SEVP Broadcast Message

For F-1 students and employers participating in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) optional practical training (OPT) program, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) may visit employer locations. 

Overview of Employer Site Visits

The March 2016 STEM OPT rule allows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct site visits of employers that train STEM OPT students. These are routine visits that SEVP initiated shortly after the rule became effective in 2016. 

Reasons for Employer Site Visits

The visits provide a mechanism for DHS to ensure that STEM OPT students are engaged in a structured, work-based learning experience that is consistent with the goals of practical training and with the information supplied on the student’s Form I-983, “Training Plan for STEM OPT Students.” DHS visits a cross-section of employers to obtain information about the mentoring process and assess how the program is working for students and employers. Per the 2016 STEM OPT rule, employers will receive advanced notification prior to a site visit.

How to Prepare

Students and designated school officials (DSOs) can take steps to prepare for site visits to student employers.

• Students: Make sure your employer information and home addresses are up-to-date by updating your information via the SEVP Portal or reporting updates to your school official. Your employer address should be the address you report to for work. If you work at a client site, which is different from the employer address, the client name and address should be listed along with the STEM OPT employer.
• DSOs: Be prepared to provide the student’s Form I-983 if requested and ensure the Form I-983 is up-to-date. DSOs are encouraged to use the upload evidence functionality in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

What to Expect

As part of a site visit, DHS may:

• Confirm that the employer has sufficient resources and supervisory personnel to effectively maintain the program.
• Ask employers to provide the evidence they used to assess wages of similarly situated U.S. workers.

In an effort to streamline the review process, DHS may request information concerning compliance by email or phone before conducting an inspection. This request may seek to confirm the work locations of STEM OPT students and their supervisors or may request documentation on the STEM OPT program to assist in assessing the commensurate wage requirements or similar regulatory requirements. 

For more information about the rules and regulations regarding employer site visits, please visit the Employer Site Visits page on the STEM OPT Hub on Study in the States. For case specific questions, students should reach out to their designated school official or they can contact the SEVP Response Center.

F-1 students can apply for authorization to engage in optional practical training (OPT) that is directly related to their major area of study. The newly published guidance explains that students are responsible for providing a description of how their job duties relate to their major area of study, which their DSO must review and retain in the student’s file. 

The new guidance also outlines:

• How DSOs should document the relationship between a student’s job and major area of study, as well as notes additional resources that might assist DSOs in determining whether there is a direct relationship between a job and a course of study.
• Common scenarios and responsibilities related to establishing a relationship between practical training opportunities and a student’s major.

Please note that this new guidance supersedes any information previously provided by SEVP and applies to both OPT and science, technology, engineering and mathematics OPT.

You can download the new policy guidance under the Policy tab of the Schools page on ICE.gov/SEVP.

If you have questions or comments about the guidance, please contact the SEVP Response Center.

As an F or M student, upon arrival at a U.S. port of entry, you must have:

• All signed required documents,
• Paid the I-901 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) Fee on your current Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” and;
• Valid status in SEVIS.

If you don’t meet these qualifications, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer may deny your entry into the United States. However, instead of denying your entry, the officer may issue you a Form I-515A, “Notice to Student or Exchange Visitor.”

The Form I-515A allows you to enter the United States but requires that you mail the documentation that the CBP officer asked for to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) within 30 days.

If you receive a Form I-515A, you should:

• Alert your designated school official (DSO) that you received a Form I-515A as soon as you arrive on campus.
• Make note of the two notification emails you receive from SEVP after being issued a Form I-515A.
• Review your Form I-515A and the reason for issuance with your DSO.
• Work with your DSO to mail the necessary documents to SEVP within 30 days of your entry date.

If you receive a Form I-515A, it is very important that you send your response to SEVP within 30 days. If you do not, it may negatively affect your F or M status and you may be required to depart the United States.

For more information on how to avoid receiving a Form I-515A, read the “Avoiding a Form I-515A” one-pager in the Resource Library. For step-by-step instructions on how to satisfy the requirements of the Form I-515A, read the Form I-515A Overview page or the “Handling a Form I-515A” downloadable resource.

Upon completion of your program of study at a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school and any authorized period of practical training, you have a grace period during which you can stay in the United States. The length of your grace period depends on your visa type.

• F-1 visa holders have 60 days after their program end date to leave the United States. For F-1 students who participate in post-completion optional practical training, they have 60 days after their employment ends to depart.
• M-1 visa holders have 30 days after their program end date to leave the United States. M-1 students who participate in practical training have 30 days after their EAD expires to depart.

Your program end date is the official date listed on your current Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status.” The latest date you may remain in the United States is the “admit until” date on your Form I-94, “Arrival/Departure Record,” unless you have filed for an extension or practical training benefits with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

You may not depart and return to the United States during your grace period. If you depart the United States before the end of your grace period, the rest of the grace period is lost.

If you do not complete your program of study or do not maintain your F-1 or M-1 status, you may not receive the full grace period. Ask your designated school official (DSO) for guidance on how soon you must depart the United States.

If you fail to depart during your post-completion grace period, this could adversely impact your ability to re-enter the United States under a different nonimmigrant or immigrant classification in the future.

If you wish to extend your stay in the United States, talk with your DSO to learn more about the following options:

• Transfer to another school and begin a new program of study.
• Change your education level (for example, bachelor’s to master’s degree).
• Change your status to another visa status if eligible.

For additional information and resources on how to maintain your status, visit the Maintaining Status page. For case-specific questions, please contact the SEVP Response Center.