USCIS Adds 22 New Fields to the STEM OPT list
AILA today reported that USCIS has added 22 new files of study to the STEM designated degree program list. AILA stated:
On January 21, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it updated the STEM Designated Degree Program List to add 22 qualifying fields of study and a corresponding Department of Education Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code for each. This announcement was one of several new actions announced on January 21, 2022, by DHS and the Department of State (DOS) relating to attracting and retaining international STEM talent in the United States.
The STEM Designated Degree Program List is used to determine whether a degree obtained by certain F-1 nonimmigrant students qualifies as a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degree, as required for the F-1 student to be eligible to apply for a STEM optional practical training (OPT) extension. The STEM OPT extension is a 24-month extension of OPT available to F-1 nonimmigrant students who have completed 12 months of OPT and received a degree in an approved STEM field of study as designated by the STEM list. The updated list includes the following additional 22 fields of study:
Bioenergy (03.0210)
Forestry, General (03.0501)
Forest Resources Production and Management (03.0510)
Human-Centered Technology Design (11.0105)
Cloud Computing (11.0902)
Anthrozoology (30.3401)
Climate Science (30.3501)
Earth Systems Science (30.3801)
Economics and Computer Science (30.3901)
Environmental Geosciences (30.4101)
Geobiology (30.4301)
Geography and Environmental Studies (30.4401)
Mathematical Economics (30.4901)
Mathematics and Atmospheric/Oceanic Science (30.5001)
Data Science, General (30.7001)
Data Analytics, General (30.7101)
Business Analytics (30.7102)
Data Visualization (30.7103)
Financial Analytics (30.7104)
Data Analytics, Other (30.7199)
Industrial and Organizational Psychology (42.2804)
Social Sciences, Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods (45.0102)
DHS will continue to accept for consideration suggested additions or deletions to the STEM list going forward. Members of the public may nominate a field of study to be included on or removed from the list by emailing the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) at SEVP@ice.dhs.gov, subject line “Attention: STEM CIP Code nomination.” SEVP evaluates nominations to determine whether the nominated degree is generally considered to be a STEM degree by recognized authorities, including input from educational institutions, government entities and non-governmental organizations. SEVP also reviews the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) definition of the CIP code and the supporting material submitted by the nominator.
AILA
This means that those graduating with a degree in those areas on an F visa can now get the 24 months STEM extension.
Please remember, as always, this blog does not offer legal advice. If you need legal advice, consult with a lawyer instead of a blog. Thank you.