Reporting Responsibilities while on Post-Completion OPT

1. Once a student has been been approved for OPT and received the Employment Authorization Document (EAD card) in the mail, the student must email a color photo or scanned copy of the front and back of the EAD card to iss@lasell.edu for our records.  
2. All students on post-completion OPT must report to the Office of International Services their current residential addresses and any future changes of address within 10 days of the change.
3. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security requires all students in F-1 status who have been granted OPT employment authorization to report the location of the OPT experience, including the name and address of their OPT employer or organization. Students must report their employer's name and address, and any interruption of employment or changes of employers (within 10 days) during all periods of post-completion of OPT. 

How to Report 

Once a student has been approved for OPT, they must update personal and employer information by submitting the Lasell OPT Employment Information Form. Students must complete this form whenever there is a change to their employment information, their address, or their contact information.  

On March 23, 2018, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) launched the SEVP Portal for F-1 students participating in post-completion OPT. The portal allows F-1 students on post-completion OPT to report personal and employer information directly to SEVP. Through the portal, students will be able to:

• Add or edit their phone number.
• Add or edit their mailing and physical address. 
• Add or edit your employer information.

Students will receive an email with instructions from SEVP shortly after their OPT has been adjudicated by USCIS. Students can find information about the SEVIS Student Portal on Study in the States here,  as well as the instructions for creating a login here.  Students may update their information in the SEVP portal, IN ADDITION to the Lasell OPT Employment Information Form. 

90 Days of Unemployment Rule 

F-1 visa regulations allow students to apply for OPT without having an employer. For students who remain in the United States on post-completion OPT, their legal status depends on being employed. Students on post-completion OPT may NOT accrue more than 90 days of unemployment within the approved dates of OPT as listed on the Employment Authorization Document (EAD). OPT employment includes volunteer work, internships and part-time employment that equals 20 hours per week. All OPT employment is required to be related to the student's degree program.

If a student fails to report OPT employment information, the student could be considered in violation of F-1 immigration status by the Department of Homeland Security. 

OPT Employment Information Form 

Traveling while on OPT

After graduation, OPT students are required to show the EAD along with other F-1 visa documents in order to reenter the United States. Printed on the EAD is the statement "Not valid for reentry." This statement means that the EAD alone is not valid for reentry. Students must have ALL the documents listed below in order to travel and return to the United States after graduation. 

1. A valid Form I-20 with a travel signature on page 2. (The signature should not be more than six months old at the time of reentry to the United States.)
2. A valid passport
3. A valid F-1 visa in the passport
4. The EAD issued by USCIS
5. Evidence of a job offer (Recommended if you are nearing the 90 days of unemployment from your start date.)
6. SEVIS fee payment receipt (Recommended; if you do not have the receipt and have paid the SEVIS fee before, please go to https://www.fmjfee.com to print one out. If you have not paid the SEVIS fee, you may pay now via the same web site and print out the receipt.)

If you do not have all of this documentation or you need to renew your visa there is an additional risk with travel. Please consult the OIS before traveling.