U.S. Government Adds 8 STEM Fields, Making More F-1 Students Eligible for 24-Month STEM OPT Extension
On July 12, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security announced in the Federal Register that eight fields had been added to the STEM program list, covering composite materials technology, population studies, developmental psychology, geospatial intelligence, institutional research, landscape architecture, language and computer science, and mechatronics, among others. Whether F-1 students can obtain a 24-month STEM OPT extension after completing OPT depends on this list. The STEM OPT rule took effect in 2016; in January 2022, 22 fields had been added to the list, and this is the second major update.
The Department of Homeland Security announced in the Federal Register on July 12 that eight new fields will be added to the STEM program list. This list is used to determine whether F-1 students are eligible for a 24-month STEM OPT extension after completing OPT. The update means more students will qualify for the STEM OPT extension.
The STEM OPT rule took effect in 2016 and was followed by the addition of 22 fields in January 2022. This is the second major update, and the eight new fields are as follows:
| Chinese Name | CIP Code |
|---|---|
| Composite Materials Technology/Technician | 15.0617 |
| Demography and Population Studies | 45.0501 |
| Developmental and Adolescent Psychology | 42.2710 |
| Geospatial Intelligence | 43.0407 |
| Institutional Research | 13.0608 |
| Landscape Architecture | 04.0601 |
| Linguistics and Computer Science | 30.4801 |
| Mechatronics, Robotics and Automation Engineering Technology/Technician | 15.0407 |
