24-Month STEM OPT Reporting Requirements

1. Email a Copy of Your STEM OPT EAD to OGS

Once USCIS approves the 24-Month STEM OPT Extension, you will receive a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Please email a scan or photo of the front and back of the card to your STEM Advisor.

2. Report Changes within 10 Calendar Days

U.S. Home Address or Phone Number

• Report all changes to your U.S. address or phone number within 10 calendar days of the change using the SEVP Portal.
  • Portal users who already set up their account can reset their own account if they have been locked out. A “Password Reset” option is available on the SEVP Portal login page.
  • If you did not set up your SEVP Portal during Post-Completion OPT, email your STEM Advisor for assistance with resetting your SEVP Portal; see our current processing times.
  • If your STEM Advisor has reset your SEVP Portal and you did not receive an email from do-not-reply.SEVP@ice.dhs.gov in your Georgetown Gmail inbox:
    • Check your Spam, Junk, or Trash folders.
    • Visit the SEVP Portal Help website.
    • Email SEVP@ice.dhs.gov.
    • Call (703) 603-3400 (Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm ET, except U.S. holidays).

Update Current Employment

Report any changes to your current employment information within 10 calendar days of the change by emailing a revised Form I-983 to your STEM Advisor. You must report changes to:

• Company name
• Employer Address
• Employer EIN
• Supervisor and/or supervisor contact information 
• Job description
• Decrease in regular scheduled work hours
• Salary changes of 15% or more 

End of Employment

Submit a final self-evaluation on page 5 of the Form I-983 to your STEM Advisor within 10 calendar days of ending the position. Use the evaluation range to indicate your employment end date. Please confirm the last day of employment in the body of your email and attach the I-983 as a PDF.

New Employment

You must submit a new Form I-983 to your STEM Advisor within 10 calendar days of beginning new STEM OPT employment.

• The form must be completed by you and your new employer, and with the exception of dated signatures, responses must be typed.
• The STEM OPT Canvas module includes a sample I-983.
• Include your new employer’s E-Verify number in the body of the email to your STEM Advisor, and attach the new I-983 as a PDF.
• If you ended your previously reported position, you will also need to report the end date of your previous position and your final self-evaluation; see above.

3. Contact OGS Every 6 Months

Mark your calendar! Reporting requirements begin from the date your STEM OPT period begins, not the date you receive your STEM OPT EAD.

• 6-month mark: STEM Validation
• 12-month mark: Annual Evaluation and STEM Validation
• 18-month mark: STEM Validation
• 24-month mark: Annual Evaluation and STEM Validation

STEM Validation: OGS must validate the information in your SEVIS record every 6 months during the 24-Month STEM OPT Extension.

• Email your STEM Advisor your current U.S. address, U.S. phone number, employer name, and employer address. Confirm this information matches the information in your SEVP Portal account.
• This requirement is fulfilled when the necessary information is reported to OGS by the deadline; OGS has additional time to perform the validation in SEVIS.
• The SEVP Portal will send you an email 30 calendar days before each validation is due. OGS recommends tracking your validation due dates independently of these automated reminders. You can use this planning tool to identify when your due dates will occur.

Annual Evaluation: You must submit at least two self-evaluations signed by your employer during the 24-Month STEM OPT Extension.

• Complete the evaluation on page 5 of your most recent Form I-983, and email the complete document to your STEM Advisor.
  • The annual evaluation on the top half of page 5 is due by the end of your first year of STEM OPT.
  • The final evaluation on the lower half of page 5 is due by the end of your second year of STEM OPT.
    • An additional final evaluation is due any time you end a period of employment regardless of the duration of the position. Use the evaluation range to indicate your employment end date.
• A validation is due with each annual evaluation; see above.
• This requirement is fulfilled when the necessary information is reported to OGS by the deadline; OGS has additional time to submit the evaluation in SEVIS.
• The SEVP Portal will send you an email 30 calendar days before each annual evaluation is due, but OGS recommends tracking your evaluation due dates independently of these automated reminders. You can use this planning tool to identify when your due dates will occur.

Important Reminders

• Report any significant changes such as name change, admission to a new academic program, change to your immigration status, etc. to your STEM Advisor.
• You are allowed to accrue no more than 150 calendar days of unemployment in total between your initial Post-Completion OPT period, the STEM OPT Extension, and any time covered by the H–1B Cap Gap (if applicable) combined.
  • Students who do not exceed the unemployment limit have a 60-day grace period following the end date on the STEM OPT EAD card.
  • A U.S. departure during the grace period is a final departure out of F-1 status. You may not return to the United States in F-1 status during the grace period.
• Failure to comply with your responsibilities while on the 24-Month STEM OPT Extension may result in the loss of your immigration status. While the government of the United States considers you to be solely responsible for maintaining your legal status, please be assured that OGS continues to be a resource for you during this period.

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