Reporting Requirements
F-1 Students on an approved period of Post-OPT must abide by specific reporting requirements. All changes/updates must be reported to Student and Exchange Visitor Program Portal (SEVP Portal). You will receive an email with instructions on creating your SEVP Portal once your Post-OPT has been approved and within a few days of the start date on their EAD.
The following must be reported to the SEVP Portal within 10-days of the change or update:
- Changes to your address or contact information
- Report your updated address in the SEVP Portal and in OPT Central in myOGS (Post-OPT Address Updates e-form)
- While all changes made in the SEVP Portal will be reflected in SEVIS, updates submitted to myOGS will serve as confirmation that you have reported your updated address to a DSO
- Report your updated address in the SEVP Portal and in OPT Central in myOGS (Post-OPT Address Updates e-form)
- New employment
- Name of company
- Address of company
- This is the address from where you are conducting your work
- Start and end dates with company
- Description of how the work is related to your course of study/major
- Changes to your current employment
- e.g. Starting or ending employment, changing from full-time to part-time employment, change to employer’s address, etc.
If for any reason you are unable to report via the SEVP Portal, you may report your changes/updates and any issues with the SEVP Portal to OGS via the OPT Issue Reporting e-form found on the Optional Practical Training Central page in myOGS.
Employment during Post-OPT
It is the responsibility of the student to determine if the potential employment is related to his/her program of study and to report all employment to SEVP.
The following criteria must be met when you engage in work during Post-OPT:
- You must work a minimum of 20 hours per week
- Each day (including weekends) during the period of the OPT authorization where you do not have qualifying employment counts as a day of unemployment.
- All work must be directly related to your program of study
When considering work opportunities, the following employment types are permissible for OPT:
- Paid or unpaid employment
- Multiple employers: you may work for multiple employers while on Post-OPT. All work obtained must be directly related to your program of study
- Work for hire: This is often referred to as 1099 employment. You can contract yourself out to a company. (This is similar to working as a freelancer)
- Self-employed/business owner: You may start your own business. (Consult with a lawyer in order to find out what is needed to start a company)
- Employment through an agency or consulting firm: You may work for a placement agency or consulting firm. (This experience will usually involve temporary or contract work)
- Volunteering: Students on Post-OPT may work as volunteers as long as the work is related to their major field of study and does not violate labor laws
Note: Guidelines for STEM employers differ; please review our STEM OPT page for more information.
Failure to Report
It is your personal responsibility to provide all contact and employment information to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Portal. Failing to report Post-OPT employment and/or changes to your employment may result in the automatic termination of your SEVIS record.
Additional Requirements While on Post-OPT
Students on Post-Completion OPT are still in F-1 status and must maintain all F-1 eligibility documents in order to travel abroad. In order to re-enter the U.S., the following documents are required:
- A passport that is valid for 6 months from the date of your return to the U.S.
- A valid F-1 student visa
- A valid I-20 with OPT recommendation and a valid travel signature on page 2*
- *Travel signatures are valid for 6 months while you are on OPT.
- A valid EAD
- Proof of employment (an offer letter can be used)
- If you are not currently employed, we do not recommend traveling outside of the U.S. as re-entry to the U.S. is granted at the discretion of Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
Given the information above, travel before an EAD card has been approved and received is not advisable. Note: If you depart the U.S. before your OPT application has been filed, received, and receipted by the USCIS, you become ineligible to apply for Post-Completion OPT if your program has ended.
Please see OGS’ page on International Travel for more information
While recreational or avocational study is permissible during the Post-Completion OPT period, students cannot pursue a new degree-seeking program while simultaneously working on Post-Completion OPT. You should speak with a DSO in OGS to see if your studies would qualify. U.S. Federal Regulations state that employment authorization is automatically terminated when a student begins study at another education level or transfers their SEVIS record to another school.
You must submit the Request to Complete Optional Practical Training & SEVIS Record e-form with a copy of a flight itinerary indicating you have/will depart the U.S.
You must report this change to the OGS using the appropriate e-form.
- You must update your employment end date in the SEVP portal.
- You must request to have your SEVIS record transferred or request a Change of Degree Level I-20
Unemployment During Post-OPT
You are permitted to have up to 90 days of unemployment during the Post-OPT period (within the dates of authorization on your EAD). If you exceed 90 days of unemployment, then you are considered out of status; there is no additional grace period after these 90 days. These 90 days will start accruing from the start date listed on your EAD and will stop once you begin working and update your employment in the SEVP Portal.
Please note that you are permitted 90 days total throughout your Post-Completion OPT period, and if you are eligible and approved for STEM OPT, any days of unemployment that you did not use during your Post-Completion OPT period may be carried over to your STEM 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
Exceeding Unemployment Days
If employment is not updated in the SEVP Portal within 90 days of the start date on your EAD card, or you accrue more than 90 days of unemployment during your Post-OPT period, your SEVIS record may be automatically terminated. It is your responsibility to keep a personal record of all OPT activity.
Invalidating your Post-OPT
Your Post-OPT 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 Post-Completion OPT period, students cannot pursue a new degree-seeking program while simultaneously working on Post-Completion OPT.
SEVP Portal
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Portal is a tool for you as an F-1 student to report your contact information and employer information directly to SEVIS while on Post-Completion OPT. You will be able to see your information in the portal as it is reported in SEVIS and will be able to update it as needed. You will be able to make changes to your address, telephone number, and employer information.
If you experience any of the following issues, you must complete the OPT Issue Reporting section of OGS Post-Completion OPT Central:
- Your SEVP portal is inactive even though your Post-OPT 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
- If you are on the STEM Extension and need to update employer information, please review the details on this page.