F-1 STEM OPT Reporting Guide
Summary
This page provides an overview of the reporting requirements for Harvard F-1 students on STEM OPT.
While on STEM OPT, you and your employer have mandatory reporting requirements every six months or if there has been a change in your situation. The following forms should be used for students currently in an active period of STEM OPT who are completing their mandatory reporting requirements by designated deadlines.
Failure to satisfy these requirements is a violation of your F-1 status. It may result in your STEM OPT being terminated by DHS and may negatively impact your ability to obtain future immigration benefits.
If you have an employment update to make at the same time you are completing at 6, 18 month Data Validation or 12 or 24 month annual evaluation, please complete each report individually. For example, if you are at the 12- month Annual Evaluation time period but also have a material change, please complete the STEM OPT Change in Employment form and complete the STEM OPT 6, 18 Month Data Validation or 12, 24 Month Annual Evaluation.
You will find these links useful to assist you with your reporting requirements:
During the STEM OPT period, you must confirm your STEM employer information with the HIO every 6 months (even if it remains the same). Additionally, you must complete a midpoint and final I-983 form evaluation with your employer(s).
You will receive notifications from the SEVP Portal reminding you that your Data Validation or your Annual report are due, and you should contact your Designated School Official (DSO). Designated School Officials are on-campus representatives of the F-1 student visa program that work in the HIO. By completing the appropriate reporting type described below you are alerting your DSO that you have reviewed your information on the SEVP Portal and there are no changes. An HIO staff member will complete the required action in the SEVIS system for you.
You may also use the HIO STEM OPT Tool to calculate the STEM OPT reporting due dates based on your STEM EAD card start date. Please mark your work or personal calendar to remind you of these dates.
Step 1
Please review the information in your SEVP Portal to ensure that you have had no changes since your last submission. You can request an SEVP Portal reset, if needed.
Step 2
If you require updates, please visit the follow pages depending on your update:
Step 3
Please reference the chart below to understand what is required for each reporting requirement:
| When to submit (after STEM EAD Start Date): | What & Where to submit your report: |
|---|---|
6 Month Data Validation | STEM OPT 6, 18 Month Data Validation or 12, 24 Month Annual Evaluation An I-983 update is not required if the information in your SEVP Portal account is accurate. |
12 Month Annual Report | STEM OPT 6, 18 Month Data Validation or 12, 24 Month Annual Evaluation Evaluation on student progress (top of page 5 of Form I-983). The date range of evaluation must reflect the start date of the STEM OPT EAD through 12 months after this date. |
18 Month Data Validation | STEM OPT 6, 18 Month Data Validation or 12, 24 Month Annual Evaluation An I-983 update is not required if the information in your SEVP Portal account is accurate. |
24 Month Annual Report | STEM OPT 6, 18 Month Data Validation or 12, 24 Month Annual Evaluation Evaluation on student progress (bottom of page 5 of Form I-983). The date range of evaluation must reflect the 12 month mark through the end date on your STEM OPT EAD. |
Students must report any material changes or updates to the information on the Form I-983 (i.e. employer’s address, change of EIN, reduction of hours, increase/decrease in salary, title change, job duties, supervisor, *company mergers/acquisitions, etc.).
| Documents Required | Submission Deadline to the HIO |
|---|---|
Within 10 days of change |
*If your company merges with or is acquired by another company, you should submit a Final Evaluation (page 5 of I-983) signed by you and your former employer, a new I-983 signed by you and your new employer via the reporting page referenced above so the HIO can issue you an updated I-20.
Reporting a Change of Employment or Adding a New Employer with Approved STEM OPT
It is possible to change employers during the STEM OPT extension process and period if the employer meets the required criteria described on the STEM OPT Employment Types page. Your new employer must be enrolled in E-Verify before you begin to work, and you must continue to work in a position related to the STEM program major listed under “Program of Study” on the I-20. Students with a STEM extension cannot begin new employment without first following the applicable steps below:
- Submit a request via our STEM OPT Change in Employment page by choosing “My STEM OPT has been approved and I have had a change in employment."
- Within this form upload the final evaluation of the former STEM employer and the new I-983 for the new employment.
