STEM OPT Employment and Reporting Requirements
STEM OPT Employment and Reporting Requirements
6-month STEM Reporting
This must be done every 6 months and is due to ISSS prior to your reporting date. You will be filing a report at the 6-month, 12-month, 18-month, and 24-month mark of STEM OPT.
To file your six month report, complete the STEM OPT Report Form from your ISSS Student Portal Control Center. If this is your 12-month or 24-month, you must also include the evaluation from page 5 of the Form I-983. The 12-month evaluation is the top half of page 5, and the 24-month evaluation is the bottom half of page 5. You must submit the entire I-983, not just page 5.
Changing or Ending Employment with Employers
It is possible to change or add a concurrent employer while on STEM OPT. To update ISSS you will need to submit the following in your ISSS Student Portal:
From your ISSS Student Portal Control Center, select and complete the OPT/STEM OPT Employment Update form.
You will need to upload a completed Form I-983, using the I-983 Guide to complete the form, for the new employer.
If you are changing employers, you will be required to submit the final evaluation (bottom half, page 5) of the I-983 for the previous employer. You must submit the entire I-983, not just page 5.
You will need to upload a copy of your Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
Reporting a New Client or Site Location
A new client site or new site location is considered a material change. You will need to update ISSS by completing the OPT/STEM OPT Employer Update Request in your ISSS Student Portal and uploading the updated Form I-983 with the necessary changes. Be sure to select "Reporting Material Changes to Form I-983" from the dropdown menu.
Other Material Changes to the I-983
Material changes or deviations may include, but are not limited to:
Any change of the employer’s Employer Identification Number (EIN), the company’s Federal Tax ID number, resulting from a change in the employer’s ownership or structure.
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.
If any of these changes occur, you will need to update ISSS by uploading the revised I-983 with the necessary changes to your ISSS Student Portal. Use the OPT/STEM OPT Employer Update request found in the Control Center, and select "Reporting Material Changes to Form I-983" from the drop-down menu.