STEM OPT Employment and Reporting Requirements

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 Participation (6-month Reporting) Request in the ISSS Student Portal. 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.

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:

1. In the ISSS Student Portal submit the STEM OPT Employer Update Request.

2. You will need to upload a completed Form I-983, using the I-983 Guide to complete the form, for the new employer.

3. 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.

4. You will need to upload a copy of your STEM Employment Authorization Document (EAD).

Students who are ending their current employment, and NOT reporting new employment should submit the OPT/STEM OPT Report Unemployment Request instead.

A new client site or new site location is considered a material change. You will need to update ISSS by completing the 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.

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 STEM OPT Employer Update Request, and select "Reporting Material Changes to Form I-983" from the drop-down menu.