OPT/STEM Reporting Requirements
General reporting requirements
- Report new employer information and changes to your employment information within 10 days, including but not limited to:
- Name of the employer
- Employer address
- Start date of employment
- End date of employment
- Job title
- Job description
- Supervisor information
- STEM extension only:
- Employer’s EIN
- Employer’s E-verify number
- Form I-983 for new employment, 12/24-month evaluation, and final/exit evaluation
- Any reduction in compensation that is not tied to a reduction in hours worked
- Any significant decrease in hours per week
- Changes to the employer’s commitments or your learning objectives
- Re-confirm the validity of this information once every six months (6 month validation)
- You are still considered to be in F-1 student status while on OPT, so any questions or concerns can be addressed by an ISSS advisor during this time.
- Unemployment days allowed:
- You may not accumulate a total of more than 90 days of unemployment while on standard Post-Completion OPT.
- You may not accumulate a total of more than 150 days of unemployment while on STEM OPT. (90 days while on standard Post-Completion OPT and additional 60 days on STEM OPT)
Updates can be made on either the iTerp portal or the SEVP portal in specific situations. However, it is not necessary to submit an update to both systems; one update in one of the systems is sufficient. Please review the chart below to determine whether your update can be made in iTerp or the SEVP portal.
SEVP Portal |
iTerp |
Where to report this on iTerp |
|
|---|---|---|---|
View Employer Information |
Yes |
No |
N/A |
Add employer information |
Yes when reporting in time (Standard PostCompletion OPT) No (STEM Extension) |
Yes |
Report New Employer Information |
Add employer information |
Yes (Standard PostCompletion OPT) Yes but not all employer information (STEM Extension) |
Yes |
Update Existing Employer Information (Additional reporting requirements for STEM Extension. See the flowchart below.) |
Submit Updated I-983 or 12/24-month evaluation |
No (STEM Extension only) |
Yes |
|
Complete 6-month validation |
No (STEM Extension only) |
Yes |
6-month Validation Reporting |
Update physical and mailing address |
Yes |
Yes |
Address Update while on OPT |
Update telephone numbers |
Yes |
Yes |
Address Update while on OPT |
Update email address |
Yes |
Yes |
Address Update while on OPT |
- The portal shares information with SEVIS but does not give students direct access to SEVIS. The SEVP Portal does not eliminate the need for a student to communicate with their DSO.
- You are not required to use the SEVP portal and may continue to report new employer information or required changes directly to ISSS on iterp.
- Creating an SEVP portal account: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/sevp-portal-help/getting-started/create-an-sevp-portal-account
- You will receive an email when OPT is approved by USCIS and the OPT is active.
- The email you receive contains a link you must use to create an account. The link is unique to you and cannot be shared or reused.
- Students on Pre-Completion OPT do not have access to SEVP Portal.
- If you are on standard/ initial 12-month Pre or Post-Completion OPT, please follow the below flowchart.
If you are on STEM OPT, please follow the below flowchart.
Note: If you end STEM OPT early, change to a different status, or return home and end F-1 status you must complete the I-983 Final Evaluation and the Exit Plan under OPT/STEM services in iTerp.
- After you submit your new employer information or employment update within 10 days to iTerp, ISSS at UMD has an additional 21 days to report this information in SEVIS. It is not required that ISSS approves the request in iTerp within the original 10 days that you report the information to us.
- It is not mandatory to get a new I-20 after your reporting e-forms are approved. You may choose to request one if you want or need it.
- ISSS does not recommend changing employers or updating your employment while your STEM extension application with USCIS is pending. If, inevitably, there are changes to your employer information, you should reach out to an ISSS advisor as soon as possible.