Reporting Post-Completion OPT - Office of Global Services (2024)

FAQs

What are the requirements for post-completion OPT reporting? ›

During the entire Post-Completion OPT period, students must submit employment information to the SEVP Portal. STEM OPT recipients must submit employment information to their dedicated STEM Advisor. Be sure to maintain copies of all OPT materials, including job descriptions, for your personal records.

If you need to report a new employer or update your employment information, complete the Add New Employer or Update OPT Employer Information form in the "F-1 Practical Training” menu. Once reported, ISSS will issue a new Form I-20 that will contain a travel signature valid for 6 months from the date of update.

Basics: Once USCIS approves the OPT, you will receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card. You cannot begin work until you have received the EAD. The EAD will explicitly state the dates you are authorized to work.

Similarly, there is no maximum number of hours per week that a student can work on OPT (unless you count 168 hours–the number of hours in a week–as a maximum). A student could work an 80 hour week, for example, split between two 40 hour per week jobs.

You are required to report new employment or changes to employment within 10 days in your SEVP Portal of the change to maintain F-1 status reporting requirements.

If you miss the 10 day reporting deadline, employment updates must still be reported although the SEVP Portal will not allow OPT students to report employment that began more than 10 days in the past. As such, you will need an OIS advisor's assistance to submit your employment information for you.

You must report all periods of unemployment in the SEVP Portal. Exceeding 90 days of unemployment may result in the termination of your SEVIS record as your unemployment is monitored by SEVP.

The new rule allows STEM OPT students a maximum of 150 days of unemployment during their entire post-completion OPT period – 90 days for the initial 12-month grant and an additional 60 days once granted a STEM extension.

You are allowed a 60-day grace period following your OPT expiration date to leave the United States, change your visa status, or transfer your F-1 record to a new school or program.

What is the difference between OPT and post-completion OPT? ›

Pre-completion OPT: Occurs before a student's program end date. Post-completion OPT: occurs after a student's program end date, or after completion of all course requirements. Occurs after regular post- completion OPT.

Students with a 12-month Post-Completion OPT authorization cannot be unemployed for more than 90 days. This is aggregate, meaning that if you have 40 days of unemployment, you would only be allowed to be unemployed for a remaining 50 days before you risk violating your immigration status.

Post-completion OPT can be paid or unpaid training related to your major field of study. You may work for multiple employers (including short-term gigs, self-employment, contract work, or work for hire).

Since there is no sponsorship process required for students on OPT (like there is for other work visa programs), employers simply need to extend an offer of employment once the student has received their EAD.

(You may report your employment via the OPT Employment Report e-form in the F-1 Practical Training section of your myStatus portal while your SEVP link is being delivered.) Be sure to visit SEVP portal help on the Study in the States website. It offers step-by-step instructions and instructional videos.

OPT can only be used once per degree level. Must have submitted the OPT application to USCIS as early as 90 days prior to their Program End Date and no later than 60 days after their Program End Date. USCIS will not accept applications received 60 days or more beyond the Program End Date.