Completing the Form I-983 Training Plan

The Form I-983 is a new form used to formalize a 24-month STEM extension. The Office of International Affairs must have a Form I-983 Training Plan from you before we can create an I-20 recommending the 24-month STEM extension. Form I-983 and instructions can be found here. 

We understand that completing the Form I-983 can be confusing. We first suggest reviewing the Study in the States tutorial on completing the Form I-983 found above; this information is provided directly by Department of Homeland Security, or DHS. Additionally, we have gathered some other commonly asked questions for your review:

  • Section 1: Student Information

    This section should be completed by the student: this section gathers information primarily about you. 

    • Student Name (Surname/Primary Name, Given Name): We suggest writing your surname in all CAPS, then your Given Name with normal punctuation, for example: SMITH, John.
    • Student Email Address: Use an email address you check frequently. This could be your IU Indianapolis address or another email such as Gmail or Yahoo.
    • Name of School Recommending STEM OPT: Indiana University Indianapolis
    • Name of School Where STEM Degree Was Earned:
      • If you are applying based on your current degree from IU Indianapolis, use: Indiana University Indianapolis.
      • If you are applying based on a previous degree, use the name of your school found in the "School Information" section of your I-20 from that degree.
    • SEVIS School Code of School Recommending STEM OPT (including 3 digit suffix):
      • If you are applying based on your current degree from IU Indianapolis, use: CHI214F10103008.
      • If you are applying based on a previous degree, use the name of your school found in the "School Information" section of your I-20 from that degree.
    • Designated School Official (DSO) Name and Contact Information: Aliza Frame, iadvisor@iu.edu, 317-274-7000
    • Student SEVIS ID No: This can be found on the top left corner of your I-20. This number begins with the letter N followed by 10 numerical digits, for example: N0000000000
    • STEM OPT Requested Period: This should be the 24 month period immediately following your OPT. If your 12 month OPT ends on January 1, 2020, your dates should be: 01/02/2020 - 01/01/2022.
    • Qualifying Major and Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Code: This can be found on your I-20 in the Program of Study section. Under Major 1, indicate the 6 digit code after your major. This will be in the format of 00.0000.
    • Level/Type of Qualifying Degree: Enter the level of the degree that qualifies you for the STEM OPT. Select from: bachelors, masters, or doctorate level.
    • Date Awarded: This can be found on your unofficial transcript, this should be the date that your qualifying degree was awarded.
      • If you have completed all of your coursework but are continuing to work on a thesis/dissertation that would qualify you for the STEM OPT extension, enter the date when the degree is expected to be awarded and specify that it is the expected date.
    • Based on Prior Degree: 
      • Check “Yes” if your STEM OPT participation is based on a previously‐obtained STEM degree, and is not the same degree upon which your current post‐completion OPT was granted.
      • Check “No” if your STEM OPT participation is based on your most recently obtained degree, and that is the degree upon which your current post‐completion OPT is based.
    • Employment Authorization Number: This can be found on your current EAD, list the USCIS #, it should be in the format: 000-000-000

  • Section 2: Student Certification

    This section should be completed by the student.

    Review the paragraph under "I certify that:" Once you have read the paragraph: sign your name, date, and print your name legibily.

  • Section 3: Employer Information

    The employer should complete this section. Information contained in this section includes:

    • Employer Information including name, address, website URL. This information should all be self explanatory.
    • Employer ID Number (EIN): This should be the employer's IRS tax identification number. Employers without an EIN cannot employ students on STEM OPT. 
    • Number of Full-time Employees in the U.S.: Study in the States guidance says, "Provide the number of full-time employees in the U.S." We suggest including all employees that could be considered employed full-time by the employer.
    • North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: This refers to the number Federal statistical agencies use to classify business establishments. 
    • OPT Training Hours Per Week: This should indicate how many hours (on average) the student is working per week. To qualify for STEM, students must work a minimum of 20 hours per week.
      • This can be reflected by the type of employment contract that has been agreed upon between the employer and employee. For example, a student working full-time on OPT could reflect as 40 hours per week. 
      • STEM extensions cannot be recommended if the student is working less than 20 hours per week.
    • Start Date of Employment: 
      • If the student has been working for the employer and is continuing to work while on a STEM extension, this date should be the start date of the STEM extension.
      • If the student is beginning new employment while already on a STEM extension, this date should reflect the student's start date with the employer.
    • Compensation: Enter the dollar amount of salary, stipend, and/or other compensation, and the frequency of pay (per hour, per week, bi‐weekly, monthly). Other compensation may include housing, tuition waivers, transportation costs, etc. Note: The terms and conditions of a STEM practical training opportunity (including duties, hours, and compensation) must be commensurate with those applicable to similarly situated U.S. workers, except that a STEM OPT participant must work at least 20 hours per week while employed.

  • Section 4: Employer Certification

    The employer should complete this section.

    This is the first of two certifications that an employer official "with signatory authority" must make on the Form I-983. The other certification is at Section 6. The person with signatory authority should sign their name, print their name legibly, date, and list the name of the employing organization. 

  • Section 5: Training Plan

    This section should be completed by the student and employer together.

    • Student Name (Surname/Primary Name, Given Name): This should be the same name listed in Section 1 above.
    • Employer Name: Refer to Section 3 employer name.
    • Site Name & Site Address: This may or may not be the same information listed in Section 3 above. This is the name and address where the student is physically working. Section 3 may refer to company headquarters, etc. 
    • Name of Official, Official's Title, Official's Email, and Official's Phone Number: This may or may not be completed by the same person as Section 3 above. Study in the States guidance is that the person listed in this section is ""the appropriate individual in the employer’s organization who is familiar with, and will monitor, the student’s goals and performance." We suggest this refer to the person at the organization commonly referred to as the employee's supervisor.

    The remaining five fields are the plan-specific fields that comprise the plan itself. The form notes that "for the remaining fields in this section, employers who already have an internal/pre-existing training plan in place may fill in the details based on that plan." We suggest referring to the Study in the States tutorial guidance on these questions. 

  • Section 6: Employer Official Certification

    This section should be completed by the employer.  This can be the same person as listed in Section 4, but may not be. However, the person who does complete this section must be an employee with signatory authority.

    Please note: If there are material changes to or deviations from the training plan as described in the Form I-983 the DSO has on file during the course of the 24-month STEM OPT extension period, the student and employer must complete and sign a modified training plan reflecting the those changes. The student and employer are then jointly responsible for submitting the modified Form I-983 to the student's DSO "at the earliest available opportunity."

  • Evaluation on Student Progress

    This section should be completed by the student and employer. 

    A student must complete self-evaluations of his or her progress during the course of each "STEM practical training opportunity" his or her STEM OPT period:

    • An initial evaluation within 12 months of the STEM OPT start recorded on Form I-983; and
    • A final evaluation "no later than 10 days following the conclusion of the reporting period or conclusion of his or her practical training opportunity."

    The Study in the States tutorial also indicates that a student should submit self-evaluations "at the end of any employment," in addition to "the 12 and 24 month marks from the start date of the STEM extension."

    Evaluations must be signed by the student and his or her immediate supervisor, and then submitted to the DSO listed in Section 1. Students are requested to submit these evaluations during their regular OPT reporting process.  IU Indianapolis will keep these evaluations on file should we be asked to produce them by the immigration service.