STEM OPT Employer Requirements: E-Verify Enrollment and the I-983 Training Plan

Why STEM OPT has extra employer requirements

The STEM OPT extension adds 24 months of work authorization on top of your 12-month post-completion OPT, and it only works with an employer meeting specific federal requirements. STEM OPT is a structured training period tied to your degree rather than an extended work permit, so both you and your employer take on documented obligations (Study in the States, STEM OPT Extension Overview ).

E-Verify enrollment

Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, the federal system confirming work eligibility, and must list a valid E-Verify company identification number on your Form I-983. If your employer uses an employer agent to handle E-Verify, the agent's client company identification number for your specific employer works instead.

Enrollment must not lapse during your STEM OPT period. Your employer stays a participant in good standing with E-Verify for the entire 24 months, and USCIS checks this status directly rather than relying only on what is written on the form.

One exception trips up some university employers: as of 2026, a school enrolled in E-Verify only under the Federal Contractor rule does not meet the STEM OPT requirement, even though the university shows up as enrolled in the system.

What Form I-983 has to include

Form I-983 is a training plan you complete together with your employer before your STEM OPT extension starts. Your DSO reviews and keeps it on file, and it documents the connection between your job and your STEM degree.

• A minimum of 20 hours of work a week with the employer.

• Specific learning objectives connected to your qualifying STEM degree.

• How the employer provides supervision and formal training, beyond day-to-day tasks.

• Details on your compensation, including how it compares to what the employer pays similarly situated US workers in the same role.

You and your employer both sign the form, and you submit it to your DSO, who reviews it before recommending the extension in SEVIS (Study in the States, Employers and the Form I-983 ).

Ongoing evaluations

The I-983 is not a one-time form. You and your employer complete a self-evaluation partway through the 24-month extension and again at the end, confirming the training proceeds as planned or documenting changes to your job duties, site, or supervisor.

Material changes, like a change of employer or a significant change in your job duties, need an amended I-983 filed with your DSO.

What the employer reports and when

Choosing an employer for STEM OPT

Before accepting an offer for your STEM OPT extension, confirm the employer meets both requirements. Ask directly whether the company is enrolled in E-Verify and provide its company ID number, and ask whether the employer commits to completing Form I-983 with defined learning objectives and supervision beyond a basic job description.

A company unwilling or unable to do either lacks the legal ability to sponsor your STEM OPT extension, regardless of how strong the job offer looks otherwise.

What this means for your timeline

The I-983 needs employer sign-off and DSO review before your DSO recommends the extension in SEVIS, so start this process well before your current OPT authorization expires. Gather your employer's E-Verify information and begin drafting the training plan as soon as you have a confirmed STEM OPT job offer, giving your DSO time to review it and leaving room to file Form I-765 for the extension within the required window before your current OPT ends.

Which degrees qualify

Your STEM OPT extension eligibility depends on your degree appearing on the STEM Designated Degree Program List, maintained at ice.gov/sevis/practical-training. Your DSO checks your degree's CIP code against this list as part of the SEVIS recommendation, so confirm your specific major and degree level qualify before you build a job search around a STEM OPT extension.

The employer-employee relationship requirement

Beyond E-Verify and the I-983, USCIS requires a genuine employer-employee relationship for STEM OPT. The employer directs and controls your work, including setting your hours, assigning tasks, and evaluating your performance.

Self-employment and unpaid internships do not meet this standard, even if the underlying work otherwise fits your training plan.

Compensation expectations

Form I-983 asks the employer to describe how your compensation compares to what similarly situated US workers in the same role receive. Employers are not required to match salaries exactly, but a wide, unexplained gap between your pay and a comparable US employee's pay is one of the details USCIS and your DSO look at when reviewing the training plan.

Why a mismatch triggers questions later

USCIS and your DSO both hold a copy of your Form I-983, and the six-month and final self-evaluations get checked against what the employer originally described. A large gap between the training plan on file and your real work is one of the things a DSO flags during a routine check, and it also surfaces if you apply for a change of status or a future visa that asks about your STEM OPT employment history. Keeping the I-983 accurate as your role develops protects you well beyond the STEM OPT period itself.