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International Student and Scholar Services Office

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  6. Optional Practical Training Required Reporting Procedures

Students

Optional Practical Training Required Reporting Procedures

OPT/-X Self Report

ISSSO has implemented a new reporting system called TerraDotta to manage all requests and reporting requirements during your OPT or OPT STEM Extension (OPT-X) period. As you transition from graduation to OPT, we strongly encourage you to report changes to your living address, phone, or email through TerraDotta within 10 days as required by law.

Initial Post-Completion OPT and SEVP Portal

The Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Portal is a platform that F-1 students on post completion OPT must use to report changes to their employment information.

After USCIS approves your OPT and your requested OPT start date begins, SEVP will send you an initial invitation email to your email address. The email will come from do-not-reply.sevp@ice.dhs.gov with instructions to create your account. Please check your spam/junk folder if you do not see the message. The link will expire in 14 days, so activate your account promptly. If it expires, contact our office at sevis@central.uh.edu and we can resend the link to access your SEVP portal.

For detailed instructions on creating your SEVP Portal account, reporting employment, or updating personal information, please review the official SEVP Portal Student User Guide  available at the Study in the State Website.

Reporting Employment Authorization Document (EAD)

Once you receive your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card from USCIS, you are required to upload the front and back of your EAD card as one PDF file within the TerraDotta portal.

Instruction to upload EAD Card (for both OPT and OPT-X)

Reporting Employment Information during Post-Completion OPT

Federal regulations require students on Post-Completion OPT to report their employment within ten (10) days of beginning employment. You are expected to report your employment in the SEVP Portal within this timeframe to maintain compliance with federal requirements.

If you are unable to report your employment in the SEVP Portal within the required 10 days, you may instead submit your employment information through the TerraDotta Portal. This option is provided to help ensure compliance, but it should not be understood as permission to delay reporting beyond the ten-day regulatory requirement.

Students must report employment either in the SEVP Portal or in the TerraDotta Portal, but not in both systems. Employment information reported in the SEVP Portal will periodically sync with TerraDotta, whereas employment reported through TerraDotta will be reviewed and submitted to SEVIS by ISSSO. Please note that failure to report employment in a timely manner is a violation of your requirements and may result in termination of your SEVIS record.

Instruction to report employment through TerraDotta (Post-Completion OPT)

Reporting Employment Information during STEM-OPT (OPT-X)

Students on STEM OPT (OPT-X) must report all employment through the TerraDotta portal by submitting the Form I-983 Training Plan. Unlike Post-Completion OPT, you are no longer permitted to make employment edits in the SEVP Portal. All employment updates are processed through I-983 submission and officially entered into SEVIS by ISSSO.

If you end a job, you are required to submit all five pages of the I-983 for that position, with the final evaluation on page 5 completed and signed by both you and your employer. If you begin new employment, you must also submit a new I-983 for that position, page 5 should remain blank.

Federal regulations require that all employment changes be reported within 10 days. Failure to submit timely and accurate I-983 updates may result in non-compliance with STEM OPT reporting requirements and could jeopardize your F-1 status.

Instruction to report employment through TerraDotta (OPT-X)

Submitting your STEM Validation Report (6, 12, 18, 24 months)

Federal regulations require STEM OPT students to submit reports at six-month intervals throughout the 24-month extension. Each report must be submitted within 10 days of the due date. Failure to submit a timely report is a violation of STEM OPT requirements and may jeopardize your F-1 status.

6-Month Report: Six months after the start date of your STEM OPT EAD. Log in to your SEVP Portal and confirm that all information is correct and up to date. After confirmation, submit your report through TerraDotta. You do not need to upload your Form I-983.

12-Month Report: Twelve months after the start date of your STEM OPT EAD. Log in to your SEVP Portal and confirm that all information is correct and up to date. Then, submit your report through TerraDotta along with your Form I-983 that includes the self-evaluation section on page 5(top portion) completed and signed by both you and your employer.

18-Month Report: Eighteen months after the start date of your STEM OPT EAD. Log in to your SEVP Portal and confirm that all information is correct and up to date. After confirmation, submit your report through TerraDotta. You do not need to upload your Form I-983.

24-Month Report / Final Evaluation: Twenty-four months after the start date of your STEM OPT EAD, or at the time of ending employment prior to completing STEM OPT. Log in to your SEVP Portal and confirm that all information is correct and up to date. Then, submit your report through TerraDotta along with your Form I-983 that includes the final evaluation on page 5 completed and signed by both you and your employer.

Instructions to submit your STEM Validation Report

Reporting Material Change

STEM OPT students must report any significant changes or deviations from their approved training plan (Form I-983) through Terra Dotta by submitting an updated I-983. The student and employer must complete and sign an updated I-983 that reflects those changes and submit it to the ISSSO.

Some examples of material changes that require updated I-983 form are listed below.

  • A change in the employer’s EIN (Employer Identification Number) due to corporate restructuring or change in ownership
  • Any reduction in the student’s compensation that is not tied to a decrease in work hours
  • A significant decrease in the number of hours worked per week, especially if it brings the total below 20 hours/week, the required minimum for STEM OPT
  • A change in the training site address or supervisor
  • Changes in the nature, purpose, oversight, or assessment of the student’s training opportunity
  • Any modification to the student’s learning objectives or employer’s commitments as listed in the original Form I-983
  • Any change that makes the employer attestations or information on the form inaccurate
Instruction to submit your material change

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Log in to your Terra Dotta portal and select the “Contact Information Update” option to submit your request.
No. Terra Dotta automatically pulls your employment information from SEVIS. If your employer’s name does not appear right away in Terra Dotta, do not worry as the system will update it periodically.
No. You are not required to report salary increases or promotions. See ‘Reporting Material Change’ above for detail information.
Yes. Validation reports are required every 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, even if there are no changes to your information.

If you are on Initial OPT: Update your employment end date in the SEVP Portal and upload your approval notice or proof of new status to Terra Dotta selecting ‘Change of Status from F-1 to Other Categories’ option so we can complete your SEVIS record.

If you are on STEM OPT: Complete and submit all 5 pages of your I-983 with the final evaluation on page 5 completed and signed by you and your employer and upload your approval notice or proof of new status to Terra Dotta selecting ‘Change of Status from F-1 to Other Categories’ option so we can complete your SEVIS record.