Required Employment Reports

Important Student Responsibilities While on Post-Completion OPT and the 17-Month STEM Extension

After receiving your EAD card from USCIS for your authorized Post-completion OPT, and later for the 17-Month STEM Extension, you must immediately bring, email or fax a photocopy to the IPS Office.

Students who are on Post-completion OPT and are unemployed for more than 90 days will be considered in violation of status. You must average at least 20 hours a week of paid/unpaid/volunteer work while on Post-completion OPT. Averaging less than 20 hours a week in a month (including weekends) will require you to report days of unemployment.  Go to our Guide to Unemployment (pdf) for additional information.

Student Reporting Requirements while on Post-completion OPT or the 17-Month STEM Extension:

Submit the Post-Completion OPT Student Employment Report Form or the 17-Month STEM Extension Employment Report Form, as appropriate.

Report the following to IPS within 10 days of any change:
  • Legal name changes
  • A change in residential or mailing address
  • Any changes in employment: new address of employment, or change to a new employer (including change in company name), giving name and employer address
  • Any loss of employment

Additional Reporting Requirements While on the 17-Month STEM Extension (required every 6 months beginning on the Extension start date and ending when the Extension ends):

  • Full legal name
  • SEVIS ID number
  • Current residential address
  • Date you began working for your current employer
  • Name and address of your current employer
If you are on the 17-Month STEM Extension, you must:
  • work for an E-Verify employer      
  • work in a position related to your recently awarded STEM degree
  • have not accrued more than 120 days of unemployment during the combined period of Post-completion OPT and 17-month STEM Extension.  This will constitute a violation of your F-1 status.  Go to our Guide to Unemployment (pdf) for additional information.

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS CONSTITUTES A VIOLATION OF YOUR LEGAL F-1 STATUS.