card
6. copy of signed STEM OPT-recommended I-20 
7. canned copy of your degree and unofficial transcripts or scanned copy of your official transcripts
   • Transcripts must show the level of degree, the field of study, and graduation/degree conferral date.
8. Copy of UNLV-NWCCU institution accreditation document
9. Credit card/debit card to pay application fee

After being approved for the OPT STEM Extension, your unemployment time will increase from 90 days to 150 days that will cover all three years of your OPT (first year of OPT and the following two-year extension). Any time that was used in the first year of OPT will be deducted from the total 150 days.

Full-Time Employment on OPT

Full-time employment on OPT STEM has the following requirements that must be met:

• The job is more than 20 hours per week,

• The job is in the student’s major area of study,

• The employer is registered in the E-Verify Program, and

• The student must be compensated for their work

In September 2019, USCIS and SEVP determined that students must provide a clearer relationship between the job and the student’s major area of study. Some examples include:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering: I work full-time as an Electrical Engineer at ABC Corporation, a government contractor. In my job, I analyze client requirements for electrical systems and provide them with cost estimates of such systems. My work requires understanding of electrical circuit theory, which I studied in-depth at the University of ABC.

• Master's degree in Music: I am working at a hospital playing the harp in patient rooms. I also conduct hands-on, harp beginner workshops for long-term patients. On average, I work at the hospital 35 hours a week. My duties directly utilize the skills and knowledge I acquired from my coursework and degree in music therapy.

Students should follow this example when completing the OPT STEM Extension Request form. 

Read the official notice.

Unlike when applying for the first year of OPT, students can continue working for 180 days after their original OPT end date while on their OPT STEM extension, even if the application is pending with USCIS and have not received their new EAD card.

If the 180 days pass and you have not received the new EAD card, you must stop working until your OPT application is approved and you have received your new EAD card.

Once the OPT STEM Extension application has been approved, USCIS will backdate the start date of the EAD card to the day after the first year of OPT expired. For example, if the first year of OPT ended on June 30, 2021, the new EAD card will start on July 1, 2021.

Students are allowed to change employers while on the STEM extension. The new employer must also be E-Verified and the student must work for a minimum of 20 hours per week with compensation.

In order to change employers, students must submit:

• Final (2nd) evaluation on page 5 of the I-983 from the old employer

• First four pages of the I-983 from the new employer

• New OPT Employment Reporting Request for the new employer

You must check in with your International Student and Scholar Services advisor every six months once your OPT STEM Extension has been approved. Depending on which month of your STEM extension it is, you will have to submit different documents. Please see the table below:

If you decide to change your immigration status, you will need to submit the application to USCIS as soon as possible and at least have the receipt notice by the end of your 60-day grace period. 

USCIS has issued guidance that students must maintain their current status while the change of status application is pending. Therefore, International Student and Scholar Services recommends that students maintain their F-1 status until their new immigration status is approved. If you have questions about how to do this, please contact your international advisor.

If you decide to return for another program at UNLV, you will need to work with the proper admissions office to be admitted and be issued your new, Change of Education Level I-20. This new I-20 must be issued before the end of your 60-day grace period and your new program must start within five months of your OPT STEM Extension end date or the next available semester (whichever is first).

If you decide to transfer to another school to begin a new program, you will first need to be admitted to the new program and follow the steps listed in the Transfer-Out Request in the OISS Portal. A new Transfer-Pending I-20 from your new school must be issued before the end of your 60-day grace period and your new program must start within five months of your OPT STEM Extension end date or the next available semester (whichever is first).