Reporting Requirements
After your OPT application is approved, SEVP will send an email on accessing the SEVP Portal. Read more about the SEVP Portal at Study in the States website.
Students must update their living address and employment information within 10 days of any change. Students can update address and employment information in the SEVP Portal. Students also must update their address in Accessplus.
All OPT employment must be directly related to the major listed on your OPT Recommendation I-20.
Reporting Employment Changes
Students must report any change to employment within 10 days. This includes reporting when you begin or when you end employment. When reporting an end date, do not delete past employment, rather add the employment end date and save the information.
Request OPT Employment I-20
To request an updated I-20 with current employment information, submit the OPT Reporting e-form in Cystart after updating information in the SEVP Portal. If you cannot access the SEVP Portal, email ISSO at isso@iastate.edu for assistance.
Reaching 90 Days of Unemployment
Students must not exceed 90 days of unemployment during post-completion OPT. Students must begin employment, not simply sign a contract, prior to reaching 90 days of unemployment and report it in the SEVP Portal within 10 days of employment start date.
Students nearing their 90 days of unemployment are advised to consult with an International Student Advisor on options, such as SEVIS transfer or change of education level. Students who exceed 90 days of unemployment are considered to have violated their status and must plan to depart the U.S. immediately.
Common Issues
Report After 10 Days
Students who report more than 10 days after starting employment will not be able to enter employment information in the SEVP Portal. Instead, students should submit the OPT Reporting e-form in CyStart.
Address Will Not Validate
Occasionally, the SEVP Portal will not recognize a student's living address. In this case, students must first report their updated living address in the OPT Reporting e-form in CyStart before reporting any other changes in the SEVP Portal.
Locked Out of SEVP Portal
Students who are locked out of the SEVP Portal may request to have their SEVP Portal reset by emailing ISSO at isso@iastate.edu.