Reporting Changes while on OPT

This page is intended for students on OPT to report changes to the OIA. This also includes students on STEM Extension. Keep in mind that some requirements are for students on STEM Extension only. Remember that all changes while on OPT must be reported within 10 days.

Update My Address

You should only enter an address if you live there. Please keep in mind that the address form allows you to enter two different addresses. Therefore, it is important that both address fields are updated accurately. If you wish, you may choose to report your address using only the "permanent address" fields.

Update Address Now

Report that I have started a job

Students on Post Completion OPT: Click the button below and follow the instructions. You can also report that you have ended a job using this same form if you are also starting a new job at the same time.

Students on STEM Extension: Complete a new Form I-983 for your new employer (download blank form here). Click the button below only once you are ready to submit your I-983. Both Form I-983 and your new employer report must be submitted within 10 days of starting your employment. You can also report that you have ended a job using this same form if you are also starting a new job at the same time. If you are ending a job, you must also submit a final evaluation on student progress for your previous employer. See the "Report that I have ended a job" section below for further instructions on how to do that.

Reminder to all OPT students: All OPT employment must be directly related to your program of study. When completing the new employer reporting form, you will be asked to explain how your new job is related to the program you completed. We have compiled some example descriptions to help you with this (See Examples [PDF]).

Report that I have ended a job

Students on Post Completion OPT:

If you have ended employment to begin a new job, you can report that at the same time you report your new job (see "Report that I have started a job" above).

If you have ended employment and do not yet have a new job, follow the steps below to report this:

Log in to the My OIA system (https://oia-intl.cmich.edu).
Find and click on the OPT Employment Update application that includes the correct employer information (look next to the application ID to find the employer name if you have more than one OPT Employment Update application).
Click on and submit the OPT End Date Reporting questionnaire.

Students on STEM Extension:

If you have ended employment to begin a new job, you can report that at the same time you report your new job (see "Report that I have started a job" above). You still need to submit your final evaluation on student progress (see below).
If you are ending employment and do not yet have a new job, follow the steps above under the "Students on Post Completion OPT" heading. You must also submit your final evaluation on student progress for your previous employer (see below).

To submit your final evaluation of student progress (STEM OPT students only), follow the steps below:

First, complete your I-983 final evaluation on student progress. This is the bottom box on page 5 of your I-983. You should do this on the I-983 you completed for your previous employer. If you do not have this I-983, you can simply download a blank copy and complete the bottom box on page 5 (download blank copy here). The employer you are leaving MUST sign your evaluation.
Go to https://oia-intl.cmich.edu and log in with your CMU Global ID and password.
Go STEM OPT Extension (under the Records) > Questionnaires > Submit Final Evaluation Here When Changing Employers. Complete the required questions, upload your Form I-983 where directed, and click Submit at the bottom. An OIA advisor will be notified of this and indicate your completion accordingly.

Report STEM extension participation

This is required only for students on STEM OPT. Students on post-completion OPT are not required to submit participation reports.

Students on STEM OPT are required to submit participation reports every six months. These reports are due within 10 days of the required reporting period (6 months, 12 months**, 18 months, and 24 months** after your STEM OPT start date). See the STEM Participation Reporting date calculator to figure out your exact due dates. These dates do not change even if you change employers while on STEM OPT.

To submit your participation reports, please complete the following:

Go to https://oia-intl.cmich.edu and log in with your CMU Global ID and password.
Click on STEM OPT Extension under the Records heading of your home screen.
Choose the correct report to submit depending on the reporting period (6, 12**, 18, or 24** months) and complete the required questions.
Click Submit when finished.

**The 12 and 24 month reports require completion of the appropriate self-evaluation located on page 5 of Form I-983 (top box for 12 months and bottom box for 24 months). This must be signed by your current employer at that time. You will be asked to upload a copy of your evaluation when you complete the reports for these reporting periods. You do not need to resubmit your entire I-983; only the evaluation section is required. The 6-month and 18-month reports do not require this self-evaluation component.

