SEVP Portal

The SEVP Portal is a tool for students on OPT and the STEM OPT Extension that can be used to update address and employment information.  You can read a full explanation of SEVP Portal use and account creation on the Study in the States website:  https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/sevis-help-hub/student-records/fm-student-employment/sevis-and-the-sevp-portal

ICE/SEVP issued policy guidance in September 2019 addressing OPT/STEM OPT student’s responsibility to provide a written explanation to their school in regard to how their job is related to their major area of study.  For students in their initial 12-month period of OPT, the OPT Employment form includes space for providing the required written explanation.  Because of this requirement, the OPT Employment Form should be used for reporting employment updates.  We will confirm in SEVIS the student has provided the required explanation after receiving the OPT Employment form.  For students approved for the STEM OPT Extension, submission of the Form I-983 satisfies the requirement to provide a written explanation of the job and degree relationship. 

The student can use the SEVP Portal to view the employer and address information on record.  Use of the SEVP Portal does not eliminate the requirement to provide your school with evidence of the relationship between your job and the major field of study.

ICE/SEVP has provided some samples of how to explain the direct relationship between a job and the major field of study.  See those examples here:  https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/optDirectlyRelatedGuidance.pdf

Special Notice for STEM OPT Students:  Updates made in the SEVP Portal alone do not satisfy the regulatory reporting requirements.  At any scheduled reporting point, the STEM OPT student must submit documentation to OIE as described in our STEM OPT Resources.  In addition to regular reporting requirements, the STEM OPT student must submit a new I-983 to the Office of International Education (OIE) to report any material changes to, or material deviations from, the student's formal training plan.  More information about what is considered a "material change" can be found in our FAQs.