STEM OPT Validation Report and Self-Evaluation Requirements

Receiving your STEM OPT EAD card is not the end of the compliance process — it is the beginning of a 24-month reporting cycle. F-1 regulations impose ongoing obligations that go beyond maintaining employment. You must submit validation reports every six months, complete formal self-evaluations at the 12-month and 24-month marks, and report any changes to your employment within 10 days of when they occur.

Most students are not adequately briefed on these requirements when they file. Failing to meet them is a status violation, and a status violation jeopardizes not just the current extension but your eligibility for future immigration benefits.

Here is exactly what is required, when it is due, and how to stay compliant across the full 24 months.

The 6-Month Validation Report

Every six months from the official start date of your STEM OPT extension, you are required to submit a validation report to your Designated School Official (DSO). This report confirms that your SEVIS record is accurate — that your name, address, employer, and other information are current and correct.

The six-month validation report does not require your employer's signature. It is primarily a student self-reporting obligation. You submit it through the SEVP Portal, directly to your DSO, or through whatever reporting system your university uses for OPT compliance.

The content of the validation report typically covers:

• Confirmation that you are still employed at the listed employer
• Verification that your residential address and contact information are current
• Confirmation that your training plan is still in effect as filed
• Any changes to your employment that have occurred since the last report

The report is required regardless of whether anything has changed. Even if your situation is identical to six months ago, you must submit it. If you do not, your DSO is required to note a reporting violation in SEVIS.

Count from your STEM OPT start date, not your EAD issue date. The start date is the date listed on the I-20 as the beginning of the STEM OPT period, which may precede the EAD card's physical arrival by several months.

The 12-Month Self-Evaluation

At the one-year mark of your STEM OPT extension — not the one-year mark of your overall OPT — you must complete a formal written self-evaluation using Section 5 of Form I-983.

This evaluation is more substantial than the six-month validation report. It requires you to:

• Assess your progress against each learning objective listed in the original training plan
• Describe specific projects or accomplishments that advanced your training
• Identify any gaps between the planned objectives and what was actually accomplished
• Indicate whether any adjustments to the training plan are needed going forward

After you complete your portion, your supervisor must review and sign the evaluation before you submit it to your DSO. The combined student and employer input is required — the evaluation is not complete without the supervisor's signature and review notes.

The 12-month evaluation must be submitted to your DSO within 10 days of the one-year mark. This is a hard deadline. If your supervisor is traveling, unresponsive, or leaves the company near the evaluation date, you need to anticipate this and coordinate early.

The 24-Month Final Self-Evaluation

The second formal self-evaluation is due at the conclusion of the 24-month extension. If you complete the full 24 months with the same employer, this evaluation is due within 10 days of the extension's end date.

If you leave the position before the 24-month period ends — due to a job change, layoff, or any other reason — the final evaluation is due within 10 days of your last day of employment, not at the 24-month mark.

The final evaluation covers:

• Overall assessment of training received during the full extension period
• Achievement of the original learning objectives
• Skills and knowledge gained that were not anticipated in the original plan
• Employer's assessment of the student's growth and performance

Like the 12-month evaluation, the supervisor must review and sign before submission to the DSO.

The 10-Day Reporting Rule

In addition to the scheduled reports, certain events trigger an immediate reporting obligation regardless of where you are in the six-month cycle. You must notify your DSO within 10 days of any of the following changes:

• Your legal name
• Your residential or mailing address
• Your employer's name or address
• A change in supervisor
• A substantial change in your job duties or learning objectives
• A change in your employer's EIN (due to merger, acquisition, or restructuring)
• Any reduction in your compensation not proportional to a reduction in hours
• Beginning a new position with a different employer

For a job change specifically, you must submit a newly completed and signed Form I-983 for the new employer within 10 days of starting the new role. The new employer must be E-Verify enrolled, and the new I-983 must establish that the new role also directly relates to your qualifying STEM degree.

The 10-day window is not a grace period with cushion — it is a compliance deadline. Missing it creates a gap in your SEVIS reporting record.

The 5-Day Employer Reporting Rule

Your employer has an independent reporting obligation that is separate from yours. If you are terminated, resign, or fail to report to work for five consecutive business days without authorization, your employer must notify your DSO within five business days of the separation.

This matters because the unemployment clock starts counting from the day you are no longer employed, not from the day it is reported. If an employer is slow to notify the DSO, you can accumulate unemployment days faster than your records reflect. Monitor your own situation rather than relying on the employer to track this on your behalf.

The 150-Day Unemployment Limit and Its Relationship to Reporting

The 150-day cumulative unemployment limit applies across the full 36-month OPT period — the initial 12 months plus the 24-month extension. Your maximum allowable unemployment during the STEM extension alone is 90 additional days beyond whatever remained from the initial 12 months, capped at 150 total.

Working fewer than 20 hours per week counts as unemployment for this purpose. Volunteer work and unpaid internships also count as unemployment during the STEM extension period — they do not stop the clock.

Every weekend and holiday counts. The limit is calendar days, not business days.

Your DSO and the SEVP Portal are the authoritative sources for your current unemployment day count. If you are approaching the limit, your DSO needs to know so that your SEVIS record reflects your status accurately.

What Happens If You Miss a Reporting Deadline

Missing a validation report, failing to submit a self-evaluation on time, or failing to report a material change is documented in your SEVIS record as a reporting violation. A single missed deadline may not result in immediate termination of status, but a pattern of violations, or a violation discovered during an ICE worksite visit, can result in the termination of your SEVIS record.

A terminated SEVIS record means your F-1 status ends. You would need to either depart the United States, apply for reinstatement from within the U.S. (which is not guaranteed), or explore whether a different immigration status is available.

The practical approach is to build the reporting calendar into your personal calendar from the first day of the extension:

• Mark the six-month intervals from your STEM start date
• Set reminders 30 days before each deadline to begin coordinating with your supervisor
• Track your employment dates and any changes in a running log you can reference during each report cycle

The US STEM OPT Extension Guide includes a complete compliance tracking calendar and templates for each self-evaluation period.

See more United States guides →