International Center University of Florida

To provide an update regarding employer information, 12-month OPT students must update the SEVP portal and send an email to UFIC-ISS@ufic.ufl.edu that includes the UFID and the explanation about “How employment is related to course work” that was entered in the SEVP portal.

To provide an update regarding employer information, 24-month STEM OPT Extension students must report the new employer to their respective ISA by completing the I-983 and the OPT reporting form.

If a student is not able to access the SEVP portal, an email should be sent to UFIC-ISS@ufic.ufl.edu with a brief explanation that includes the student’s UFID.  UFIC will provide further guidance as necessary.

Explaining the relationship of the work to the field of study:
Whether entering this explanation via the SEVP portal (OPT students) or entering this on the OPT Reporting Form (STEM OPT students) please ensure the written explanation includes the information requested by DHS. Specifically, provide “the student's job title, employer name, average hours worked per week, major area of study, and a brief explanation of how the job is directly related to the student's studies. The regular job duties should be explained and the connection between those duties and the degree should be described.” This Sample Explanations document provides some examples of acceptable responses. 

Failure to report employment while on OPT or STEM OPT may cause the student’s SEVIS record to be automatically terminated, due to accruing unemployment days against the total cumulative days of unemployment allowed. Students on Standard OPT are allowed 90 total days of unemployment for the entire 12 month period.  Students on the STEM OPT extension (24 month duration) are allowed an additional 60 days of unemployment; this brings the total to 150 days of unemployment for the entire 36 month period.

Students on STEM OPT may not attempt to update the employment information through the SEVP portal since review of the completed I-983 by the ISA is required prior to making any employment changes in SEVIS.  Thus, the ISA will make the necessary changes in SEVIS. 

To provide an update regarding the U.S. home address only, students must update their address in ONE.UF and the SEVP portal.  To update the home address in ONE.UF, guidance is provided on the Change of Address page.  Both OPT and STEM OPT students can use the SEVP portal to complete a change of home address update.

To request a new I-20 concerning updates to your new employer or for international travel, please email UFIC-ISS@ufic.ufl.edu with the following information:

• That you would like a new I-20.
• The date you updated the SEVP portal (the date must be within the week of the request)

You will be notified when the I-20 is ready; it will either be uploaded into the ISSS portal for you to download, and instructions provided to you regarding how to download it, or it will be sent to you via email.

To request a new I-20

• concerning updates to your new employer follow the process explained at the top of this page for reporting employment changes. Indicate to the ISA when you submit the completed I-983 and OPT Report that you need an updated I-20.
• for International Travel where a change of employment has also occurred, the I-20 will be processed as part of the employment updated as explained above.
• for International Travel where NO change of employment has occurred, send an email to UFIC-ISS@ufic.ufl.edu along with a completed OPT reporting form and indicate that you need an I-20 for international travel and that there has been no change in employment.

You will be notified when the I-20 is ready; it will either be uploaded into the ISSS portal for you to download, and instructions provided to you regarding how to download it, or it will be sent to you via email.

To provide an update regarding a change in name only, students must send an email to their ISA; include UFID number and a copy of the passport reflecting the name change. If the passport has not been updated to reflect the name change, the I-20 cannot be updated.

If the F1 student has applied for and received approval for a change of visa status, such as to F2, H1B, H4, J1, J2, Permanent Resident, etc., the student should email their ISA. Include the UFID number and a copy of the USCIS approval notice or Permanent Resident/Green Card.

If an F1 student wishes to change visa status in order to be a dependent of another F1 student, the procedure will depend on where the new primary F1 attends school.

If the new primary F1 attends school at UF, then please visit the Change to F-2 Visa Status page as well as contact the ISA of the new primary F1.

If the new primary F1 attends school at another institution, then please contact the international advisor of the new primary F1 at that school.

If there have not been any changes since the student last reported, students are required to confirm that no changes have been made every six months by sending an email to UFIC-ISS@ufic.ufl.edu and including the student’s UFID in the email.

If the student is employed and the employment has come to an end, the employment end date must be updated in SEVIS.  Students on the 12-month OPT will report the job end date (the last day worked) through the SEVP portal.

Students on the 24-month STEM OPT Extension will report the job end date by sending an email to their respective ISA and including the UFID, the name of the company with whom the student was last employed, the employment end date and the completed Final Self-Evaluation found on the last page of the I-983.

Each day the student is unemployed will count against the total cumulative days of unemployment allowed, therefore, if/once the student is able to resume employment, a new OPT Report is required.

Students who have applied and been admitted to a new program at UF must request an I-20 Update from their ISA. The request must be made and the I-20 must be issued before the OPT 60 day grace period expires. The new program must start within 150 days or less of the OPT expiration date in order for the student not to be required to depart the US before the start of the new program.

If the program will not start within 150 days or less, or if the I-20 update request is not made to the ISA at least 7-10 business days prior to the grace period deadline, the student will be required to leave the US by the end of the OPT 60 day grace period. An Initial I-20, which will have a new SEVIS ID, to apply for a new F1 visa abroad, will be mailed to the student’s home address abroad. Students are required to pay the SEVIS fee for the new SEVIS ID, along with the F1 visa application fee. The student will then be able to return to the US within the 30 days prior to the program start date indicated on the Initial I-20.

For a student that will begin a new program before the actual OPT end date, an I-20 for the new program will be processed.  The OPT authorization will automatically end when classes for the new program begin.

Students who have been admitted to a new program at a school other than UF must request a Transfer-Out from their ISA to transfer their F1 SEVIS record to the new school. The new program must start within 150 days or less of the OPT expiration date in order not to be required to depart the US before the start of the new program. The request must be made and the SEVIS record must be transferred before the OPT 60 day grace period expires. The request should be made at least 7-10 business days prior to the 60 day grace period expiration date. A SEVIS transfer is not possible after the Grace Period has expired.

If the program will not start within 150 days or less, or if the SEVIS transfer request is not made to the ISA at least 7-10 business days prior to the grace period deadline, the student will be required to leave the US by the end of the OPT 60 day grace period. The new school will provide the student with an Initial I-20, which will have a new SEVIS ID, to apply for a new F1 visa abroad. Students are required to pay the SEVIS fee for the new SEVIS ID, along with the F1 visa application fee. The student will then be able to return to the US within the 30 days prior to the program start date indicated on the Initial I-20 from the new school.

For a student with a SEVIS transfer date that occurs before the actual OPT end date, the OPT authorization will automatically end the day of the SEVIS transfer.  If the student is working, the job end date must be the day before the SEVIS transfer date or earlier.

Students who will leave the U.S. indefinitely, with no current intentions of returning to continue their OPT, or if the OPT has ended, should send an email to their ISA.  Please include the UFID number and a copy of the flight itinerary. This action does not include temporary travel for vacation or work if the student plans to return to continue their OPT. The student’s F1 SEVIS record will be terminated/completed, and the remainder of the OPT, if any, will become invalid.  This decision is final and cannot be withdrawn/revoked.  The student must depart the US within 15 days of the termination of their SEVIS record.

Note: Students on STEM OPT who will leave the U.S. indefinitely, with no intention of returning to continue their STEM OPT, must also provide to the ISA a completed Final Self-Evaluation (see last page of the I-983), in addition to the information noted above.