overview and definition
F-1 students on an approved Post-Completion OPT are required to report any changes/updates to USCIS through the Student and Exchange
Visitor Program Portal (SEVP Portal). Students will automatically receive an e-mail
from SEVP with instructions to set up their portal account within a few days of the
start date listed on the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Card.
sevp portal student user guide
Reporting Requirements
The following must be reported to the SEVP Portal within 10 days of the change or update. Once the update has been made the student is encouraged to submit an "I-20 Reprint Request" e-form found in UAtlas:
Moving to a new address or a change to a phone number must be reported by the student within the portal. This report does not require an I-20 Reprint.
Students starting a new job must report the new employer within 10 days of starting that job. To add a new employer click on, "Add Another New Employer" DO NOT delete your old employer. Requirements include:
- Name of Company
- Address of Company (Not Remote Address)
- Start and End Dates (if applicable) with Company
- Description of how the work is tied to your program of study.
- EIN (Employer Identification Number) is not required but highly recommended.
The student has the option to make changes or edits to the current employer. Do not delete employers.
The student can edit the "End Date" of that employer. Students should not delete the employer from the portal.
If for any reason the student is not able to report changes through the SEVP Portal or having issues logging in, please submit one of the following e-forms in UAtlas :
This e-form is for individuals who are unable to report the employment themselves or have gone past the 10 day reporting window. This e-form can be found under "F-1 Practical Training" in UAtlas.
This e-form is for students who need to register for the SEVP Portal or requesting to reset their account and can be found under "F-1 Practical Training" in UAtlas.
This e-form is for students who need to change their e-mail for the purposes of the SEVP Portal login. This e-form can be found under "F-1 Practical Training" in UAtlas.
Additional reporting requirements
The students are also responsible if any of the following apply to their situation:
This e-form is for students on Post-Completion OPT and are reporting that they are no longer pursuing OPT AND are departing the U.S. This e-form is found under "F-1 Practical Training" in UAtlas and titled, "Post-Completion OPT: No Longer on OPT (Departing U.S.).
This e-form is for students who are reporting a change of their status from the F-1 visa to any other type of visa or permanent residency category. This e-form is found under "F-1 Update Your SEVIS Record" in UAtlas and titled, "Report Change of Status From F-1".
Students must update their employment end date in the SEVP Portal. Afterwards, the
student will need to either transfer their SEVIS record to the new school or will
work with the Office of International Admissions if admitted to a new program at the Unviersity of Utah. More information about transferring
SEVIS records can be found on our Transfer-Out page.
The transfer out or the issuing of an I-20 for a new program of study at the U must
occur before the student's OPT grace period ends. If you would like to transfer out
or start a new program before your OPT ends, please talk with an ISSS advisor.
Unemployment during post-opt
After receiving an approved Post-OPT, students are permitted to have 90 days of unemployment (during the dates of authorization listed on the EAD Card). If the student is close to using up all 90 days of unemployment, and cannot find full-time employment they must prepare to depart the U.S. Students who use up all 90 days will not receive a grace period. The 90 days of unemployment will start accruing from the start date listed on the EAD card and will stop once the student begins working a full-time job and report their employment in the SEVP Portal.
Remember, students may work unpaid on OPT as long as the employment does not violate labor law.
Report Requirements for Post-Completion OPT - Frequently Asked Questions
The SEVP Portal is for F-1 students participating in Post-completion OPT and STEM OPT. Students on OPT or OPT STEM will automatically receive an e-mail from SEVP (do-not-reply@SEVP.ice.dhs.gov) with instructions to set up their portal account. The portal allows students to report address, telephone and employer information directly to SEVIS. Students are accountable for meeting the reporting requirements that regulations require of them through the SEVP portal. SEVP portal is free so you will never be asked to pay for this access.
Students are considered Active on OPT or STEM OPT when they have received their EAD card AND their OPT start date has begun. Once these two things have occurred, students will become eligible for the SEVP portal and will receive an e-mail with login information from do-not-reply@SEVP.ice.dhs.gov to set up their account. Students with pending STEM applications are considered active OPT students. Please check your spam inbox as well.
There are three basic steps for creating an account in the SEVP Portal:
- When the student's OPT is approved AND the start date comes, the student receives the email which contains a link they msut use to create the account. This link is unique to the student and cannot be shared or reused.
- Student clicks the link in the email, enters their SEVIS ID and creates a password.
- The SEVP Portal creates the student's user profile.
Students who are locked out of their portal by attempting to log in three times with incorrect information, have an expired link, or didn't receive the email may request a password by filling out the e-form "SEVIS OPT Portal Login/Password Request" thorugh UAtlas.
If you need to reset your SEVP Portal password, please use the Reset Password link on the portal homepage.
Students will receive an SEVP email when their OPT is approved and the start date
has begun. The email with the link and instruction is sent to your primary email address
(university email). If you would like to change your email address and receive another
link, you will need to submit the e-form “SEVP: Portal Change Email Address”
through UAtlas at isss.utah.edu.
If you fail to submit the required updates within 10 days of the change, your F-1 record and your valid F-1 status may be terminated.