OPT Blog Entries

For international students on an F-1 visa in the United States, the STEM OPT extension program provides an opportunity to gain valuable work experience after graduation while extending their stay in the US for a chance of an H-1B lottery win. Concomitantly, the program is invaluable for US employers in facilitating access to well-qualified workers, most with graduate degrees.

Note:

The following information is a FAQ from the government. I have highlighted the parts that F-1 students have been asking me over the last few weeks. Rajiv.

Source: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/COVID19_FAQs.pdf

Also useful: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/stem-opt-hub

Effective May 11, 2023, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) ended its Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) guidance, consistent with the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, following the end of the COVID-19 National Emergency

24 January 2022

Students in the following fields will be able to obtain STEM OPT extensions for 24 months:

The following settlement was reached in Li v. USCIS in favor of the OPT and STEM OPT applicant students suffering from delays and rejections:

This article was submitted to and published in The Economic Times.

Link to Rajiv's Author Page in The Economic Times.

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