Most F-1 foreign students studying in the United States are eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) at the conclusion of their studies. This OPT is granted for a period of one year, and requires that the student work in a field related to the student’s major area of study. Some students are also eligible for OPT before they complete their course of study, but times in OPT before completion of their studies is deducted from the one year of OPT after the conclusion of their studies.
Students who major in certain majors in science, technology, engineering, or math, are eligible to extend their OPT for an additional 17 months as long as they comply with all other OPT requirements and their employer is using E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of its new hires.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has published a list of the majors that qualify for the 17-month extension of OPT. The current list of majors, in alphabetical order is:
| Alphabetical Order CIP Code Title | CIP Code |
| Acoustics. | 40.0809 |
| Actuarial Science | 52.1304 |
| Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering Technology/Technician. | 15.0801 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. | 14.0201 |
| Agricultural/Biological Engineering and Bioengineering. | 14.0301 |
| Algebra and Number Theory. | 27.0102 |
| Analysis and Functional Analysis. | 27.0103 |
| Analytical Chemistry. | 40.0502 |
| Anatomy. | 26.0403 |
| Animal Behavior and Ethology. | 26.0708 |
| Animal Genetics. | 26.0804 |
| Animal Physiology. | 26.0707 |
| Applied Mathematics. | 27.0301 |
| Aquatic Biology/Limnology. | 26.1304 |
| Architectural Drafting and Architectural CAD/CADD. | 15.1303 |
| Architectural Engineering Technology/Technician. | 15.0101 |
| Architectural Engineering. | 14.0401 |
| Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. | 11.0102 |
| Astronomy. | 40.0201 |
| Astrophysics. | 40.0202 |
| Atmospheric Chemistry and Climatology. | 40.0402 |
| Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics. | 40.0403 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General. | 40.0401 |
| Atomic/Molecular Physics. | 40.0802 |
| Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician. | 15.0803 |
| Biochemistry. | 26.0202 |
| Biochemistry/Biophysics and Molecular Biology. | 26.0210 |
| Bioinformatics. | 26.1103 |
| Biology Technician/Biotechnology Laboratory Technician. | 41.0101 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General. | 26.0101 |
| Biomedical Sciences, General. | 26.0102 |
| Biomedical Technology/Technician. | 15.0401 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering. | 14.0501 |
| Biometry/Biometrics. | 26.1101 |
| Biophysics. | 26.0203 |
| Biostatistics. | 26.1102 |
| Biotechnology. | 26.1201 |
| Botany/Plant Biology. | 26.0301 |
| CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/Technician. | 15.1302 |
| Cardiovascular Science. | 26.0907 |
| Cell Biology and Anatomy. | 26.0407 |
| Cell Physiology. | 26.0903 |
| Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology. | 26.0406 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology. | 26.0401 |
| Ceramic Sciences and Engineering. | 14.0601 |
| Chemical Engineering. | 14.0701 |
| Chemical Physics. | 40.0508 |
| Chemical Technology/Technician. | 41.0301 |
| Chemistry, General. | 40.0501 |
| Civil Drafting and Civil Engineering CAD/CADD. | 15.1304 |
| Civil Engineering Technology/Technician. | 15.0201 |
| Civil Engineering, General. | 14.0801 |
| Computational Mathematics. | 27.0303 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General. | 11.0101 |
| Computer and Information Systems Security. | 11.1003 |
| Computer Engineering Technology/Technician. | 15.1201 |
| Computer Engineering, General. | 14.0901 |
