Who this is for: F-1 students deciding whether they can file a 24-month STEM OPT extension — and therefore how many H-1B lotteries they get.
This is a planning guide, not legal advice. Eligibility is the CIP code on your I-20 / official transcript, matched to the current DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List. Confirm with your DSO. Lists change.
Previous: Asking employers about H-1B · STEM OPT overview · OPT to H-1B timeline
Why the major’s marketing name does not matter
“Data science,” “business analytics,” “informatics,” “financial engineering,” and “biology” can be STEM or not. DHS does not read the brochure. It reads a six-digit CIP code (Classification of Instructional Programs).
If the CIP is on the DHS STEM list at the time your DSO recommends STEM OPT, you may be eligible if everything else is also true (post-completion OPT, E-Verify employer, I-983, timely I-765). If the CIP is not on the list, the word “engineering” in the title will not save you.
This single fact decides whether you likely get one H-1B lottery or two or three (OPT to H-1B timeline).
Quick answer: STEM CIP codes
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open the I-20 used for this OPT. Find CIP (often “Major 1” / field of study, format ##.####) |
| 2 | Open the current DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List (ICE / Study in the States) |
| 3 | Exact match of those six digits |
| 4 | Ask DSO in writing: “Is CIP ______ STEM-eligible for STEM OPT for my [month year] filing?” |
| 5 | Save PDF of the list version you and the DSO used |
On the list ≠ approved STEM OPT. You still need employer, I-983, timing (STEM OPT extension).
Not on the list ≠ you cannot work. You still have 12-month OPT. You generally cannot buy the extra 24 months on this degree.
Where to find your CIP
| Source | Notes |
|---|---|
| I-20 | Primary for SEVIS. This is what DSOs use. |
| Transcript / registrar | Should match. If it does not, fix it before I-765, not during an RFE |
| Department website | Unreliable |
| Diploma title | Unreliable |
| What you “feel” you studied | Irrelevant |
If you have two majors, concentrations, or a BS + MS, which CIP you use for STEM is a DSO question. Do not pick the one that “sounds more STEM” if SEVIS does not show it.
How to read a CIP
Example format: 11.0701 (Computer Science).
- First two digits = series (11 = Computer and Information Sciences)
- Full six digits = the program DHS listed
Being in a “STEM-ish” two-digit family is not enough. The six-digit code must appear on the STEM list.
DHS has added and clarified codes over time (including some quantitative social science / psychology / architecture-adjacent codes). Old blog posts are wrong. Use the current official list only.
Common “is this STEM?” buckets (illustrative, not a list)
Do not treat this table as the DHS list. It is here so you go look up your digits.
| What students say | What actually happens |
|---|---|
| Computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, physics, math, many biological sciences | Often listed — still verify the exact CIP |
| Information systems / MIS / “analytics” in a business school | Sometimes listed, often not — CIP split is infamous |
| Economics, finance, MBA | Usually not, unless a specific quantitative CIP is on the current list |
| Design, architecture, psychology, linguistics | Some CIPs have been added; many have not |
| “STEM MBA” or “tech MBA” branding | Branding is not a CIP |
| Bootcamp / certificate | Not a qualifying degree for STEM OPT |
If you are in a dual-title program, the I-20 CIP may be the non-STEM one. That is a conversation with the registrar years before OPT, not week 11 of the EAD.
Prior U.S. STEM degree (the exception people botch)
Some students are on OPT from a non-STEM master’s but hold an earlier U.S. STEM bachelor’s (or vice versa). DHS allows STEM OPT based on a previously earned qualifying STEM degree if:
- The prior STEM degree was earned within the past 10 years from an accredited, SEVP-certified U.S. school, and its CIP is on the STEM list when you apply
- The DSO agrees the rules are met, and
- The STEM employment is related to that prior STEM degree, not only the latest non-STEM program
You can get at most two STEM extensions in a lifetime, and the second needs a new qualifying degree at a higher level.
This is easy to get wrong (which degree, which I-20, relatedness, timing). Get the DSO answer in writing. Do not file I-765 (c)(3)(C) on a theory from Reddit.
