New STEM Fields for International Students
ICE has recently added more options in STEM Fields to the Field of Study Designated Degree Program List. This extends the list from when the Department of Homeland Security last added 22 new fields to the program on January 21, 2022. This news is welcome, as it increases the number of F-1 students eligible for the STEM OPT (Optional Practical Training) program, which allows for three years of work authorization instead of one.
The newest fields in the program include:
- Landscape Architecture;
- Institutional Research;
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering Technology/Technician;
- Composite Materials Technology/Technician;
- Linguistics and Computer Science;
- Developmental and Adolescent Psychology;
- Geospatial Intelligence; and
- Demography and Population Studies
The full list including each fields corresponding code can be found here: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/stemList2023.pdf