| Computer Graphics. | 11.0803 |
| Computer Hardware Engineering. | 14.0902 |
| Computer Hardware Technology/Technician. | 15.1203 |
| Computer Programming, Specific Applications. | 11.0202 |
| Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification. | 11.0203 |
| Computer Programming/Programmer, General. | 11.0201 |
| Computer Science. | 11.0701 |
| Computer Software Engineering. | 14.0903 |
| Computer Software Technology/Technician. | 15.1204 |
| Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst. | 11.0501 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications. | 11.0901 |
| Computer Technology/Computer Systems Technology. | 15.1202 |
| Conservation Biology. | 26.1307 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician. | 15.1001 |
| Construction Engineering. | 14.3301 |
| Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration. | 11.0802 |
| Data Processing and Data Processing Technology/Technician. | 11.0301 |
| Developmental Biology and Embryology. | 26.0404 |
| Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General. | 15.1301 |
| Ecology. | 26.1301 |
| Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician. | 15.0303 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering. | 14.1001 |
| Electrical/Electronics Drafting and Electrical/Electronics CAD/CADD. | 15.1305 |
| Electromechanical Technology/Electromechanical Engineering Technology. | 15.0403 |
| Elementary Particle Physics. | 40.0804 |
| Endocrinology. | 26.0904 |
| Energy Management and Systems Technology/Technician. | 15.0503 |
| Engineering Mechanics. | 14.1101 |
| Engineering Physics. | 14.1201 |
| Engineering Science. | 14.1301 |
| Engineering Technology, General. | 15.0000 |
| Engineering, General. | 14.0101 |
| Engineering/Industrial Management. | 15.1501 |
| Entomology. | 26.0702 |
| Environmental Biology. | 26.1305 |
| Environmental Engineering Technology/Environmental Technology. | 15.0507 |
| Environmental Toxicology. | 26.1006 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering. | 14.1401 |
| Epidemiology. | 26.1309 |
| Evolutionary Biology. | 26.1303 |
| Exercise Physiology. | 26.0908 |
| Forest Engineering. | 14.3401 |
| Genetics, General. | 26.0801 |
| Geochemistry and Petrology. | 40.0606 |
| Geochemistry. | 40.0602 |
| Geological/Geophysical Engineering. | 14.3901 |
| Geology/Earth Science, General. | 40.0601 |
| Geometry/Geometric Analysis. | 27.0104 |
| Geophysics and Seismology. | 40.0603 |
| Geotechnical Engineering. | 14.0802 |
| Hazardous Materials Information Systems Technology/Technician. | 15.0704 |
| Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician. | 15.0508 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology/Technician (ACH/ACR/ACHR/HRAC/HVAC/AC Technology). | 15.0501 |
| Human/Medical Genetics. | 26.0806 |
| Hydraulics and Fluid Power Technology/Technician. | 15.1103 |
| Hydrology and Water Resources Science. | 40.0605 |
| Immunology. | 26.0507 |
| Industrial Engineering. | 14.3501 |
| Industrial Radiologic Technology/Technician. | 41.0204 |
| Industrial Safety Technology/Technician. | 15.0703 |
| Industrial Technology/Technician. | 15.0612 |
| Information Science/Studies. | 11.0401 |
| Information Technology. | 11.0103 |
| Inorganic Chemistry. | 40.0503 |
| Instrumentation Technology/Technician. | 15.0404 |
| Laser and Optical Technology/Technician. | 15.0304 |
| Manufacturing Engineering. | 14.3601 |
| Manufacturing Technology/Technician. | 15.0613 |
| Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography. | 26.1302 |
| Materials Engineering. | 14.1801 |
| Materials Science. | 14.3101 |
| Mathematical Statistics and Probability. | 27.0502 |
| Mathematics, General. | 27.0101 |
| Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD. | 15.1306 |
