STEM OPT Reporting

Students authorized for 24-Month STEM Optional Practical Training have specific reporting obligations that must be met during their authorized STEM OPT period. Many reporting obligations require updates to the Form I-983 Training Plan.

Students may receive email reminders from ISO and/or the SEVP Portal about certain STEM OPT reporting requirements. Please ensure the email address in your SEVIS record is up-to-date and that you check your email regularly. If you need to update your email address in SEVIS, please email opt@rochester.edu. 

Please see the list below for details on STEM OPT reporting requirements.

• Change of Personal Information

  Changes of personal information (including but not limited to name, email address, phone number, country of citizenship, etc.) must be reported to ISO within 10 days of the change. These updates can be reported to ISO by emailing opt@rochester.edu. Depending on the nature of the change, an ISO Advisor may reach out to you for more information/documentation and an update to Form I-983 may be required.

• Change of Residential Address

  Changes of residential address (within the United States) must be reported to ISO within 10 days of the change. These changes should be reported through the SEVP Portal (please also email opt@rochester.edu to notify ISO when you have made changes to your residential address in your SEVP Portal account). No updates to Form I-983 are required.

• Material Change to Current Employment (Form I-983)

  Material changes to your employment details, as documented on your Form I-983, must be reported to ISO through an updated I-983 at the earliest available opportunity following the change.

  A new signature from an appropriate employer official/signatory is required for any updated section of Form I-983. Your updated I-983 should be submitted to ISO via the OPT/STEM Reporting Document Upload form, uploaded as an "Updated I-983 for Current Employer [Material Changes]." You will need to use your UR NetID login to access this form. All students who remain under our immigration sponsorship while on OPT/STEM are able to and need to continue to use their NetID login. Please be sure you are using DUO authentication, and contact University IT for help with your NetID/VPN if needed: https://tech.rochester.edu/services/netid/.

  Material changes may include, but are not limited to:

  - Any changes of the employer's Employer Identification Number (EIN) resulting from a change in the employer's ownership or structure (Section 3)
  - Any reduction in compensation that is not tied to a reduction in hours worked (Section 3) 
  - Any significant decrease in the number of hours worked per week and any decrease that would reduce the student's total hours with that employer to less than 20 hours per week (Section 3)
  - Any changes that renders inaccurate an employer attestation (Sections 4 & 6) 
  - Any changes that renders inaccurate information related to the nature, purpose, oversight, or assessment of the student (Section 5) 
  - Any change to the employment site of activity or employer official (Section 5). If you will engage in your training at multiple sites, you should list the physical location where you are receiving the majority of your training in Section 5. You and your employer may list information about the other site(s) of activity/location(s) in the Additional Remarks box in Section 5. 

• End of Employment

  Students must submit a Final Evaluation on Student Progress to ISO within 10 days of their last day of any given STEM OPT employment opportunity. The Final Evaluation can be found on page 5 of your current Form I-983. 

  When ending a job on STEM OPT, consider how much unemployment time you have remaining and plan accordingly. Contact your ISO Advisor if you have concerns about employment transitions on STEM OPT.

  The Final Evaluation must be signed by an appropriate employer signatory official. If the signatory official(s) who signed in Sections 4 and/or 6 are no longer available, it constitutes a material change to your Form I-983 and requires an updated Form I-983 with one or more new signatories, who can then also sign the Final Evaluation.

  If there are no simultaneous material changes to report, then you can submit your Final Evaluation by itself (just page 5) or re-submit the full, unchanged Form I-983 with the Final Evaluation added to page 5 of the document.

  Your Final I-983 Evaluation should be submitted to ISO via the OPT/STEM Reporting Document Upload form. You will need to use your UR NetID login to access this form. All students who remain under our immigration sponsorship while on OPT/STEM are able to and need to continue to use their NetID login. Please be sure you are using DUO authentication, and contact University IT for help with your NetID/VPN if needed: https://tech.rochester.edu/services/netid/. 

• Starting New Employment

  Students must submit a new Form I-983 to ISO within 10 days of starting a new employment opportunity. This new Form I-983 must be completed with your new employer and must contain the appropriate employer signatures in Sections 4 & 6.

  Your new Form I-983 must be submitted to ISO via the Request for STEM OPT I-20 form.You will need to use your UR NetID login to access this form. All students who remain under our immigration sponsorship while on OPT/STEM are able to and need to continue to use their NetID login. Please be sure you are using DUO authentication, and contact University IT for help with your NetID/VPN if needed: https://tech.rochester.edu/services/netid/.

