51社区

In addition to the requirements outlined in the previous section, all applicants must also meet the following requirements:

• The student must maintain鈥痸alid F-1 status
• The student must be currently on post-completion OPT
• The employment must be full-time鈥�(For immigration purposes, full-time is defined as working more than 20 hours per week)
• The student must be offered a job by an employer currently using the E-Verify program
• The student must not be self-employed
• The student must be paid by the employer (Volunteer work cannot fulfill the STEM OPT work requirements)
• The student must not have been granted more than one鈥疭TEM extension in the past鈥� (The STEM extension is only available twice鈥痯er lifetime, regardless of the number of STEM degrees earned)
• The STEM application must be received by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) prior to the end of the initial period of post-completion OPT
• The student and employer must complete form I-983 and agree to adhere to it
• If the student is employed by a staffing agency, the student must have a supervisor at that agency who will directly evaluate the student鈥檚 work at the placement location. The I-983 must be completed by the staffing agency supervisor, rather than any supervisor at the placement location. If the staffing agency will not provide supervision and evaluation, the job will not qualify for the STEM extension.

• Please note that the "Start Date of Employment" in Section is for the new period of OPT.  Therefore you should use a start date of the day after your current OPT expires.
• Because form I-983 is an agreement between the employer and employee, ISSS cannot provide guidance on the content beyond page 1. Students should review the Form I-983 information section on the for additional guidance. 
• Employers with questions should start by reviewing the information on the鈥�.鈥�
  • If questions remain, the employer should contact the company鈥檚 HR department or immigration legal staff, or鈥�email the Department of Homeland Security.

USCIS must鈥�receive鈥痽our extension application no sooner than 90 days before your current OPT end date, but no later than that end date. 

While USCIS must receive your application before your OPT ends,鈥痠t is not necessary for your extension application to be鈥�approved before the expiration of your current . If your EAD card expires while your application is pending, your OPT authorization is automatically extended to allow time for processing.鈥痀ou may continue to work while the application is being processed for up to 180 days. It is not necessary to obtain documentation from ISSS for this timeframe.

Notify ISSS immediately if your immigration status changes via .

• Address Changes: Continue to report U.S. address changes to ISSS within 10 days of the change by updating your address in the . Be sure to update the 鈥淪EVIS U.S.鈥� address.
• Employer Changes: Report the name, address and phone number of your U.S. employer, including any changes in the name and address of the employer, and any interruptions in the employment to ISSS within 10 days.鈥�
  • Report employment changes by completing the "OPT: Report New Employment" and "OPT: Report End of Employment" e-forms in鈥�.鈥疪emember that all employment must be with an company.
• I-983 Training Plan Changes: If you change employers, or if there are substantial changes to the I-983 training plan that was submitted earlier, you must submit an updated I-983 to鈥�isss@ohio.edu鈥� within 10 days of the change.鈥�Failure to complete this step may result in the termination of your F-1 status and OPT.

• Report To ISSS: Every six months you must report to ISSS by responding to emails from the ISSS team regarding your STEM OPT verification, even if no details of your employment or address have changed.鈥�
  • Reporting in is a requirement set by the OPT regulations. Failure to complete this step may result in the termination of your F-1 status and OPT.

• Self-Evaluation: Before the 12 and 24 month marks of the STEM extension, you must complete an official self-evaluation submit it to ISSS by emailing isss@ohio.edu.鈥�
  • These should be completed on page 5 of the I-983 form that is on file with your employer.鈥�
  • Failure to complete this step may result in the termination of your F-1 status and OPT.

• Departure Plans: Notify ISSS if you permanently depart the U.S. before your OPT ends.
• New Academic Program: Notify ISSS if you plan to begin a new full-time academic program before the end of your OPT.鈥疶he transfer of your SEVIS record to the new school or the beginning of a new full-time program at 51社区 will end your OPT authorization.

While on OPT and the 24-month STEM Extension, you must not accrue more than an aggregate total of 150 days of unemployment during the combined 36 months of OPT.

To travel outside of the U.S. and reenter following travel while authorized for OPT, you must carry:

• A valid passport (your passport must be valid 6 months into the future at all times)
• A valid U.S. F-1 visa (Except for Canadian citizens)
• A valid EAD card
• A valid form I-20 with international student advisor signature on page 3 (signatures are valid for 6 months鈥�)
• If you need a new travel signature,鈥痯lease request it via .
• Evidence of your current employment in the form of a letter from your employer

Port-of-Entry officials sometimes get confused about whether entry is allowed with a pending OPT application.鈥疘f you travel and return to the U.S. while your application is pending, we recommend that you refer the official to this 鈥痠f you encounter any complications.鈥��

Please note that any entry to the United States is up to the discretion of the Customs and Border Patrol at the initial border entry point.