Maintaining Status on Post-Completion OPT

To maintain your F-1 status while on Post-Completion OPT, you must:

• Report your employment and U.S. address. It is your responsibility to ensure that any employment you accept is directly related to your major field of study. 
  • When you report employment on the SEVP Portal you will be required to provide details on your employment, including a description of how the job is directly related to your field of study. 
  • Refer to the sections below for instructions on how to report.   
• Work at least 20 hours per week.
  
• Not exceed the allotted 90 days of unemployment time.  For additional information, read the section titled “Working on OPT”
• Report to ISS:
  • If your name changes 
  • If your immigration status changes (e.g. change to H-1B)
  • Report any changes in F-2 dependents. Request an F-2 be added to your SEVIS record using the procedure described on our F-2 dependent page. Notify ISS if any F-2 dependent changes status or leaves the U.S. and will no longer be a dependent on your record while you are on OPT.
• Report within ten days using the SEVP Portal:
  • If your employer changes or your employment details change 
  • If you lose your job
  • If your residential address changes 

F-1 students on OPT must find and report a job as part of maintaining status.  F-1 students may not exceed 90 days of unemployment during their 12 months of Post-Completion OPT, and must report their employer’s details in a timely manner.

Therefore, to maintain your F-1 status, you must report employment to the SEVP Portal as soon as you accept a job offer and before you exceed 90 days of unemployment.  Possible consequences to remaining in the U.S. after the 90-day deadline without a job include denial of future immigration benefits, SEVIS termination, detention and deportation, etc.

There are various types of employment you may accept while on Post-Completion OPT.  When you report employment to ISS, you will be required to explain how your employment is directly related to your field of study.

Employment can be part-time (at least 20 hours per week when on Post-Completion OPT) or full-time.  There is no defined maximum number of hours one may work while on Post-Completion OPT.  

All work must be related to your field of study.

Ex. Musicians and other performing artists may work for multiple short-term employers (gigs).  You should maintain a list of all gigs, including dates and duration.

This is commonly referred to as “1099 employment”, which refers to an individual performing a service based on a contract.  You should keep a record of the length of each contract as well as the name and contact information for each contracting company.

You may start a business and be self-employed.  You must have proper business licenses.

You must keep proof that you worked at least an average of 20 hours per week while employed by an agency.

You may work as a volunteer or unpaid intern provided that you are not violating any labor laws. Please refer to the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division page and their Fact Sheet 71 on internship programs for information.

• You must work at least 20 hours per week
• Note that although volunteer employment is permitted during the 12-Month Post-Completion OPT, it is not permitted on the OPT STEM Extension.

Such documentation should include the position held, proof of the duration of that position, contact information for your supervisor and a description of the work.  If it is not clear from the job description that the work is related to your field of study, then you should obtain a letter from your supervisor stating how your degree relates to the position.

ISS recommends that you keep documentation to prove your employment history. This may include:

• Copies of job offer letters and agreements/contracts with all OPT employers including start and end dates.
• Copies of job descriptions including job title, duties, location, pay rate and proposed number of hours to be worked per week.
• If you worked for an agency or consultancy, keep evidence of the projects you worked on.
• Keep copies of your pay vouchers or pay stubs for all periods of employment.
• Maintain copies of your bank statements that show direct or corresponding deposits from your employer(s).
• Copies of you W-2 tax forms.

• Copies of employment agreements or contracts with the employer including start and end dates, training mode (on location, online, etc) and location of the internship/unpaid training for each employer.
• Copies of all diplomas, completion certificates and/or certifications that you received related to the training programs identified.
• If you worked/trained as an unpaid employee for a third party keep evidence of the projects/contracts you worked on.
• Copies of company time and attendance records that document your daily tasks in detail for all employers during the unpaid internship or training.​​​​

You will not be required to submit this proof of employment to UB's Office of International Education, but it may be requested by USCIS if you are applying for future immigration benefits.

Each day of unemployment (including weekends) is counted towards the 90-day requirement for students on Post-Completion OPT.  Time spent outside the U.S. counts as unemployment unless the travel was work-related or during an official leave from one’s job.

If you exceed the unemployment limit there is no additional grace period. ISS recommends departing the US before you exceed this limit.

If you plan to travel outside the U.S. and the signature on page 2 of your OPT I-20 will be more than six months old at the time of re-entry, you need a new travel endorsement signature on your I-20.

To request an updated I-20, log in to UB Global, click "Optional Practical Training", then "OPT Travel Endorsement Request". 

Please submit your request at least 10 business days before you plan to leave the U.S.

• Give ISS a copy of  your EAD by uploading it on UB Global.
• Report any change to your legal name and request an updated I-20 on UB Global using the "I-20 Reprint Request" e-form.
• Report any change in your immigration status (e.g. change to H-1B) by completing the "Request to End F-1 Status" e-form on UB Global.

We now recommend to use the SEVP portal directly to report your employment and address changes. We recommend this for many reasons:

• It allows you to timely report your employment changes (any changes in employment need to be reported within 10 days of the change)
• It gives you control over your own employment record
• It allows for more consistency in how F-1 students report their employment while on post-completion OPT

Log into your SEVP Portal account once your OPT is approved to report updates within 10 days of any change.

There may be some circumstances in which students cannot use their SEVP Portal to report updates. If you try to use the SEVP Portal and receive an error message please email ISS for guidance.

Accessing your account may depend on your situation.

• If your Post-Completion OPT has been approved but the start date has not yet occurred, you may need to wait until after the start date for SEVP to send a link.
• If you have already created an SEVP account but have been locked out, you can probably reset your account yourself. Here’s how:
  1. Go to the SEVP Portal login page.
  2. Use the Reset Password function to create a new password.
• If your Post-Completion OPT has been approved and the start date has passed, please check your spam folders for the link to activate your SEVP Portal account. If you have not been sent a link, you may request that we prompt SEVP to send you a link. Here’s how:
  1. Login to UB Global.
  2. Complete the E-Form titled “SEVP Portal Unlock Request”. It may take a few days to get the link.

All students on OPT have a 60-day grace period after their EAD expires.  You are permitted to remain inside the U.S. during those 60 days to prepare for your departure, apply to change your status (if eligible) or begin a new degree program.  If you are not admitted to a new degree program or do not submit a change-of-status application before the end of the 60 days, you must leave the U.S.

If a student on OPT fails to maintain their immigration status, as explained above, the student will violate their immigration status. Status violations are serious and can result in the denial of future immigration benefits or more. It is extremely important that you adhere to all reporting deadlines, understand your obligations as an F-1 student on OPT, and follow all state and federal laws. If you have questions about status violations while on OPT, please contact ISS.

• If you transfer to another school or begin study at another educational level at UB, then your OPT authorization will automatically be terminated.  
• If you are accepted to begin another degree program at UB and your OPT has not yet expired, your OPT will terminate on the first day of classes for your new degree program.
• If you later decide not to mail your OPT application to USCIS for any reason, you must notify ISS immediately so that we can cancel your OPT recommendation in SEVIS.
• If you decide to leave the U.S. and are no longer pursuing your OPT, please complete the "Request to End F-1 Status" in UB Global.
• While on OPT, you are still in F-1 status.