STEM OPT Extension Reporting Requirements

F-1 Students on an approved period of STEM OPT must abide by specific reporting requirements. All changes/updates must be reported within 10-days of the change. 

  • Report in the SEVP Portal  or via myOGS 
  • Any change in legal name must be reported to OGS via the submission of a new Form I-983

Report any material changes to your employment by submitting an updated Form I-983 in myOGS. Updates include but are not limited to:  

  • Change to Employer Identification Number 
  • Reduction in your compensation that is not tied to a reduction in hours worked 
  • Significant decrease in your work hours per week 
  • Loss of employment  
  • Change to employer name or address
  • Other material changes as determined by your employer 

Any updates to supervisor information and job title may be self-reported through the SEVP Portal.

  • Report a new employer by submitting the Employer Update Form for Students on STEM OPT.  
  • You must also submit the “Final Evaluation on Student Progress” section of the Form I-983 for your previous STEM employer 
    • This form will require you to upload the completed and signed I-983 for your new employer, as well as the I-983 from your previous employer with the “Final Evaluation on Student Progress” section (found on the bottom half of page 5) completed 
  • Find more information below under: “Changing Employers During the STEM Extension” 
  • If your application for a STEM Extension EAD is still pending with USCIS and you have not yet received your EAD you can find more information below under “Changing Employers During the STEM Extension”

Report 6-month validations and self-evaluations by submitting the STEM Validation (6, 12, 18 and 24 months) form in myOGS. This occurs 6-months, 12-months, 18-months, and 24-months from the start date of your STEM Extension. 

Employment During the STEM OPT Extension

It is the responsibility of the student to determine if the potential employment is related to their program of study and to report all employment to OGS via the appropriate e-form.

The following criteria must be met when you engage in work during the STEM OPT Extension:

  • You may not work part-time for any employer (20 or less hours/week). Working for more than one employer is only permitted if each job is more than 20 hours per week
  • All work must be directly related to your program of study
  • Self-employment is not permitted

Your employer must meet the following criteria to be eligible to hire you while on the STEM OPT Extension:

  • The employer(s) must be an E-Verify employer
  • The employer(s) and the F-1 student must complete the Form I-983 together
  • The employment must constitute a bona fide employer-employee relationship. The employer that signs the Form I-983 must be the same entity that employs the student and provides the practical training experience. You can read more about what constitutes an employer-employee relationship via the STEM OPT guidelines provided by USCIS.
  • The employment must be paid. Volunteering/unpaid employment is not permitted as reportable employment during the STEM OPT Extension

If you have questions about whether your employment arrangement meets STEM eligibility requirements, please consult with your employer and legal counsel (Please refer to Study in the States for information regarding STEM eligibility requirements).

6, 12, 18, & 24-Month Validation Reporting Requirements

Every six months during your STEM Extension (at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months), you are required to submit a validation report to confirm your employment information and contact information. Validation reports may be submitted as early as 30 days before the due date. Validations submitted to OGS by the due date are considered “timely” submitted and students should await confirmation from OGS that their validation report has been submitted to SEVP.

All validations must be reported directly to OGS via the STEM Validation e-form

Confirm to OGS the validity of the following information: legal name, residential address, employer name and address, job title, and status of current employment 

Confirm to OGS the validity of the following information: legal name, residential address, employer name and address, job title, and status of current employment  

Submit the Form I-983 with “Evaluation on Student Progress” section (top half of page 5 of the I-983) completed and signed

  • If signing digitally, parties may sign all signature fields on the Form I-983 using electronic signatures produced with software programs or applications or use digitally reproduced copies of a signature.
    • Typed signatures on the I-983 will not be accepted

Note: Even if you have not completed 12 months of employment with your current employer you must still submit the 12-month evaluation  

Confirm to OGS the validity of the following information: legal name, residential address, employer name and address, job title, and status of current employment 

Confirm to OGS the validity of the following information: legal name, residential address, employer name and address, job title, and status of current employment 

Submit the Form I-983 with “Final Evaluation on Student Progress” section (bottom half of page 5 of the I-983) completed and signed

  • If signing digitally, parties may sign all signature fields on the Form I-983 using electronic signatures produced with software programs or applications or use digitally reproduced copies of a signature.
    • Typed signatures on the I-983 will not be accepted

Note: If you leave an employer at any time during the 24-month STEM Extension you must also complete the “Final Evaluation on Student Progress” section for each employer

Note: If you have more than one employer while on the STEM Extension, you will need to submit validation reports for each employer. Please use the “Additional Comments” section in the STEM Validation e-form to make a note of this so the assigned OGS advisor can reach out to you directly for confirmation, as the e-form will only allow reporting on one employer. 