A foreign STEM degree without a qualifying U.S. STEM CIP on a U.S. I-20 is not a DIY STEM OPT.
Job relatedness is a second filter
CIP on the list only opens the door. The job (and I-983) must relate to that STEM degree (Form I-983 training plan).
| CIP | Job that usually fits | Job that usually does not |
|---|---|---|
| Computer science | Software engineer, data scientist | Pure campus recruiting coordinator |
| Mechanical engineering | Design engineer | Unrelated sales quota role |
| Biology | Research associate | Restaurant manager |
A STEM CIP plus an unrelated job is how you get DSO “no” or a later site visit / H-1B specialty-occupation mismatch.
CIP mismatch and how to fix it (early)
If transcript CIP ≠ I-20 CIP:
- Ask registrar what they report to the Department of Education
- Ask DSO what SEVIS has
- Correct before OPT I-765 if the STEM path depends on it
Changing CIP because you want STEM, without the program actually being that CIP, is fraud territory. Changing CIP because the school coded you wrong is a paperwork fix.
How CIP changes the H-1B map
| CIP STEM? | Typical lottery inventory (May grad, timely STEM) |
|---|---|
| Yes + E-Verify employer | March during OPT + March during STEM (often two more) |
| No | Usually one March (H-1B lottery and cap-gap) |
STEM CIP does not change H-1B specialty occupation by itself. A listed CIP helps OPT length. The H-1B still needs a specialty occupation and a degree match to that job.
What to save in your file
- I-20 PDF showing CIP
- Transcript
- Screenshot/PDF of DHS STEM list with date and the line highlighting your code
- DSO email: “CIP ______ is eligible”
- Program name as cataloged that year
Common mistakes: STEM CIP codes
- Trusting the major name
- Using a 2016 STEM list
- Two-digit “11” instead of six-digit match
- Assuming MBA-analytics is 11.0701
- Filing STEM on a prior degree without DSO
- Relatedness ignored (sales job, CS CIP)
- CIP on department flyer ≠ SEVIS
- Waiting until 90-day STEM window to ask (I-765 filing window)
FAQ: STEM CIP codes
My diploma says Engineering. CIP is 52.xxxx. Am I STEM?
CIP wins.
The list updated after I started the program.
Eligibility is generally about the list when STEM is recommended. Ask DSO; do not assume grandfathering either way.
Can the DSO refuse even if CIP is listed?
They can refuse if the job, employer, or I-983 is not qualifying. CIP is necessary, not sufficient.
Is STEM OPT the same as a STEM designated school for other programs?
No. This is the DHS degree CIP list for STEM OPT, not every “STEM” label in higher ed.
Will a STEM CIP help the H-1B lottery odds?
Lottery rules (master’s cap, etc.) are separate from STEM OPT. A U.S. master’s can matter for cap structure; CIP matters for OPT length. Read the current year USCIS notice.
Can I change majors now to get a STEM CIP?
A real program change with a real new I-20 is a life decision. A paper-only CIP swap is not a strategy.
Official sources
Rules change. Check these primary sources before you act:
- DHS Study in the States: eligible CIP codes for the STEM OPT extension
- DHS Study in the States: STEM OPT extension eligibility
Series so far
- F-1 OPT to H-1B timeline 2026–2027
- STEM OPT, I-983, reporting
- H-1B lottery, cap-gap, if you lose
- When to file I-765 (90-day window)
- Unemployment days 90 vs 150
- Changing STEM employers
- I-983: what SEVP checks
- 6/12/24-month reports
- Asking “do you sponsor H-1B?”
- This article
- Travel on OPT, STEM, and cap-gap
- Day-1 CPT and H-1B risk
- Cap-exempt H-1B
- H-1B RFEs: specialty occupation and LCA
- Document checklist
- OPT, STEM and H-1B key dates
- OPT vs STEM vs cap-gap vs grace
Educational information for F-1 students checking STEM OPT degree eligibility. Not legal advice. Not affiliated with USCIS, DHS, ICE, SEVP, NCES, or any university. Always match your I-20 CIP to the current official DHS list and your DSO.