Visas and Green Cards for STEM majors

Immigration paths for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) are increasing. 

The Department of Homeland Security has added 22 new fields of study to the STEM Optional Practice Training program. Soon-to-be graduates should check with their school with a CIP code to make sure their majors are included, as economic and business majors may also be eligible. 

After graduation, STEM majors can receive OPT for one year and extend it by another two years under the STEM OPT program, making it possible to skip having to acquire a work visa and get an employment-based green card. For context, non-STEM majors who have just one year of OPT commonly go back to school to wait for their green cards, as one year may not be long enough. 

Obtaining a O-1 visa is now also easier for STEM majors. In the past, the O-1 was typically requested by artists or athletes, but now those in medicine, science, business, fashion design, and computer-related fields can also apply. 

Unlike the H-1B visa, the O-1 visa does not have a yearly quota, but because the qualifications to receive an O-1 visa can be difficult to objectively present via documentation, it’s not an easy visa to obtain. 

Anyone hoping to acquire an O-1 visa must meet at least three of the following requirements: receipt of national or international awards for excellence in the field; membership in prominent associations in the field; evidence of written work in the field, professional journals or major media; published material that is written about your work; evidence and results of accomplishment in the scientific or academic field; your published writings related to your field; evidence in the form of letters and affidavits from prominent colleagues in your field who can confirm your contributions of significance; and evidence that you command a higher salary than others in your field. 

If a STEM major did not have time to present a thesis, you can submit material you presented at a major event instead. If you started a business, you can show evidence of your stake in the start-up company and show your future potential for high income. 

As mentioned earlier, it’s recommended for STEM majors to check to see that their field of study is included in the STEM OPT program and to speak with an expert about how to obtain work and a green card in the U.S.

Law Offices of Gary J. Kim
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