New Rules Expand Student Eligibility for STEM OPT Extension
3 min read
22 New STEM OPT fields: The USA is among the top study abroad destinations, for Indians as well as students across the globe. Despite the restrictive travel restrictions and hybrid classes, 70% of USA universities recorded a boost in international student enlistments. The 2021 Open Door IEE report recorded that 54% of international students in the USA are seeking STEM courses. After China, India has the second-biggest abroad STEM student contingent in the United States, with over 150,000 students, or 78.3%, enrolled or working in STEM in 2020-21.
Students signed up for STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) are eligible to apply for a three-year visa extension under the Optional Training Program (OPT). According to the IEE report, around 44% of students are on OPT which allows them to get temporary employment related to their field of study. Seeing the increasing demand for the over 300 STEM programs in the USA, the Biden government has updated its policy by offering 22 new STEM fields to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.
The 22 new fields of study-Bioenergy, General Forestry, Forest Resources Production and Management, Human-Centered Technology Design, Cloud Computing, Anthrozoology, Climate Science, Earth Systems Science, Economics and Computer Science, Environmental Geosciences, Geobiology, Geography, and Environmental Studies, Mathematical Economics, General Data Analytics, and Quantitative Methods.
The cost of pursuing STEM courses in the United States is between 48 to 60 lakh INR for an Indian student. A portion of the top USA colleges and universities (according to QS rankings 2022) offering STEM programs are arranged below:
STEM Courses with cost
| University Name | GPA Score | TOEFL iBT Score | Average Tuition Fee (in INR) |
| Stanford University | GPA 3.96 | TOEFL iBT 100 | 18.27 lakhs |
| California Institute of Technology | GPA 4 | TOEFL iBT 80 (average) | 40.95 lakhs |
| California Institute of Technology | GPA 4.17 | TOEFL iBT 100 | 38.66 lakhs |
| Harvard University | GPA 4.0 | TOEFL iBT 80 | 13.62 lakhs |
| University of California Berkeley | GPA 4.27 | TOEFL iBT 90 | 22.32 lakhs |
| Arizona State University | GPA 3.0 | TOEFL iBT 100 | 23.41 lakhs |
| Columbia University | GPA 4.12 | TOEFL iBT 100 | 22.70 lakhs |
| New York University | GPA 3.7 | TOEFL iBT 100 | 42.40 lakhs |
| University of Dayton | GPA 3.8 | TOEFL iBT 80 | 33.07 lakhs |
| University of South Florida | GPA 3.8 | TOEFL iBT 79 | 12.99 lakhs |
| University of Michigan | GPA 3.9 | TOEFL iBT 100 | 39.20 lakhs |
| Cornell University | GPA 3.9 | TOEFL iBT 100 | 42.41 lakhs |
| University of Pennsylvania | GPA 3.9 | TOEFL iBT 100 | 45.03 lakhs |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | GPA 3.8 | TOEFL iBT 90 | 23.53 lakhs |
| University of Southern California | GPA 3.7 | TOEFL iBT 90 | 45.35 lakhs |
US Launches 22 New STEM OPT fields
International students studying in the USA are selected by firms like Apple Inc.,Microsoft, Amazon, Johnson and Johnson, and so forth Moreover, when compared to the median hourly wages of USD 19.30, the average median hourly pay for STEM jobs is USD 38.85. The BLS data reveals that the yearly mean wage for STEM jobs in 2021 was USD 98,340, which was much higher than the US average of USD 56,310 for all occupations.
The yearly mean salary of USD 147,290, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, was the top paying area for STEM jobs. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California (USD 131,900) and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington (USD 123,370) were also among the highest-paid metropolitan areas for STEM occupations. The average salaries and scopes for different STEM courses are mentioned below:
| Profession | Growth Rate in 10 Years | Average Salary in USD |
| Astronomer | 11.4% | 219,000 |
| Statistician | 22.50% | 134,000 |
| Computer Scientist | 10.8% | 157,000 |
| Physics | 9% | 204,000 |
| Biochemist | 4.9% | 189,000 |
| Geologist | 6% | 174,000 |
| Mathematician | 5.60% | 152,000 |
| Civil Engineer | 6% | 87,060 |
| Chemical Engineer | 2.90% | 98,700 |
| Mechanical Engineer | 1.30% | 93,540 |
According to the reports by BLS, STEM occupations are expected to increase at a faster rate than non-STEM jobs between 2017 and 2029, with roles in computing, engineering, and advanced manufacturing leading the way. STEM jobs are projected to go unfilled soon. In fact, the US economy expects to generate around 3.5 million jobs, for which employment requirements must be fulfilled by 2025.
[USCIS Provides Guidance on Submitting Interfiling Requests]
The introduction of extra STEM programs features that the Biden government understands the importance that international students bring to the United States. 22 extra subjects of study will guarantee that students pursuing STEM degrees in the United States benefit the American economy.