Failure to Report 

There typically are no immediate consequences for failing to submit the validation reports. However, there are two potential consequences for missing these reporting requirements: 

  1. An automatic system termination of your SEVIS record for “Failure to Report While on OPT” is possible. This decision is at the discretion of USCIS/SEVP officials. Note: OGS will NOT terminate your record due to a missed validation report
  2. USCIS/SEVP may question your failure to submit validation reports during an application for future immigration benefits (e.g. H-1B). Your attorney would be advised to assist you with these inquiries

Even if you know that you missed the deadline and that your STEM Validation e-form will be denied, the OGS recommends submitting the e-form anyways as evidence that you made an effort to comply with the reporting requirements. 

Changing Employers During the STEM Extension

You may decide to change employers while your STEM OPT Extension is pending with USCIS and/or after the STEM OPT Extension has been approved by USCIS. Anytime you decide to change employers, you must report all changes within 10-days.

Changing employers while your STEM OPT application is pending can cause delays and complications, so it is generally not recommended. However, if that you do need to change your employer while your application is pending, the new employer must also be enrolled in the E-Verify program and the position must meet all STEM requirements. You must report the change of employer to USCIS by doing the following: 

  1. The new employer and the student must complete a new Form I-983 
  2. The student must submit the STEM Extension I-20 Request to OGS and select the option ‘My STEM is pending and my employer has changed’
    • This e-form will require you to upload the completed I-983 for your new employer as well as the I-983 for your previous employer with the “Final Evaluation on Student Progress” section completed 
  3. If you applied online, submit the following documents to USCIS via the myUSCIS account by uploading them under “Your Cases” > “Documents”> Unsolicited Evidence
    • Copy of STEM OPT I-20 with new employer information (remember to sign the I-20!)
    • Letter of explanation regarding the employer change including USCIS receipt number, your full name, the new employer’s name, and the employer’s E-Verify information
  4. If you applied using a paper application, Send the documents listed below to USCIS (to the address on the STEM OPT application receipt notice, not to the lock-box address where the original application was mailed)
    • Letter of explanation regarding the employer change including USCIS receipt number, your full name, the new employer’s name, and the employer’s E-Verify information
    • Copy of USCIS receipt notice  
    • Copy of STEM OPT I-20 with new employer information (remember to sign the I-20!)
  1. The new employer must be enrolled in the E-Verify program 
  2. The new employer and the student must complete a new Form I-983 
  3. The student and their previous employer will need to complete the “Final Evaluation on Student Progress” on the Form I-983 for your previous employer
  4. The student must submit the STEM Extension Employer Update e-form to OGS 

Additional Requirements While on the STEM OPT Extension

If you travel outside the U.S. or its territories during the approved STEM OPT extension period, to re-enter the country, you must present the following documents at the port of entry:

  • A passport which should be valid for at least six months from the date you return to the U.S. and your unexpired F-1 visa stamp
  • I-20 with a valid travel signature (While you are participating in OPT, travel signatures are valid for only 6 months)
  • Your Employment Authorization Document card for STEM OPT extension*
  • Proof of employment
    • If you are not currently employed, you should not travel outside of the U.S. as you may be denied entry by Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

*If your STEM OPT application is pending and you plan to travel abroad, please make sure your Post-OPT Employment Authorization Document is still valid. If your Post-OPT Employment Authorization Document is already expired, traveling abroad is NOT recommended.

