Guide for Completing Form I-983
The formal training plan for the STEM OPT Extension must be outlined on the Form I-983, and must clearly articulate the STEM OPT student’s learning objectives and affirm the employer’s commitment to helping the student achieve those objectives. The student and their employer must complete and sign Form I-983 and submit it to the student’s International Student & Scholar Advisor for review and approval before the STEM OPT extension can be recommended. STEM OPT students and their employers are subject to the terms and conditions of the STEM OPT extension regulations as indicated on the Form I-983.
The information below is to assist students and their employers to properly complete the Form I-983.
Student Name: Enter your full name (Surname/Primary Name, Given Name) exactly as it appears on your Form I-20.
Student Email Address: Enter your Wellesley email address
Name of School Recommending STEM OPT: Enter “Wellesley College”
Name of School Where STEM Degree Was Earned: Enter “Wellesley College”
SEVIS School Code of School Recommending STEM OPT: Wellesley College’s F-1 School Code is
BOS214F00363000
DSO Name and Contact Information: Enter: Tana Ruegamer, truegame@wellesley.edu, 781-283-2084
Student SEVIS ID Number: Enter your SEVIS identification (ID) number (see “SEVIS ID” at the top of your Form I- 20, beginning with N)
STEM OPT Requested Period: The duration of your STEM OPT extension is based exclusively on your current OPT end date, regardless of whether the authorized dates match actual training dates. For a student currently on 12-month OPT requesting a STEM OPT extension, the start date should be the day after your current 12-month OPT ends and the end date is fixed at 24 months after the start date.
Start date - date immediately after your current 12-month OPT ends (e.g. 05/31/2018)
End date - add 24 months from the start date determined above, minus one day (e.g. 05/30/2020)
Qualifying Major and Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Code: Enter your major and code per Form I-20 for the particular school and degree program you are basing your STEM OPT request. The CIP code can be found in the “Program of Study” section on page 1. The CIP code is a six-digit code (xx.xxxx) following the major.
Level/Type of Qualifying Degree: Enter “Bachelor’s”
Date Awarded: Enter the program end date listed on the Form I-20.
Based on Prior Degree? Check “No”
Employment Authorization Number: Enter your USCIS Number, found on your EAD. It is usually in the format of xxx-xxx-xxx.
Student Certification: Review each item carefully and affirm the statements by signing the Form.
Employer Name: Enter your company, university, etc. name.
Street Address, Suite, City, State, Zip Code: Enter the business’s complete mailing address.
Employer Website URL: Enter the employer website URL, if available. If no website exists, enter N/A.
Employer ID Number (EIN): You may refer to your HR office for this information.
Number of Full‐Time Employees in the United States: Enter the total number of employees of the business
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: You may refer to your HR office for this information. This code is used by federal statistical agencies to classify business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.
OPT Training Hours Per Week: Enter the agreed-upon number of average working hours per week. In order to qualify for STEM OPT, the student must work a minimum of 20 hours per week for each job.
Start Date of Employment: Enter the date when the student will begin STEM OPT with the employer.
Compensation: Enter the dollar amount of salary, stipend, and/or other compensation, and the frequency of pay (per hour, per week, bi-weekly, monthly). Other compensation may include housing, tuition waivers, transportation costs, etc.
NOTE: The terms and conditions of a STEM OPT (including duties, hours, and compensation) must be commensurate with those applicable to similarly situated U.S. workers, except that a STEM OPT participant must work at least 20 hours per week while employed.
Employer Certification: The Employer Official with signatory authority must be an individual who is familiar with the student’s goals and responsible for supervising the student during the employment period. The signatory must review each item carefully and affirm the statements by signing the Form.
In order to better ensure the academic benefit and integrity of the extension, Federal regulations require each STEM OPT student to prepare and execute with 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.
Student Name: Enter student’s full name (Surname/Primary Name, Given Name) exactly as it appears on their Form I-20.
Employer Name: Enter the employer’s name, as it appears in “Section 3: Employer Information.”
Site Name: Enter the employer’s site name, which may be the same as employer name in Section 3. However, if the student is working for a branch or subsidiary of a large entity, or anywhere other than the headquarters, provide the name of the actual work site.
Site Address: Enter the exact address of the work site where the STEM OPT will take place.
Name of Official: Enter the name of the individual who is familiar with the student’s goals and responsible for supervising the student during the employment period. This may or may not be the same Employer Official as in Section 4.
Official’s Title: Enter the title of the above individual
Official’s Email: Enter the email address of the above individual
Official’s Phone Number: Enter the phone number of the above individual
Student Role: Describe what specific tasks and assignments the student will carry out during their employment, and how these relate to the student’s STEM degree. The plan must cover a specific span of time, and detail specific goals and objectives.
Goals and Objectives: Describe the specific skills, knowledge, and techniques the student will learn or apply; how the student will achieve the goals set out for his or her training; and the training curriculum including the timeline.
Employer Oversight: Explain how the employer provides oversight and supervision to the student. If the employer has a training program or related policy in place that controls such oversight and supervision, a description of the program or policy may suffice to answer the question.
Measures and Assessments: Explain how the employer measures and confirms whether the student is acquiring new knowledge and skills. If the employer has a training program or related policy in place that controls such measures and assessments, a description of this program or policy may suffice to answer the question.
Additional Remark: Provide any additional pertinent information.
Certification of Official with Signatory Authority: Signature by the individual who is familiar with the student’s goals and responsible for supervising the student during the employment period. The signatory must review each item carefully and affirm the statements by signing the Form. This person should be the same as the Official listed in Section 5.
Do not complete this section when submitting your STEM OPT application to Slater. You will submit evaluations after 12 months of STEM OPT and when you complete your training.
During the course of the STEM OPT employment, the student is required to submit self-reported evaluations and assessments. 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.
These evaluations are required at the following times:
- First evaluation: required after completion of 12 months of STEM OPT period
- Final evaluation: due at conclusion of 24-month STEM OPT period