Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Sends Notices to OPT Students Without Employer Information in SEVIS 

There have been recent reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is sending notices to students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) who have not reported employment in SEVIS and are approaching a 90-day unemployment limit. These notices are titled "Student and Exchange Visitor Program: Notice of Failure to Report Optional Practical Training Employer and Exceeding Permissible Period of Unemployment." In the notice, students are reminded that they have "been participating in Optional Practical Training (OPT) for more than 90 days but have not reported any employer information,". Furthermore, they are advised that their SEVIS records will be terminated if they do not update their employment in SEVIS within 15 days of the date of the notice.

As a reminder, F-1 students on OPT must:

• Be employed in a job directly related to their degree program.
• Not accumulate more than 90 days of unemployment during the 12 months OPT period. Exceeding 90 days of unemployment will result in losing F-1 status. Students out of status should either depart the U.S. or consult with an immigration attorney.
• Report their employment through the SEVIS Portal following instructions provided by ISSS at the time of applying for OPT.

ISSS urges all students on OPT to adhere to OPT guidelines. If you have not reported your employment in SEVIS, please submit your employment information to ISSS as soon as possible following the instructions on our OPT/STEM OPT webpages. For more detailed information, please refer to Klasko's ICE Warns F-1 Students on OPT alert.