Please note, you are also required to submit a final evaluation on student progress if your period of STEM OPT ends early (i.e. if you change to a different status, transfer to a different school, or abandon STEM OPT before your approved STEM OPT end date). You are also required to submit a final evaluation whenever you end with an employer while on STEM OPT. Instructions on how to submit this are located under the "Report that I have ended a job" heading above.

Request to abandon OPT

If you decide that you no longer wish to pursue OPT and would like to return home, please click on the button below and complete the request form:

Submit Request to Abandon OPT

Please note that this action will end your F-1 status. You are expected to return home as soon as possible after you submit this request. This action is different than requesting an I-20 transfer, which will also end your OPT authorization. If you would like to transfer your I-20 to another school to begin a new degree, please visit the transfer out request page for more information.

Student on STEM OPT: If you decide to end your STEM OPT before your authorized end date, you are required to submit the request above AND complete the final evaluation on student progress located on page 5 of your I-983. See the "Report STEM extension participation" section above for instructions on how to submit this.

Reset SEVP portal account

To request a password reset of your SEVP Portal:

Go to the SEVP Portal login page.
Click the “Reset Password” link that is located under the email and password fields.
Enter the email address associated with your SEVIS record/portal account (usually your @cmich.edu email) and your SEVIS ID. Click update password.
Check your email for your temporary password.
Return to the SEVP Portal login page and log in using the temporary password you were given.
Follow the instructions from there to set a new password.

Visit the Make and Maintain User Password page on Study in the States for additional information about SEVP passwords.

If you have issues with this or if you continue to have login difficulty, please contact the SEVIS Help Desk at 800-892-4829.

Request a travel signature

If you plan to travel while on OPT, you must bring the following with you to show upon re-entry. Failure to bring all of these documents could result in denial of entry.

A valid I-20 with a travel signature dated within the last six months. You can request a new I-20 with a new travel signature below.
A valid F-1 visa. If your visa is expired or if you do not otherwise have an F-1 visa, you will need to obtain one at a U.S. consulate or embassay outside of the United States prior to re-entry.
A valid, unexpired passport.
Your EAD card.
A letter from your employer stating that you are expected to return to a position upon re-entry.

We also encourage you to read about the risks of traveling while on OPT through this travel tips page published by the Fragomen law office.

Request an I-20 Travel Signature Now

Request cap-gap extension I-20

Cap-gap is an extension of OPT employment authorization granted to students with qualifying H-1B petitions for cap-subject employers. Students are eligible for the cap-gap extension if all of the following criteria are true:

As of April 1, the student was on approved OPT/STEM OPT or in the 60-day grace period following the end of their authorized period of OPT/STEM OPT.
The student has a pending or approved H-1B petition with an October 1 start for a cap-subject employer.
The H-1B petition was filed before the expiration of the student's authorized period of OPT or STEM OPT.

This extension is automatically granted to qualifying students and does not require a special request to USCIS. However, OIA encourages eligible students to request a cap-gap I-20 for their records. This I-20 must be request before October 1 of the current year. On or after October 1, we cannot guarantee the possibility of printing a cap-gap I-20 from the government's system.

To request a cap-gap I-20, you will need:

Your most recent EAD card
Your I-797 notice of action showing your H-1B petition receipt number

Request Cap-Gap I-20

Frequently Asked Questions

Is unpaid or volunteer work allowable for OPT?

For post-completion OPT, yes, unpaid or volunteer work may be allowable provided that the work is directly related to your program of study. Unpaid or volunteer work is generally not permitted for work during STEM OPT Extension.

If you work in an unpaid or volunteer capacity, we recommend keeping records of the following:

Copies of any and all correspondence you may have had with the entity for which you are working/volunteering. Ideally, this correspondence would spell out the terms of your volunteer work, including start and end dates, how you will be trained, and the location of the training.
Clear goals and objectives for your unpaid/volunteer work. These should plainly and obviously align to your program of study.
Copies of time records showing the dates and times in which you worked along with a description of what you did.
Copies of any and all training material you may have received while conducting your work, including reading assignments, certificates of completion, screenshots of online quizzes/tests results, etc.
Copies of products or artifacts you may have produced while conducting your work, including research studies (published or unpublished), book reviews, brochures, websites, etc.