  Students should keep in mind that each employer and specific position must meet the appropriate STEM OPT eligibility criteria. Starting a new position that does not meet the STEM OPT employment eligibility criteria may constitute working without authorization. If you have questions or concerns about the STEM OPT eligibility criteria, please contact your ISO Advisor.

• 6-Month Validation Reports

  Students must validate the accuracy of their currently reported residential address and employment information every 6 months while on STEM OPT. These validations are due 6, 12, 18, and 24 months into a student's STEM OPT period.

  To complete a 6-month validation report, students should log into their SEVP Portal, view their currently reported residential address and employment information, and then send an email to opt@rochester.edu confirming that everything is up-to-date. 

  Email reminders may cite the exact 6-month mark as the deadline. However, 6-month validation reports have the same flexibility as other reporting requirements and are due within 10 days of the actual 6-month mark. 

• 12-Month/Annual Evaluation

  Students must complete the first Evaluation on Student Progress (known as the Annual Evaluation or 12-Month Evaluation) 12 months into their STEM OPT period. The Evaluation on Student Progress can be found on page 5 of your current Form I-983.

  Please note that the Annual Evaluation is due at the same time as your second 6-month validation report (see above). Both must be submitted in order to complete your 12-month reporting obligations.

  The Annual Evaluation must be signed by an appropriate employer signatory official. If the signatory official(s) who signed in Sections 4 and/or 6 are no longer available, it constitutes a material change to your Form I-983 and requires an updated Form I-983 with one or more new signatories, who can then also sign the Annual Evaluation.

  If there are no simultaneous material changes to report, then you can submit your Annual Evaluation by itself (just page 5) or re-submit the full, unchanged Form I-983 with the Annual Evaluation added to page 5 of the document.

  Your Annual I-983 Evaluation should be submitted to ISO via the OPT/STEM Reporting Document Upload form. You will need to use your UR NetID login to access this form. All students who remain under our immigration sponsorship while on OPT/STEM are able to and need to continue to use their NetID login. Please be sure you are using DUO authentication, and contact University IT for help with your NetID/VPN if needed: https://tech.rochester.edu/services/netid/. Please use the Notes for ISO box when submitting the 12-Month/Annual I-983 Evaluation to also complete your validation report (see above) by confirming you have reviewed your residential address and employment details in your SEVP Portal account and everything remains up-to-date. 

• Final Evaluation (End of STEM OPT)

  Students must submit a Final Evaluation on Student Progress to ISO within 10 days of their last day of STEM OPT. The Final Evaluation can be found on page 5 of your current Form I-983. 

  Please note that most common transitions following STEM OPT require planning in advance. Please contact your ISO Advisor with any questions. Your STEM OPT period ends and a Final Evaluation is required if any of the following occurs:
  
  - your authorized STEM OPT period (as listed on your STEM OPT EAD) expires
  - you successfully change to another immigration status (such as H-1B, O-1, TN, Permanent Residency etc.) by application or by travel
  - you transfer your SEVIS Immigration Record or complete a Change of Education Level to start a new degree program
  - you depart the United States without intention of returning to utilize the remainder of your STEM OPT period

  The Final Evaluation must be signed by an appropriate employer signatory official. If the signatory official(s) who signed in Sections 4 and/or 6 are no longer available, it constitutes a material change to your Form I-983 and requires an updated Form I-983 with one or more new signatories, who can then also sign the Final Evaluation.

  If there are no simultaneous material changes to report, then you can submit your Final Evaluation by itself (just page 5) or re-submit the full, unchanged Form I-983 with the Final Evaluation added to page 5 of the document.

  Your Final Evaluation should be submitted to ISO via the OPT/STEM Reporting Document Upload form. You will need to use your UR NetID login to access this form. All students who remain under our immigration sponsorship while on OPT/STEM are able to and need to continue to use their NetID login. Please be sure you are using DUO authentication, and contact University IT for help with your NetID/VPN if needed: https://tech.rochester.edu/services/netid/. Please use the Notes for ISO box when submitting the Final I-983 Evaluation at the 24-Month mark to also complete your last validation report (see above) by confirming you have reviewed your residential address and employment details in your SEVP Portal account and everything remains up-to-date. 

Failure to adhere to your STEM OPT reporting requirements could constitute a violation of F-1 status and may result in the termination of your SEVIS record.