If you travel during your OPT or STEM period and your F-1 visa has expired, you will need to obtain a new F-1 visa. While on OPT/STEM, you are still considered to be an F-1 student. Expect to show similar documents as the first time you applied for your visa (check with your local US embassy for requirements). Additionally, you should have your valid STEM EAD card, I-20 with STEM recommendation on page 2 and travel signature within 6 months, passport valid within 6 months, and proof of employment. Please see Renewing your F-1 visa for further instructions on how to renew your visa.

While recreational or avocational study is permissible during the STEM OPT extension, students cannot pursue a degree-seeking program while simultaneously working on the STEM Extension. You should speak with a DSO in OGS to make sure your study qualifies. U.S. Federal Regulations state that employment authorization is automatically terminated when a student begins study at another education level or transfers to another school.

You must submit your I-983 with the Final Evaluation via the Request to Complete STEM OPT and SEVIS Record e-form 

  • OGS will maintain this final evaluation in your internal record. We will not be able to report the submission to SEVIS

If you are changing to H-1B status you must submit the H-1B Status Change Reporting e-form. Your submission should include your I-983 with the Final Evaluation.

  • OGS will maintain this final evaluation in your internal record. We will not be able to report the submission to SEVIS  

If you are changing to permanent residency, you must submit the Switching to Permanant Residency e-form

  • OGS will maintain this final evaluation in your internal record. We will not be able to report the submission to SEVIS

You must submit your I-983 with the Final Evaluation via the I-983 Updates and Self-Evaluations e-form 

  • OGS will maintain this final evaluation in your internal record. We will not be able to report the submission to SEVIS

You must request to have your SEVIS record transferred or request a Change of Degree Level I-20

Unemployment During the STEM OPT Extension

You are permitted 60-days of unemployment during the STEM Extension period. This is in addition to the 90-days of unemployment that you are granted during the Post-OPT period; up to 150 days of total unemployment. While on STEM OPT you may use unused unemployment days from your Post-OPT period. 

If you are not currently employed, you should not travel outside of the U.S. as you may be denied entry by Customs and Border Protection.

Invalidating your STEM OPT Extension

Your STEM OPT Extension will be invalidated/terminated if you:

  • Transfer your SEVIS record to a new college or university 
  • Change your immigration/visa status 
  • Enter the U.S. using any visa status other than an F-1 
  • Violate your F-1 student status 
  • Start a new program of study
    • While recreational or avocational study is permissible during the STEM Extension period, students cannot pursue a new degree-seeking program while simultaneously working on STEM OPT.

SEVP Portal

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Portal remains available for you while on the STEM Extension to report changes to your address, telephone number, and employer information.

While on the STEM Extension, you may also use the SEVP Portal to update general employer information including: 

  • Supervisor name and contact information 
  • Job title 
  • Description of how job is related to major 

However, you may not: 

  • Edit your employer’s name and address 
  • Add a new employer or remove an existing employer 
  • Edit EIN (Employment Identification Number) 
  • Edit employer start date (end date may be edited) 

If you experience any of the following issues, you must complete the STEM OPT Issue Reporting e-form: 

  • SEVP portal is inactive even though your STEM Extension has been approved and you received your EAD 
  • You are locked out of SEVP Portal 
  • You are unable to log into SEVP Portal 

More Resources 

Access your SEVP Portal 

Learn more about/get help with the SEVP Portal 

Key Resources

STEM Validation (6, 12, 18 and 24 months) »

This form is to submit the 6-month validations during your STEM OPT.

I-983 Updates and Final Evaluations »

This e-form is to report material changes to your current employer via an updated Form I-983 Training Plan while STEM OPT.

STEM OPT Issue Reporting Form »

This form is designed for students who have already submitted their STEM OPT application to USCIS and have encountered one of the following issues:

  • STEM OPT packet rejected/returned
  • STEM OPT application denied
  • Received Request for Evidence (RFE) from USCIS
  • Application pending more than 5.5 months
  • Request to withdraw STEM OPT application
  • Request to cancel STEM OPT (prior to sending application to USCIS)
  • Locked out of SEVP Portal
  • Never received SEVP Portal Account Creation Email/Link In Email has Expired
  • STEM OPT status shows inactive in Portal but already received an EAD with C3C category