Below is a summary of the reporting requirements during the STEM OPT extension period.  SEVP Portal users will receive an email reminder from the system, but if you do not receive these emails, it is your responsibility to comply with program requirements. 

• The ISSS STEM OPT Employment Update Report e-form is intended for STEM OPT students. EURs are processed within 21 days of submission. If you are having problems accessing, go here. You may have to log-in using limited services.

• Validation Reports. While on STEM OPT, you are required to report to ISSS every six months to confirm the following information: legal name, residential or mailing address, employer name and address, and status of current employment. Submit a EUR form to ISSS via iSpartan to complete the validation report.

Submit your report within 30 days of the due date, even if there are no changes to your personal or employment information. For example, if your STEM OPT begins on January 1, your 6-month validation report is due by June 30, then December 31, etc.  Note: If you had previously submitted a EUR for a personal or employment update more than 30 days prior to the deadline, you will still be required by SEVIS to submit a validation report. 

• Annual Self Evaluations. Students are required to submit an annual self-evaluation to describe their progress in the training experience.  An initial assessment is due 12 months after the STEM OPT start date. For example, if your start date is January 1, the initial assessment is due by December 31. The final evaluation will be due the following December-at the end of the 24 month training period.

• Important. A  final assessment (page 5 of Form I-983 training plan) is required whenever employment ends. The final evaluation plus EUR form should be submitted to ISSS within 10 days following the end of the training opportunity. 
• The student and employer must sign the self-evaluation, page 5 of Form I-983. Form I-983 will be retained in the student’s file. 
• Not submitting a final evaluation is considered a violation of the terms of the Form I-983 “Training Plan for STEM OPT Students,” and may jeopardize your status.

• Change of Employer. STEM OPT students cannot change the employment start date or add an Employer in the SEVP Student Portal. By regulation, you must send a new Form I-983 training plan to ISSS if you change employers. We will enter the information into SEVIS on your behalf. You must also submit a final evaluation from the first employer, see End/Loss of Employment below.
• End or Loss of Employment. If you voluntarily stop working or are laid off/let go by the employer, you will  have ten days to report the end of employment. Send a completed Form I-983  final evaluation (page 5 only) signed by you and the previous employer to ISSS within ten days of your last day of work.

Material Changes to Existing Form I-983. If there are material changes to or deviations from your Form I-983 training plan, you are required to submit a new Form I-983 to ISSS. For examples of what constitutes a  material change visit Study in the States STEM OPT Hub. ISSS will retain the old and new I-983 training plans in your file. In the future SEVP enhancements students will have the ability to upload his/her I-983 into the Portal. 

Electronic and/or Physical Signatures on Form I-983. The form will need to be signed by you (student) as well as your employer. Acceptable electronic signature examples are listed on slide 5 of ISSS I-983 Completion Guide. 
Electronic Signatures 
Will need to include digital validation. We will accept DocuSign and Adobe signatures with validation.
Electronic signatures created by other digital platforms may also be acceptable, if proper validation is included. 
Typed signatures (including cursive or “handwritten” digital font) or signatures created by a word processor without validation are not accepted. 
Physical Signatures
The form can be hand signed with a pen, or a copy of a handwritten signature is also acceptable.