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Loss of Employment or Beginning New Employment

Q1: What if I change employers while my application is still pending?

If your OPT EAD has not expired,

  • If the start date with the new employer will be during the standard, 12-month OPT period, you will need to complete an OPT Employment Form.  You are not required to do this step if the start date with the new employer will occur on or after the start date of your STEM OPT extension.
  • Complete an Employer Memorandum of Understanding for the new employment.
  • Complete an I-983 for the new employment.
  • Complete a Student Memorandum of Understanding for the new employment. You will upload the Employer Memorandum and I-983 within this form.
  • Compose and sign a letter explaining the change of employment.  This is necessary because USCIS needs to know your new employer’s E-Verify number.  You can use this template for guidance in creating the letter.
  • ISS will review your submissions and update SEVIS.  We’ll then issue an I-20 showing your new employer details and send it to you for signature. 

 Notifying USCIS of your new employment depends on your STEM OPT filing method:

  1. If you filed your application online, you should upload your updated I-20 and letter under “unsolicited evidence” or,
  2. If you filed a paper application, an ISS advisor will email the documents to the USCIS Service Center processing your application.

If your OPT EAD has expired,

  • Complete the Final Evaluation on Student Progress from the I-983 with a signature from your former employer.
  • Complete an Employer Memorandum of Understanding for the new employment.
  • Complete an I-983 for the new employment.
  • Complete a Student Memorandum of Understanding for the new employment. You will upload the Final Evaluation on Student Progress, Employer Memorandum, and I-983 within this form.
  • Compose and sign a letter explaining the change of employment.  This is necessary because USCIS need to know your new employer’s E-Verify number.  You can use this template for guidance in creating the letter.
  • ISS will review your submissions and update SEVIS.  We’ll then issue an I-20 showing your new employer details and send it to you for signature. 

 Notifying USCIS of your new employment depends on your STEM OPT filing method:

  1. If you filed your application online, you should upload your updated I-20 and letter under “unsolicited evidence” or,
  2. If you filed a paper application, an ISS advisor will email the documents to the USCIS Service Center processing your application.

Q2: What if I change employers after STEM OPT is approved?

  • Complete the Final Evaluation on Student Progress from the I-983 with a signature from your former employer.
  • Complete an Employer Memorandum of Understanding for the new employment.
  • Complete an I-983 for the new employment.
  • Complete a Student Memorandum of Understanding for the new employment. You will upload the Final Evaluation on Student Progress, Employer Memorandum, and I-983 within this form.

Q3: What if I lose my job?

  • Submit the Final Evaluation on Student Progress from the I-983 with a signature from your former employer.
  • If you have an upcoming reporting deadline, you are still required to submit the 6-Month Reporting Form, leaving the Employment Information section blank.

Q4: What if my former employer won't sign my Final Evaluation on Student Progress?

  • While it would be best to have it signed by your employer, we understand that some employers are not willing to comply with every request for signature. In those situations, we would advise you to submit it without your employer’s signature so that we can put it in your file. We will enter a comment in SEVIS saying that your Final Evaluation was submitted without the employer’s signature.

Please note: In addition to meeting all scheduled reporting requirements, each STEM OPT student must submit a new I-983 to their DSO in order to report any material changes to, or material deviations from, the student's formal training plan. Updates made in the SEVP Portal alone do not satisfy the regulatory reporting requirements. More information about what is considered a "material change" can be found in our FAQ.