The purpose of the I-983 Training Plan is to guarantee educational advantages for F-1 students during their practical training engagements.

Both you and your employer are required to fill out and sign Form I-983. ISS is not authorized to offer guidance to employers regarding the I-983 Training Plan prerequisites.

Refer to the guidelines for the I-983 Training Plan provided by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

Related Post: Questions for STEM OPT Extension

Tips for Complete Form I-983:

Designated School Official (DSO) Name and Contact Information

Select any name from the DSO advising team: Reach out to your DSO to verify that you provide accurate information.

Qualifying Major and Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Code

The CIP code can be located at the top of the third page of your I-20. It consists of 6 digits (xx.xxxx). Once you locate your code, you can reference the complete list of eligible individual CIP codes for the STEM extension.

Date Awarded (Degree Date)

To use your degree for your STEM OPT extension, access your student portal page. You can obtain your “Unofficial Transcript.” The date of your degree completion is shown at the bottom of the transcript.

Employment Authorization Number

This is the USCIS number found on your Employment Authorization Document (EAD card). The SEVP Training Plan slides mention the “A” number. However, EADs issued after October 24, 2011, do not include the “A” prefix before this number.

Employer Information:

I-983 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 pertain to the specific details of the plan itself. The form indicates that “employers who already have an internal or pre-existing training plan in place may complete these fields based on that plan.” We recommend consulting the Study in the States tutorial guidance for assistance with these questions.

Evaluation

You can leave this page blank when submitting your I-983 Training Plan to ISS for your STEM OPT extension I-20 request. Remember to complete these I-983 self evaluation annually throughout your STEM OPT extension period; make a note on your calendar.