| Mechanical Engineering. | 14.1901 |
| Mechanical Engineering/Mechanical Technology/Technician. | 15.0805 |
| Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology. | 26.0503 |
| Medical Scientist (MS, PhD). | 51.1401 |
| Metallurgical Engineering. | 14.2001 |
| Metallurgical Technology/Technician. | 15.0611 |
| Meteorology. | 40.0404 |
| Microbial and Eukaryotic Genetics. | 26.0803 |
| Microbiology, General. | 26.0502 |
| Military Technologies. | 29.0101 |
| Mining and Mineral Engineering. | 14.2101 |
| Mining Technology/Technician. | 15.0901 |
| Molecular Biochemistry. | 26.0205 |
| Molecular Biology. | 26.0204 |
| Molecular Biophysics. | 26.0206 |
| Molecular Genetics. | 26.0802 |
| Molecular Pharmacology. | 26.1002 |
| Molecular Physiology. | 26.0902 |
| Molecular Toxicology. | 26.1005 |
| Mycology. | 26.0506 |
| Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. | 14.2201 |
| Neuroanatomy. | 26.0405 |
| Neurobiology and Neurophysiology. | 26.0906 |
| Neuropharmacology. | 26.1003 |
| Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician. | 15.1401 |
| Nuclear Engineering. | 14.2301 |
| Nuclear Physics. | 40.0806 |
| Nuclear/Nuclear Power Technology/Technician. | 41.0205 |
| Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician. | 15.0701 |
| Ocean Engineering. | 14.2401 |
| Oceanography, Chemical and Physical. | 40.0607 |
| Oncology and Cancer Biology. | 26.0911 |
| Operations Research. | 14.3701 |
| Optics/Optical Sciences. | 40.0807 |
| Organic Chemistry. | 40.0504 |
| Paleontology. | 40.0604 |
| Parasitology. | 26.0505 |
| Pathology/Experimental Pathology. | 26.0910 |
| Petroleum Engineering. | 14.2501 |
| Petroleum Technology/Technician. | 15.0903 |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology. | 26.1007 |
| Pharmacology. | 26.1001 |
| Photobiology. | 26.0208 |
| Physical and Theoretical Chemistry. | 40.0506 |
| Physical Sciences. | 40.0101 |
| Physics, General. | 40.0801 |
| Physiology, General. | 26.0901 |
| Planetary Astronomy and Science. | 40.0203 |
| Plant Genetics. | 26.0805 |
| Plant Molecular Biology. | 26.0308 |
| Plant Pathology/Phytopathology. | 26.0305 |
| Plant Physiology. | 26.0307 |
| Plasma and High-Temperature Physics. | 40.0805 |
| Plastics Engineering Technology/Technician. | 15.0607 |
| Polymer Chemistry. | 40.0507 |
| Polymer/Plastics Engineering. | 14.3201 |
| Population Biology. | 26.1306 |
| Quality Control Technology/Technician. | 15.0702 |
| Radiation Biology/Radiobiology. | 26.0209 |
| Reproductive Biology. | 26.0905 |
| Robotics Technology/Technician. | 15.0405 |
| Solar Energy Technology/Technician. | 15.0505 |
| Solid State and Low-Temperature Physics. | 40.0808 |
| Statistics, General. | 27.0501 |
| Structural Biology. | 26.0207 |
| Structural Engineering. | 14.0803 |
| Surveying Engineering. | 14.3801 |
| Surveying Technology/Surveying. | 15.1102 |
| System Administration/Administrator. | 11.1001 |
| System, Networking and LAN/WAN Management/Manager. | 11.1002 |
| Systematic Biology/Biological Systematics. | 26.1308 |
| Systems Engineering. | 14.2701 |
| Telecommunications Technology/Technician. | 15.0305 |
| Textile Sciences and Engineering. | 14.2801 |
| Theoretical and Mathematical Physics. | 40.0810 |
| Topology and Foundations. | 27.0105 |
| Toxicology. | 26.1004 |
| Transportation and Highway Engineering. | 14.0804 |
| Virology. | 26.0504 |
| Vision Science/Physiological Optics. | 26.0909 |
| Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician. | 15.0506 |
| Water Resources Engineering. | 14.0805 |
| Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design. | 11.0801 |
| Web/Multimedia Management and Webmaster. | 11.1004 |
| Wildlife Biology. | 26.0709 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology. | 26.0701 |
