Freshness tracker · USUnited States

STEM OPT eligible fields expanded to 22 new study areas

In force Visa & immigration

DHS/SEVP expanded the STEM Designated Degree Program List by 22 new fields of study in January 2022, including several data-science, cloud-computing, and climate-science areas. The list has since been updated incrementally through 2023-2025 to reflect emerging occupational categories.

Who it affects

F-1 students pursuing newly listed STEM fields; their sponsoring employers.

Sources

Primary: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — SEVP ↗

Corroborating: Federal Register ↗

Verified 2026-04-21 · methodology · report a correction