Office of Global Engagement
International Students and Scholars

OPT and STEM OPT Reporting

Mandatory OPT Reporting Requirements

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While on approved OPT, an F-1 student is required to report the following events within 10 days of any change:

  • Start and/or end of any employment (report through SEVP Portal, except STEM Extension students who should use the OPT Employment Update request in your OISSS Gateway portal)
  • Change in residential address (report through SEVP Portal)
  • Change in immigration status (report through Change of Status request in your OISSS Gateway portal)
  • Permanent departure from U.S. to end F-1 status (report through Complete Program/End OPT request in your OISSS Gateway portal)
  • Change in legal name or citizenship (upload a copy of your new passport in your OISSS Gateway portal and email your OISSS advisor)

If you are unable to log into your SEVP Portal account, please request assistance by submitting the SEVP OPT Portal Access request in your OISSS Gateway portal.

Please provide OISSS with a copy of your EAD by uploading it to your OISSS Gateway portal after graduation (and again upon receipt of your STEM Extension EAD, if applicable).

Additional Reporting Requirements for STEM Extension Students

Immigration regulations require that OISSS verifies whether or not any F-1 student on an approved STEM extension is participating in the employment every 6 months after the STEM extension begins. Please reply in a timely manner to emails from OISSS requesting verification so that your employment can be reported in SEVIS. Failure to respond may result in the termination of your F-1 SEVIS record. Use the STEM OPT Data Validation request in your OISSS Gateway portal to notify your DSO that your information in the SEVP portal is accurate.

Students on the STEM Extension are also required to submit an annual self-evaluation (page 5 of the I-983 Form) signed by their employer to OISSS after their first year on the STEM Extension and again at the end of their STEM Extension (either after the second year, or earlier if they change status or stop using OPT). It is the student's responsibility to remember to submit the self-evaluation to OISSS in a timely manner. Please use the OPT STEM Self-Evaluation request in your OISSS Gateway portal to submit your self-evaluation.

More information about STEM reporting can be found in the OISSS STEM OPT Video Series.