STEM OPT Reporting

24-Month STEM OPT Extension Reporting Requirements for F-1 Students

To maintain F-1 status during STEM OPT you must comply with U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employment and reporting requirements. DHS requires students to report all changes of address and periods of employment and unemployment while authorized for STEM OPT. To meet your reporting obligations, you must report the information to ISS. Please note, while you may also make some updates using the SEVP Portal, you are still required to report changes to ISS.

What to Report

Within 10 days of receiving your STEM OPT EAD card, you must submit a copy of your EAD card to iss@stedwards.edu. You must also report no later than 10 days after any of the following changes:

• Change in your current U.S. address

• Legal name change

• Start or end of employment

• Change of your employer’s work-site address

• Change of your employer’s name

• Material changes to your I-983

  • Review SEU Sample I-983 for assistance.

You must validate your information every 6 months. Your validation report due dates are exactly 6, 12, 18, and 24 months from the start date of your STEM EAD. Validation report due dates are based on your STEM start date, not the start date of employment with your employer. For every validation report, you will submit the STEM OPT Reporting form with your personal address and employment information, even if none of your information has changed.

• 6-month and 18-month validation report: Submit only STEM OPT Reporting form. You must include BOTH your personal address AND your current employment information, even if none of your information has changed.

• 12-month and 24-month validation report: Submit the STEM OPT Reporting form AND an updated I-983. Include all 5 pages of the I-983. You must include BOTH your personal address AND your current employment information, even if none of your information has changed.

  • For the 12-month validation report, complete the top half (Evaluation) of page 5.

  • For the 24-month validation report, complete the bottom half (Final Evaluation) of page 5.

  • Evaluations should be signed by you and your employer.

Material Changes to Form I-983

Report to ISS any material changes to, or material deviations from, your I-983 training plan by submitting a modified I-983. These include, but are not limited to:

• Change of supervisor

• Any change of the employer’s EIN.

• 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.

• Changes to the employer’s commitments or student’s learning objectives as documented on the Form I-983.

How to Report

Although you may report some changes to SEVIS via the SEVP Portal, doing so does not eliminate the requirement to report to ISS. To meet your reporting obligations, you must submit the STEM OPT Reporting form found in myHilltop. You will also need to upload your updated Form I-983.

You will receive a confirmation email after ISS processes your reporting request.