OPT STEM Extension Online Application (I-765) Instructions

Basis of eligibility

• Select “(c)(3)(C) STEM Extension.”
• What is your degree?
  • Enter your degree level and major.
• What is your employer's name as listed in E-Verify?
  • Enter your employer’s name as it is listed in E-Verify.  You may need to ask someone from your Human Resources department for this information.
• What is your employer's E-Verify company identification number or a valid E-Verify client company identification number?
  • Enter your employer’s E-Verify Identification Number. Again, you may need to obtain this from your HR office.

Premium Processing

• Premium Processing is optional. If you select "Yes", USCIS guarantees to process your application within 30 days of when they receive your complete and correct application. There is an additional fee of $1,685.
• Please note that if you do not opt for Premium Processing at the time that you submit your application, you may submit a request at any time while USCIS is processing your application. To request Premium Processing after you've submitted your application, log into the USCIS Portal, go the "My Account" pull-down menu and select "File a form online" then select the form "I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service." Fill out that online application, pay the $1,685 fee and submit your request. As long as your application is complete, your application will be processed within 30 days of the date you submit this request.

Reason for applying

• What is your reason for applying?
  • Select “Renewal of my permission to accept employment”
• Have you previously filed Form I-765?
  • Select "Yes"

Preparer and interpreter information

• Select “No” unless a preparer assisted you with the form. Staff from the ISSS office are not considered preparers.

About You

Your Name

Given Name (first name): Provide your given name (first name) as listed on your passport.

Middle Name: Provide your middle name if applicable.

Family name (last name): Provide your family name (last name) as listed on your passport.

Have you used any other names since birth?

• Answer Yes or No. If Yes, enter the other name(s) you’ve used. Generally, answering yes is appropriate if there are official documents in your other name. Casual nicknames do not need to be included.

Your contact information

How may we contact you?

• If you have a U.S. phone number, enter it as a Daytime telephone number
• If you used your cell phone number as your Daytime number, mark the box next to “This is the same as my daytime telephone number.”
• Enter the email address where you want USCIS to contact you

What is your current U.S. mailing address?

This is the address to which USCIS will send your receipt, OPT card, and any other correspondence. The address that you use should be valid for up to four months so that you are able to receive your documents without issues. You may use your own address or the ISSS Address. If you use the ISSS address, please enter:

• In care of name: ISSS, Miami University
• Address line 1: 531 E.Spring St.
• Address line 2: 214 MacMillan Hall
• City or town: Oxford
• State: Ohio
• ZIP Code: 45056

Note: If you choose to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) as part of your OPT application, you are not able to use the ISSS address.

Is your current mailing address the same as your physical address?

• Choose the applicable answer.

Where in the United States do you live? (This question will appear only if your mailing address and physical address are not the same.)

• Provide your U.S. physical address if different than your mailing address.

Describe yourself

What is your gender?

• Indicate your gender.

What is your marital status?

• Indicate your marital status.

When and where you were born

What is your city and province/state of birth?

• Provide information about your place of birth.

What is your date of birth?

• Enter your date of birth in month, date, year format.

Your immigration information

What is your country of citizenship or nationality?

• Indicate any countries where you are currently a citizen or national. Use the “Add Country” button if you need to enter more than one country.

What is your Form I-94 Arrival-Departure Record Number (if any)?

• Indicate the 11-digit number from your most recent I-94 record.

When did you last arrive in the United States?

• Date of arrival: Refer to the date on your I-94 record to confirm when you last entered the U.S.
• Place of arrival: Select the city (listed in alphabetical order) where you went through U.S. Customs. Refer to your Travel History to confirm.
• Status at last arrival: Generally your status at your last entry to the U.S. should be “F-1 Student.” If that has changed or your I-94 reflects different information, please consult with ISSS.

What is the passport number of your most recently issued passport?

• Enter your passport number

What is your travel document number (if any)?

• Provide your travel document number if applicable. If you already indicated your passport number, you can generally leave this field blank.

What is the expiration date of your passport or travel document?

• Enter the expiration date of your passport or travel document in month, date, year format.

What country issued your passport or travel document?

• List the country that issued your passport or travel document (Note - it may differ from the country you were in when you got your passport if you applied from a consulate or embassy outside your home country.)

What is your current immigration status or category?

• Your current immigration status should be F-1 Student.

What is your Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) Number (if any)?

• Provide your SEVIS number from your most recently-issued I-20, which is located on the top left corner of your I-20.

Other Information

What is your A-Number? 

• Provide the USCIS# on the front of your Employment Authorization Document (OPT card.)

What is your USCIS Online Account Number?

• Mark the box next to “I do not have or know my USCIS Online Account Number” unless applicable. Please note that if you have filed an application online through the USCIS portal, you may have an account number.

Has the Social Security Administration (SSA) ever officially issued a Social Security card to you?

• Check ‘yes’ if you have been issued a Social Security card. You will be asked to enter your Social Security Number.
• Check ‘no’ if you have not been issued a Social Security card. 

Do you want the SSA to issue you a Social Security card?

• If you have a Social Security card already, select ‘No’.
• If you do not have one, you have the option to apply for one in conjunction with your OPT STEM Extension (in which case you would select ‘Yes’) or on your own after you receive your new OPT card (in which case you would select ‘No’).

Evidence

This section asks you to upload documents into your online application. Please follow the guidance below:

• 2 x 2 photo of you: U.S.-style passport photos should be taken within the last 30 days and must meet very specific requirements. The Department of State lists these requirements and offers a tool for cropping your own photos. Photos used for obtaining a non-U.S. passport or visa are generally not acceptable as they may not be the correct size and rarely were taken within the last 30 days.
  • In Oxford, you may get a U.S.-style passport photo taken at the Global Initiatives office in MacMillan Hall (call 513-529-8600 to schedule an appointment), CVS, or Walgreens.
• Form I-94: Visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website to retrieve your electronic I-94 card number.
• Employment Authorization Document:
  • Copy of your passport including the name and photo page as well as expiration date AND
  • Copy of of front and back of your OPT Employment Authorization Document (OPT card).
• Form I-20: You must upload the I-20 with the OPT STEM Extension recommendation on page 2 that you received from ISSS. It's very important that you upload a copy that you have printed out and signed in ink. Do not upload any other I-20s here!
• College Degree:
  • Copy of diploma that shows your degree level and program of study AND
  • Copy of your transcript (official or unofficial) showing degree conferral
• Institution Accreditation: Do not upload anything in this section unless you are applying for a STEM Extension based on a prior degree (not your most recent Miami degree).
• Note that you should not upload a copy of your I-983 form. ISSS will upload that form into your SEVIS record when we issue your updated I-20 recommending an extension of your OPT.
• Make sure all supporting documents are clear and legible and be sure to follow USCIS requirements for file upload size and format.

Additional Information

USCIS indicates this part of the form should be used to provide additional evidence such as "all previously used SEVIS numbers and evidence of any previously authorized CPT or OPT and the academic level at which it was authorized". If you upload documents, be sure to include your full name and indicate which question(s) you're referencing. This is how you should enter your most recent OPT authorization:

• Click on the "+ Add a response" box
• Section:
  • Select "Getting Started"
• Page:
  • Select "Reason for applying"
• Question:
  • Select "Have you previously filed Form I-765?"
• Additional Information:
  • Enter the information about your current OPT, for example, “Authorized for post-completion OPT from [OPT Start Date] to [OPT End Date], see EAD.” 

Review and Submit

• Be sure to review your application before submitting! It is not possible to edit or change a submitted online application and failure to submit a complete application could result in Requests for Evidence (RFEs) or even the denial of your application by USCIS.