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Former F-1 Students: OPT Reporting

While pursuing OPT, you remain on the F-1 visa record from Ohio University. There are several reporting requirements built into the F-1 regulations that you must follow.

Change of Address

You must report any new residential address within 10 days of moving. Please remember that you must report your physical address, you cannot report a Post Office (P.O) Box. To report the new address to SEVIS, you must go to your MyOhio Student Center and update the “SEVIS US” address. Find instructions here [PDF].

Change of Phone Number

You must report a new personal phone number within 10 days of the change. Find instructions here [PDF].

Change in Employment

You must report any change in employment within 10 days of the change. This includes starting a new job, ending a current job, moving to a new location for your job, etc. You can report these changes using the OPT Employment Update eform in iCats. If you currently hold the OPT STEM extension, please see additional requirements below.

Change of Status

If you successfully obtain an H-1B (or any other) visa status during your OPT, please report it to ISSS by using the Report New Immigration Status eform in iCats.

Travel Outside the US

If you will travel and return to continue your OPT employment, you will need to request a travel signature. You may request this via iCats. You will also need a valid F-1 visa stamp in your passport when you return to the U.S.

If you will depart the US and intend to forfeit the rest of your OPT, please send an email to isss@ohio.edu to notify us of your departure date, and to ask that we terminate your SEVIS record. This will prevent you from accruing too many days of unemployment on OPT.

OPT STEM Extension Reporting Requirements

To find instructions on applying for the OPT STEM Extension, please review our Employment page.

Additional reporting requirements apply to this extension.

  • Every six months ISSS will email you regarding your STEM OPT verification. You must respond to this email even if there have been no changes to the details of your employment or address. A response to ISSS is required by the OPT regulations.  Failure to complete this step may result in the termination of your F-1 status and OPT.
  • If you change employers, or if there are substantial changes to the I-983 training plan that was submitted earlier, you must submit an updated I-983 to isss@ohio.edu within 10 days of the change.   Failure to complete this step may result in the termination of your F-1 status and OPT.
  • You must complete an official self-evaluation before the 12 and 24 month marks of the STEM extension and submit these to ISSS via isss@ohio.edu.  These should be completed on page 5 of the I-983 form that is on file with your employer.   Failure to complete this step may result in the termination of your F-1 status and OPT.

General Reminders

  • During the first year of post-completion OPT, you are limited to 90 days of unemployment. If you pursue the OPT STEM Extension, you are limited to a total of 150 days over the entire 3-year period.
  • Self-employment is allowed during the first year of post-completion OPT. Self-employment is NOT allowed during the OPT STEM Extension.
  • Unpaid employment can be considered employment during the first year of post-completion OPT. Unpaid employment CANNOT be considered employment during the OPT STEM Extension. Read more about what constitutes unpaid employment here.
  • You must work more than 20 hours per week.
  • All work must be related to your degree.