STEM (OPT) students have reporting obligations. All students in OPT and OPT STEM must report any change of residential address, legal name, telephone number, email address, and interruptions of employment within 10 days.

Length of unemployment permitted: Students who are granted a 24-month STEM OPT extension are permitted 60 days of unemployment. In order to avoid accumulating unlawful presence in the U.S., you may leave the U.S. prior to the 60 days of unemployment, transfer to a new academic program or seek assistance from a Board Certified Immigration Attorney about other options.

Validating SEVIS Information - The 6-month Reporting

Every six months a student must work with their DSO to confirm that the student's record in SEVIS accurately reflects their current circumstance. As part of this six-month reporting, STEM OPT students must confirm that their SEVIS information correctly identifies their:
 

• Legal name.
• Residential or mailing address.
• Employer name and address.
• Status of current employment.

STEM OPT students who have opened SEVP Portal accounts will receive a reminder via email 30 days before any validation report is due. Please note that STEM OPT students must report a change in this information, including any loss of employment, within 10 days of the change.

Annual Self-Evaluations

Each STEM OPT student must complete and submit to their DSO an annual self-evaluation describing the progress of the training experience. The student must submit the assessments for the stated periods:
 

1. Initial: 12 months after the STEM OPT start date, and a 
2. Final assessment that recaps the training and knowledge acquired during the complete, 24-month training period.

STEM OPT students who have opened SEVP Portal accounts will receive a reminder via email 30 days before their self-evaluation is due. A student must complete an I-983 evaluation at the conclusion of the training (employment) opportunity; usually this is a final evaluation due at 24 months, but possible any time during the period of authorized employment when employment ends. This final evaluation must be submitted within 10 days following the conclusion of the training (employment) opportunity.

Not submitting a final evaluation would be a violation of the terms of the Form I-983, “Training Plan for STEM OPT Students,” and may jeopardize the student’s nonimmigrant status.

Students and their employers must sign the student's self-evaluation before the student submits it to their DSO, who will include it in the student's record. For more information about the annual self-evaluation, please visit the Students and the Form I-983 page.

Material Changes to an Existing I-983

Each STEM OPT student must report to their DSO any material changes to, or material deviations from, the student's formal training plan. Material changes or deviations from the original Form I-983 may include, but are not limited to:
 

• Any change of the employer’s EIN resulting from a change in the employer’s ownership or structure, such as a corporate restructuring.
• Any reduction in student compensation that is not tied to a reduction in hours worked.
• Any significant decrease in hours per week that a student engages in a STEM training opportunity.      
• Any decrease in the number of hours worked.
• Changes to the employer’s commitments or student’s learning objectives as documented on the Form I-983.

So long as the STEM OPT student and employer meet the regulatory requirements and the modified Form I-983 meets the specified requirements, the student’s employment authorization will not cease based on a change to the plan.

Click the specific links below to complete your OPT STEM reporting:

STEM 6 Month Validation Reporting (no I-983)

• If no employment information change, report it on the SEVP Portal; 
• If there is change in employment and employer information, report it via the ISSS Reporting Form.
• The ISSS Advisor may reach out to you if the changes require a new I-983.

STEM 12 Month Validation Reporting

• If no employment information change, report it on the SEVP Portal; 
• If there is change in employment and employer information, report it via the ISSS Reporting Form.
• The ISSS Advisor may reach out to you if the changes require a new I-983.

STEM Annual Self Evaluation Year 1

• Submit this request and upload page 5 of form I-983 with the "Evaluation of Student Progress" completed only. Select the Documents tab and the ISSS OPT STEM Docs option under Upload New Documents.

STEM 18 Month Validation Reporting 

• If no employment information change, report it on the SEVP Portal; 
• If there is change in employment and employer information, report it via the ISSS Reporting Form.
• The ISSS Advisor may reach out to you if the changes require a new I-983. 

STEM 24 Month Validation Reporting 

• If no employment information change, report it on the SEVP Portal; 
• If there is change in employment and employer information, report it via the ISSS Reporting Form.
• The ISSS Advisor may reach out to you if the changes require a new I-983. 

STEM Annual Self Evaluation Year 2

• Submit this request and upload page 5 of form I-983 with "Final Evaluation of Student Progress" completed. Select the Documents tab and the ISSS OPT STEM Docs option under Upload New Documents.

Material Change to an existing I-983 

• Submit this request and upload a New/Updated I-983. Select the Documents tab and the ISSS OPT STEM Docs option under Upload New Documents.