- If you are ending employment and do not yet have a new STEM employer, you must submit the STEM OPT Change in Employment report within 10 days of ending the employment. Choose the report type: “You are ending your STEM OPT employment with an employer and submitting this form within 10 days of your last day with the employer. This employment ends before your 24-month STEM OPT period ends, and you have not exceeded your unemployment days and are currently job searching.”
| Type of Employment Change | Documents Required | Submission Deadline to the HIO |
|---|---|---|
Ending a Position | Final Evaluation (page 5 of I-983) signed by student and former employer submitted to the Change in Employment Form. | Within 10 days of change |
Starting a new position | Prior to beginning new job
|
The new I-983 and details must be confirmed by the HIO as being complete and meeting all STEM program requirements before you can begin the new STEM employment.
Reporting a Change in Employment or Adding a New Employer for Students with Pending STEM OPT Application
It is possible to change employers during the STEM OPT extension process and period if the employer meets the required criteria described on the STEM OPT Employment Types page. Your new employer must be enrolled in E-Verify before you begin to work, and you must continue to work in a position related to the STEM program major listed under “Program of Study” on the I-20. If a student changes their employer while their STEM OPT application is pending, they submit these changes via the HIO’s STEM OPT Change in Employment Form before they engage in their new STEM employment. Depending on whether the student is still in their valid Post-Completion OPT period or if they have started their STEM OPT period, there are slightly different processes.
If your Post-Completion OPT is still valid (i.e. your Post OPT EAD’s end date is still in the future), you must:
- Submit the Post Completion OPT Reporting Form so that we can update your employment information in SEVIS.
- Submit your new I-983 and new employment details via the HIO’s Change in Employment Form. Choose “My STEM OPT application is pending with USCIS and I am reporting a change of employer.” Within this form you will be able to upload the new I-983 for the new employment.
If your Post-Completion OPT period is invalid and you have started your STEM period while your STEM application is pending, you must submit the following via the STEM OPT Change in Employment Form:
- Choose “My STEM OPT application is pending with USCIS and I am reporting a change of employer.”
- Within this form you will be able to do the following:
- Upload the Final Evaluation of the former STEM employer (bottom of Page 5 of I-983) *The end date listed on the final evaluation will be the end date entered into SEVIS*;
- Provide required details about your new STEM employer;
- Upload the new I-983 for the new employment.
The new I-983 and details must be confirmed by the HIO as being complete and meeting all STEM program requirements before you can begin the new STEM employment.
Once the materials are reviewed and approved by an HIO advisor, you will be issued a new I-20 with the updated employer information. If your STEM application is still pending with USCIS, the HIO will send the USCIS Potomac Service Center a copy of the updated I-20 and other details so that they may continue processing your STEM application. You must also upload a copy of this updated I-20 to your USCIS Online Account under “Unsolicited Evidence”.
If you are experiencing an unforeseen unemployment situation while your STEM OPT application is pending, please contact your HIO advisor to discuss.
While on STEM OPT, you continue to hold F-1 status sponsored by Harvard and your F-1 record remains active in the government database SEVIS. It is extremely important that you notify the HIO of any changes to your immigration status:
If you leave the U.S. permanently before your 24-month STEM period ends, you must notify the HIO via the Ending STEM OPT Early Form AFTER you depart the U.S. permanently. To report this change, you will need to:
- Choose “I have decided to leave the U.S. permanently before my STEM EAD expires AND have decided not to use my STEM OPT any longer.”
- You must also submit a completed final evaluation from page 5 of the I-983 within 10 days of ending the employment.
If you change to another visa status in the U.S. or via travel and reentry to the U.S., such as changing to H-1B, E-3, G-4, TN, etc. or obtain Lawful Permanent Resident status (become a green card holder), you must notify the HIO by reporting this change via the Ending STEM OPT Early Form.
- To report this change, you will need to choose “I have changed to another visa status in the U.S. (such as H-1B, E-3, G-4, TN, etc.) or have become a Lawful Permanent Resident (green card holder).”
- The form will ask you to upload evidence of your new status (e.g. new I-94 arrival/departure record, new visa stamp, and I-797, or green card).
- You will also need to upload a completed final evaluation from page 5 of the I-983 within 10 days of changing your status.