Stevens Institute of Technology | International Student and Scholar Services

Form I-983 Guide

This ISSS adapted I-983 Guide comes

from the Form I-983 Instructions
issued by the Department of
You should list “Stevens Homeland Security (DHS).
Institute of Technology” More information can be found on
unless you are applying on a
Study in the States.
previously earned
STEM OPT at another This is Stevens’ SEVIS code
credited school.

Start date should be the day after

Please visit our website your current 12-month post-
to find your completion OPT expires. End date
immigration advisor should be 24 months later.
(DSO).
This is not your
academic advisor! STEM eligible CIP code
(xx.xxxx) is listed on your I-20
under ‘Major’
Check “No” if your STEM OPT
participation is based on your Enter date degree was
most recently obtained awarded in MM-DD-YYYY
degree, and that is the degree format.
upon which your current post-
completion OPT is based.
Enter USCIS# found on your
Check “Yes” if your STEM OPT EAD card.
participation is based on a The format is XXX-XXX-XXX.
previously obtained STEM
degree and is not the same
degree upon which your
current post‐completion OPT Cannot be an electronic
was granted. signature. It must be an
original signature.
ISSS[2020]S
 Sections 3 and 4 may be
completed ONLY by the
employer, not by the student.
For initial STEM OPT
NAICS Website to obtain the code If the student uses a
applicants:
temporary or staffing agency
to place them in a training
This is the start date of your
opportunity, the agency
STEM OPT extension, not the
cannot complete and sign the
start date of when you began
Form I-983 UNLESS the
working for the employer on
staffing agency is an E-verified
post-completion OPT.
employer that provides and
oversees the actual training.
For students submitting a
STEM OPT employment
NA
update only:

Actual start date with this Enter the dollar amount of

employer if not at the salary, stipend, and/or other
beginning of your STEM OPT. compensation, and the
frequency of pay (per hour,
per week, bi-weekly,
monthly).

Other Compensation may

Cannot be an electronic include housing, tuition
signature. It must be an waivers, transportation costs,
original signature. etc.
The ‘Employer Official with Note: the terms and
Signatory Authority’ is an conditions of a STEM practical
individual in the company, training opportunity must be
who is familiar with the commensurate with those
student’s goals and applicable to similarly situated
performance. U.S. workers, except that
STEM OPT participant must
work at least 20 hours per
week.

ISSS[2020]S
 Site Name and Site Address: Official Name, Title, Email,
The employer’s site name may Phone Number:
be the same as Section 3 on This should be the individual
page 2. However, if the in the employer’s
student is working for a branch organization who is familiar
or subsidiary of a large entity, with, and will monitor, the
or anywhere other than the students’ goals and
headquarters, provide the performances. This may or
name of this work site. The may not be the same
address should be where the Employer Official as in
STEM practical training will Section 4 on page 2.
take place.

Student Role: Goals and Objectives:

Describe what tasks and Describe the specific skills,

assignments the student will knowledge, and techniques the
carry out during the training student will learn or apply;
AND how these relate to the how the student will achieve
student's STEM degree. The these goals set out for his or
plan must cover a specific span her training; and the training
of time, and detail specific goals curriculum including the
and objectives. timeline.

Employer Oversight:
Measures and Assessments:
Explain how the employer
Explain how the employer
provides oversight and
measures and confirms whether
supervision of individuals filling
the named F-1 student is
positions such as that being
acquiring new knowledge and
filled by the named F-1 student.
skills. If the employer has a
If the employer has a training
training program or related
program or related policy in
policy in place that controls such
place that controls the oversight
measures and assessments, a
and supervision, a description of
description of this program or
this program or policy may
policy may suffice to answer the
suffice to answer the question.
question.

ISSS[2020]S
 Provide any additional
pertinent information.
On the material change
certification (#4), 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 corporate
restructuring, any reduction in
compensation from the
amount previously submitted
on the Form I-983, “Training
An employee with signatory Plan for STEM OPT Students,
authority for the employer that is not tied to the
should review the reduction in hours worked, any
certification and affirm the significant decrease in hours
statement by signature. per week that a student
engages in a STEM training
Cannot be an electronic opportunity, and any decrease
signature. It must be an in hours below the 20-hours-
original signature. per week minimum required
under this rule.
Note: The individual who
signs this Certification need
not be, but can be, the same
individual who signed the
Employer certification in
Section 4 on page 2.

ISSS[2020]S
 NOTE:
If you are changing employers, you
must submit to ISSS the I-983 with
For initial STEM OPT applicants: the self-evaluation completed for
your previous employer,
Do not complete this page (leave this The student submits to the DSO the first assessment within regardless of the amount of time
page blank) when submitting the twelve (12) months that recaps all the STEM extension training you worked for that employer.
initial training plan to apply for the and knowledge acquired during the complete training
STEM Extension I-20. period. For example, you worked 8
months at company XYZ and now
When submitting the 12-month STEM Report, this section of the you will go work at company ABC.
evaluation will be completed and the entire I-983 will be sent You will need to submit the entire
to [email protected]. I-983 with the self-evaluation
completed for company XYZ AND
Student evaluations are a shared a new I-983 for company ABC.
responsibility of both the student
and the employer to ensure that
the student’s practical training
goals are being satisfactorily met. Students:
The student is responsible for Provide a self-evaluation
conducting a self-evaluation based of your performance then
on his or her own training sign in ink, print name,
programs. The employer must The student submits to the DSO the final assessment at the end of and date.
review and sign the self-evaluation the STEM OPT or at the end of the training opportunity
to attest to its accuracy. (employment) with that employer that recaps all the training and Employee:
knowledge acquired during the complete training period. The employee with
signatory authority for the
When submitting the 24-month STEM Report or reporting a employer must sign in ink,
change in employer, this section of the evaluation will be print name, and enter the
completed and the entire I-983 will be sent to date of signature to show
[email protected]. concurrence with the
assessment information
that the student has
entered.

ISSS[2020]S