You are not required to submit any of these records to the OIA for review. These are merely suggestions in the event USCIS, SEVP, or another government agency asks you for more detail about your volunteer or unpaid work. The government may ask for such information at any time to ensure that you are complying with the terms of your OPT and F-1 status. The burden is on you to prove that any and all work you undertake while on OPT meets the requirements of the OPT program and F-1 regulations. Serious consequences may arise in the event the government is not satisfied with how you respond to their inquiries.

How do I know if I am on STEM OPT or Post Completion OPT?

Look at page 2 of your I-20 under the "Employment Authorizations" box. If you are on STEM OPT, it will say "STEM OPT" for the employment type. Otherwise, it will say "Post Completion OPT." Everyone who applys for OPT after graduation first starts with post completion OPT, even if you completed a STEM degree. STEM OPT is an additional 24-month extension of your post completion OPT that you must apply for. It is granted to students who have completed certain majors in science, technology, engineering, or math. More information about STEM OPT is located on the STEM OPT page

I am on STEM OPT. What are all the steps I need to complete to report that I've changed employers?

STEP 1: Complete a new Form I-983 with your employer (download blank copy here). Keep in mind that any and all new employment you undertake on STEM OPT must meet the STEM OPT employer requirements. You can read about those requirements on the STEM OPT page.

STEP 2: Submit a new employer report by clicking on the button under the "Report that I have started a job" heading above. Make sure to mark "Yes" for question 1 and attach your completed I-983 to question 2.

STEP 3: Complete and submit the final evaluation on student progress for your old employer using the Form I-983 you completed with them. This is the bottom box on page 5. Instructions on how to submit this are located under the "Report that I have ended a job" heading above. This final evaluation is in addition to the ongoing 6-month participation reports you must complete (see "Report STEM extension participation" above).

I am approaching my limit of unemployment. What can I do?

Limits on unemployment:

Students on post completion OPT: 90 days maximum of unemployment
Students on STEM OPT: 150 days maximum of unemployment

Before considering the options below, do keep in mind that volunteer work can be counted as "employment" while on post-completion OPT (though unpaid/volunteer work is generally not permissable for STEM OPT). Any volunteer work you report needs to be directly related to your program of study and must amount to more than 20 hours of work each week in order to stop the accrual of unemployment. Multiple part time volunteer positions that total more than 20 hours each week are also acceptable. Additionally, multiple part time paid positions related to your program of study are also acceptable so long as they also total more than 20 hours of work each week combined.

You have a few additional options to consider to remain in valid status if you are approaching your maximum allowed days of unemployment:

OPTION 1:Depart the United States by the end of the day on day 90. You should also report to our office that you are abandoning OPT. You can report this above. If you do find employment that starts before day 90, you can report that as well using the reporting form above. Just keep in mind that you are only allowed 90 days (post completion) or 150 days (STEM) of unemployment in aggregate. Therefore, if you are unemployed in the future, the days you have already accrued will continue to count against the allotment in addition to any future days you may accrue.
OPTION 2: Apply for and be accepted to a new program at CMU. Once you gain admission, you should contact oiainfo@cmich.edu to inquire on how to begin the change of education level process. You must be issued a new I-20 by CMU by the end of the day on day 90 at the latest. Your new program must also start within 5 months of the last day of your OPT in order to remain in valid status.
OPTION 3:Apply for and be accepted to a new school and request to transfer your I-20. You must request to transfer your I-20 by day 90. In order to request this, you must have an approved admission to your new school. Your new program must start within 5 months of the last day of your OPT in order for you to remain in the United States in valid F-1 status. You should speak with your new school about this timeline. See the information on the I-20 transfer out page for more information on how to request this.
OPTION 4: File for a change of status that allows you to remain in the United States while your application is pending. This is a long and complicated process with few options. You should work with an immigration attorney on this if you wish to pursue this option. OIA is unable to assist with change of status requests.

Reporting Changes while on OPT

Frequently Asked Questions

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