Numerous times, US president vetoed for stem cell production. Citing security reason, he is always against stem cell technology. However U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is in the favor of STEM. But this is not the steam cell, it is simply the abbreviation of Science, Technology, Engineering or Math. USA is always looking for high skilled to low skilled man power. To utilize the high skill man power, they have various visa programs. The most popular one is H1B visa program. Either they provide H1B visas to the international nationals who are staying in USA or they provide such kind of visas to the qualified people living outside the USA. These days they are having more H1B applicants than required. Last year they receive more than two fold of applicants in a single day than their annual quota. Same thing has been repeated this year.
USCIS starts receiving H1B applications from April 1 of the each year for the next financial year. It seems every year, allocated H1B quotas by USCIS going to be exhausted on the same day. So USCIS has come with temporary solutions, extending of Optional Practical Training (OPT). OPT is a work authorization which is awarded to the international students who wish to work after their graduation. At present the period of OPT is 1 year. However from April 8,2008 USCIS has adopted a policy to extend OPT period to 29 months who has STEM degree. Following things required to have this extension previlege.
1) Have completed a designated STEM degree from a U.S. colleges/ universities that participate in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
2) Be working for a U.S. employer in a job directly related to the student’s field of study.
3)Be working for, or accepted employment with, an employer enrolled in USCIS’ E-Verify program.
1) Have completed a designated STEM degree from a U.S. colleges/ universities that participate in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
2) Be working for a U.S. employer in a job directly related to the student’s field of study.
3)Be working for, or accepted employment with, an employer enrolled in USCIS’ E-Verify program.
Programs with following National Center for Education Statistics (NCES CIP) codes fall under STEM degree.
11.0101 Computer and Information Sciences, General.
11.0102 Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.
11.0103 Information Technology.
11.0201 Computer Programming/Programmer, General.
11.0202 Computer Programming, Specific Applications.
11.0203 Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification.
11.0301 Data Processing and Data Processing Technology/Technician.
11.0401 Information Science/Studies.
11.0501 Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst.
11.0701 Computer Science.
11.0801 Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design.
11.0802 Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration.
11.0803 Computer Graphics.
11.0901 Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications.
11.1001 System Administration/Administrator.
11.1002 System, Networking, and LAN/WAN Management/Manager.
11.1003 Computer and Information Systems Security.
11.1004 Web/Multimedia Management and Webmaster.
14.0101 Engineering, General.
14.0201 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering.
14.0301 Agricultural/Biological Engineering and Bioengineering.
14.0401 Architectural Engineering.
14.0501 Biomedical/Medical Engineering.
14.0601 Ceramic Sciences and Engineering.
14.0801 Civil Engineering, General.
14.0802 Geotechnical Engineering.
14.0803 Structural Engineering.
14.0804 Transportation and Highway Engineering.
14.0805 Water Resources Engineering.
14.0901 Computer Engineering, General.
14.0902 Computer Hardware Engineering.
14.0903 Computer Software Engineering.
14.1001 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering.
14.1101 Engineering Mechanics.
14.1201 Engineering Physics.
14.1301 Engineering Science.
14.1401 Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering.
14.1801 Materials Engineering.
14.1901 Mechanical Engineering.
14.2001 Metallurgical Engineering.
14.2101 Mining and Mineral Engineering.
14.2201 Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
14.2301 Nuclear Engineering.
14.2401 Ocean Engineering.
14.2501 Petroleum Engineering.
14.2701 Systems Engineering.
14.2801 Textile Sciences and Engineering.
14.3101 Materials Science.
14.3201 Polymer/Plastics Engineering.
14.3301 Construction Engineering.
14.3401 Forest Engineering.
14.3501 Industrial Engineering.
14.3601 Manufacturing Engineering.
14.3701 Operations Research.
14.3801 Surveying Engineering.
14.3901 Geological/Geophysical Engineering.
15.0000 Engineering Technology, General.
15.0101 Architectural Engineering Technology/Technician.
15.0201 Civil Engineering Technology/Technician.
15.0303 Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician.
15.0304 Laser and Optical Technology/Technician.
15.0305 Telecommunications Technology/Technician.
15.0401 Biomedical Technology/Technician.
15.0403 Electromechanical Technology/Electromechanical Engineering Technology.
15.0404 Instrumentation Technology/Technician.
15.0405 Robotics Technology/Technician.
15.0501 Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology/Technician (ACH/ACR/ACHR/HRAC/HVAC/AC Technology).
15.0503 Energy Management and Systems Technology/Technician.
15.0505 Solar Energy Technology/Technician.
15.0506 Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician.
15.0507 Environmental Engineering Technology/Environmental Technology.
15.0508 Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician.
15.0607 Plastics Engineering Technology/Technician.
15.0611 Metallurgical Technology/Technician.
15.0612 Industrial Technology/Technician.
15.0613 Manufacturing Technology/Technician.
15.0701 Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician.
15.0702 Quality Control Technology/Technician.
15.0703 Industrial Safety Technology/Technician.
15.0704 Hazardous Materials Information Systems Technology/Technician.
15.0801 Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering Technology/Technician.
15.0803 Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician.
