OPT and STEM OPT Employment Reporting

You must update your SEVIS USA address in MyUAlbany within 10 days of moving. The SEVIS USA address should be the address you are physically residing, even if it is a temporary residence.

Please also report any changes to your phone number or non-UAlbany email address in MyUAlbany within 10 days.

The UAlbany email address should remain the "preferred" email address in MyUAlbany until it expires (the UAlbany email will expire 6-12 months after you graduate). At that time, you must have a non-UAlbany email listed as your "preferred" email address in MyUAlbany.

If you change your legal name, please notify ISSS within 10 days.

Please report any changes to your employment information within 10 days, including but not limited to:

• Starting a new job
• Changing employers
• Ending employment- must be reported
• Change of the employer/company name
• Change of employer's address/your site location
• Change of hours per week
• Change of payment/compensation
• Change of job title
• Change of duties/responsibilities

Students on STEM OPT must also submit an amended I-983 for any of the above changes.

While on OPT all practical training/employment must be directly related to the student’s field of study (i.e. the student’s major). The burden of proof for establishing this relationship is on the student, though the student may seek assistance from their academic department and/or Career Services for establishing how the position relates to the academic major.

Students should be able to articulate how the practical training is related to the major in a clear, concise, and logical way. The explanation the student provides of the direct relationship is reported to DHS/ICE in SEVIS. Below are some examples of a direct relationship descriptions provided by ICE :

1. Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering: I work full time as an Electrical Engineer at ABC Corp., a government contractor. In my job, I analyze client requirements for electrical systems and provide them with cost estimates of such systems. My work requires understanding of electrical circuit theory, which I studied in-depth at the University of ABC.
2. Bachelor's degree in Business: I work full time as a Loan Officer at a mortgage company, Happy Homes, where I meet with clients and evaluate, authorize and recommend approval of loan applications. On a daily basis, I use the knowledge I gained in my credit analysis, sales and marketing classes that I took as part of my major program of study.
3. PhD in Computer Science: I am employed as a Computer and Information Research Scientist at ABC Research Institute. I work as part of a team of scientists and engineers that designs experiments to test the operation of various software systems. My work builds on research in complex algorithms and machine learning, which I studied as part of my dissertation.

An additional resource for students for establishing the relationship between the major and the occupation is O*NET Online, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. You can view common occupations by academic major.

Students on STEM OPT have additional reporting requirements, please see below.

Students on STEM OPT must also complete the following reporting requirements to their DSO.  DHS-ICE may request copies of the I-983 at any time from either the student and/or the student's employer, so both the student and employer must keep and maintain copies of the I-983 in addition to submitting copies to the DSO.

Material Changes

Students on STEM OPT must submit amended I-983 evaluations to ISSS within 10 days of any material change.  SEVP (the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, a branch of DHS ICE) defines what a material change is, and additional reporting requirements for students on STEM OPT, on the STEM OPT Hub. Please review this information carefully.

Students must maintain copies of their I-983, including any revisions needed for updated information.  Copies must also be kept by the student's employer and the student must provide copies to ISSS to keep.

6 month check-in reporting

Even if no information changes students STEM OPT must check in with ISSS every 6 months to confirm that their information is the same or to provide updated information if necessary (remember, updates must be made within 10 days of the change). Students will be asked to verify the following information is up to date:

• Legal name.
• Residential or mailing address.
• Employer name and address.
• Status of current employment.

The 6 month check-ins are due every 6 months from the start date list on the STEM OPT EAD card (not from the start date with the individual employer)

Annual Self-Evaluations (I-983)

The I-983 requires annual self-evaluations, to be signed by the student and the employer representative with signatory authority. 

The first annual evaluation (the first box on page 5 of the I-983) is due by the 1 year midpoint of the 2 year STEM OPT training period.  It should be submitted no later than 10 days after that 1 year midpoint.

The final evaluation (the second box on page 5 of the I-983) is due within 10 days of the end of the 24 month STEM OPT period, or when the STEM OPT period ends, or when the STEM employment ends, whichever comes first.

Changing Employers while on STEM OPT

Students may change employers while on STEM OPT but they must provide a new, completed  I-983 for the new E-Verify enrolled employer within 10 days of starting the new employment, as well as a signed, final evaluation for the STEM OPT employer they are leaving within 10 days of ending that employment.

If you intend to begin a new degree program either at UAlbany or another institution please contact ISSS to discuss whether or not you're eligible for a SEVIS transfer. Students must end OPT/STEM OPT employment prior to beginning a new full-time degree program.

If you intend to depart the United States and no longer plan to work on OPT please notify ISSS by completing a Departure EForm and your F-1 record can be closed.  Once the record is closed it cannot be undone, so you want to be certain you are departing and done with OPT before submitting the form

If you have been approved for a change of status please provide ISSS documentation of the approval (such as an approval notice from USCIS, green card, or CBP entrance stamp)