15.0805 Mechanical Engineering/Mechanical Technology/Technician.
15.0901 Mining Technology/Technician.
15.0903 Petroleum Technology/Technician.
15.1001 Construction Engineering Technology/Technician.
15.1102 Surveying Technology/Surveying.
15.1103 Hydraulics and Fluid Power Technology/Technician.
15.1201 Computer Engineering Technology/Technician.
15.1202 Computer Technology/Computer Systems Technology.
15.1203 Computer Hardware Technology/Technician.
15.1204 Computer Software Technology/Technician.
15.1301 Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General.
15.1302 CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/Technician.
15.1303 Architectural Drafting and Architectural CAD/CADD.
15.1304 Civil Drafting and Civil Engineering CAD/CADD.
15.1305 Electrical/Electronics Drafting and Electrical/Electronics CAD/CADD.
15.1306 Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD.
15.1401 Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician.
15.1501 Engineering/Industrial Management.
26.0101 Biology/Biological Sciences, General.
26.0102 Biomedical Sciences, General.
26.0202 Biochemistry.
26.0203 Biophysics.
26.0204 Molecular Biology.
26.0205 Molecular Biochemistry.
26.0206 Molecular Biophysics.
26.0207 Structural Biology.
26.0208 Photobiology.
26.0209 Radiation Biology/Radiobiology.
26.0210 Biochemistry/Biophysics and Molecular Biology.
26.0301 Botany/Plant Biology.
26.0305 Plant Pathology/Phytopathology.
26.0307 Plant Physiology.
26.0308 Plant Molecular Biology.
26.0401 Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology.
26.0403 Anatomy.
26.0404 Developmental Biology and Embryology.
26.0405 Neuroanatomy.
26.0406 Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology.
26.0407 Cell Biology and Anatomy.
26.0502 Microbiology, General.
26.0503 Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology.
26.0504 Virology.
26.0505 Parasitology.
26.0506 Mycology.
26.0507 Immunology.
26.0701 Zoology/Animal Biology.
26.0702 Entomology.
26.0707 Animal Physiology.
26.0708 Animal Behavior and Ethology.
26.0709 Wildlife Biology.
26.0801 Genetics, General.
26.0802 Molecular Genetics.
26.0803 Microbial and Eukaryotic Genetics.
26.0804 Animal Genetics.
26.0805 Plant Genetics.
26.0806 Human/Medical Genetics.
26.0901 Physiology, General.
26.0902 Molecular Physiology.
26.0903 Cell Physiology.
26.0904 Endocrinology.
26.0905 Reproductive Biology.
26.0906 Neurobiology and Neurophysiology.
26.0907 Cardiovascular Science.
26.0908 Exercise Physiology.
26.0909 Vision Science/Physiological Optics.
26.0910 Pathology/Experimental Pathology.
26.0911 Oncology and Cancer Biology.
26.1001 Pharmacology.
26.1002 Molecular Pharmacology.
26.1003 Neuropharmacology.
26.1004 Toxicology.
26.1005 Molecular Toxicology.
26.1006 Environmental Toxicology.
26.1007 Pharmacology and Toxicology.
26.1101 Biometry/Biometrics.
26.1102 Biostatistics.
26.1103 Bioinformatics.
26.1201 Biotechnology.
26.1301 Ecology.
26.1302 Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography.
26.1303 Evolutionary Biology.
26.1304 Aquatic Biology/Limnology.
26.1305 Environmental Biology.
26.1306 Population Biology.
26.1307 Conservation Biology.
26.1308 Systematic Biology/Biological Systematics.
26.1309 Epidemiology.
27.0101 Mathematics, General.
27.0102 Algebra and Number Theory.
27.0103 Analysis and Functional Analysis.
27.0104 Geometry/Geometric Analysis.
27.0105 Topology and Foundations.
27.0301 Applied Mathematics.
27.0303 Computational Mathematics.
27.0501 Statistics, General.
27.0502 Mathematical Statistics and Probability.
29.0101 Military Technologies.
40.0101 Physical Sciences.
40.0201 Astronomy.
40.0202 Astrophysics.
40.0203 Planetary Astronomy and Science.
40.0401 Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General.
40.0402 Atmospheric Chemistry and Climatology.
40.0403 Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics.
40.0404 Meteorology.
40.0501 Chemistry, General.
40.0502 Analytical Chemistry.
40.0503 Inorganic Chemistry.
40.0504 Organic Chemistry.
40.0506 Physical and Theoretical Chemistry.
40.0507 Polymer Chemistry.
40.0508 Chemical Physics.
40.0601 Geology/Earth Science, General.
40.0602 Geochemistry.
40.0603 Geophysics and Seismology.
40.0604 Paleontology.
40.0605 Hydrology and Water Resources Science.
40.0606 Geochemistry and Petrology.
40.0607 Oceanography, Chemical and Physical.
40.0801 Physics, General.
40.0802 Atomic/Molecular Physics.
40.0804 Elementary Particle Physics.
40.0805 Plasma and High-Temperature Physics.
40.0806 Nuclear Physics.
40.0807 Optics/Optical Sciences.
40.0808 Solid State and Low-Temperature Physics.
40.0809 Acoustics.
40.0810 Theoretical and Mathematical Physics.
41.0101 Biology Technician/Biotechnology Laboratory Technician.
41.0204 Industrial Radiologic Technology/Technician.
41.0205 Nuclear/Nuclear Power Technology/Technician.
41.0301 Chemical Technology/Technician.
51.0101 Chiropractic (DC).
52.1304 Actuarial Science.
source: www.ice.gov
