Optional Practical Training or OPT is work authorization for which an international student needs to have some information and information as well. When a student applies for OPT, they get the opportunity to work in their field of study under a fixed tenure of time.
OPT employment is related to the legal status of the student in the USA. In order to work, they must maintain their status by being legally safe and active.
With the help of the SEVIS portal, a student can be socially active and know certain details about their legal status and employment status.
The student exchange visitor program or SEVIS is the perfect portal for all the post-completion OPT candidates. On this OPT Job portal, students can check and update their employment status.
OPT candidate resumes are the second primary important thing because the first one is the online status that is approved by the USCIS. A United states citizenship and immigration service is the legal authority that gives and approves permission to international students for working and earning.
Now, for reporting OPT employment a student should be aware of the areas about which they can report on the SEVIS portal or site.
On the portal, they can change certain details such as their name and address details, details about their employers, and any change of their employment status if any.
In case, a candidate wishes to end their OPT tenure, that also can be updated and reported. Every candidate has a time of 10 days under which they can report or change their details provided in the SEVIS portal by the USCIS.
Now, there are a few requirements that every student should know when reporting their OPT employment in the USA.
Time for reporting
Every OPT student database has details about their stay, their legal activity, and minor information about their duration of the stay. They also have a fixed time for applying and getting the process done on the SEVIS portal.
For the details that are already mentioned on the portal like the address detail, employment status, and other contact information there is a time period of 10 days under which these can be changed or reported.
In all the information, the same information about the employer also needs to be reported. Under the given time period of 1 day, a candidate must provide all the updated information.
Verification of the employer
Every employer with an OPT student database is not legally allowed to hire students under OPT. It is important for every student to know about their employer. A student should check if the employer is legally allowed to have an OPT candidate’s resumes in order to hire and train them. There is a system of E-verification that every employer has to go through.
A candidate with a valid employer can report their OPT employment without any error or re-verification.
Unemployment duration
As an OPT is a work authorization, a student under OPT cannot be unemployed for a longer period of time. If a student is facing unemployment, it is very important for them to find an employer within 150 days.
In regular OPT, there is not much time for a student to do nothing or stay unemployed in their field of study. And if a student fails to find an employment opportunity or an employer with the opportunity then their status under an F1 visa will be terminated.
Under the termination, the student has no other option but to leave the USA and re-apply for all the processes from the scratch. The unemployment period is provided with limited extension time so that a student can make the process and report the changes on the online portal of the SEVIS in time.
STEM OPT
STEM OPT is the field that comes with some different norms and rules. Students in the field of science, maths, engineering, and medical are eligible to apply for STEM.
A STEM is also a temporary work authorization for students from these respective educational backgrounds. The STEM provides a student with work authorization for a time period of 24 months.
Under that, they can work with their employer in their field. Every student under this has to submit their employment report every six months in the USA.
The process for them goes the same. They have to make a profile on the student exchange visitor portal.
Check the e-verification of their employer, track their application, and also make their employment report every six months. Under as well, they have a tenure of 10 days under which they must take steps for a report.
Under their report, STEM OPT students need to provide information about their employer, themselves, and their employment status. If a student wishes to change the job they need to provide a report on that as well.
STEM OPT reports
Under STEM, a candidate has the option to provide their report in many stages. Reports in six months, 12 months, 18 months, and at the end of their 24-month tenure.
Every candidate under STEM needs to provide an employment report in these months of their employment in the USA. There are special cases also in which a candidate needs to provide an employment report.
The special cases include changing of an employer or changing of job, and leaving the employer or leaving the job. For these purposes, a candidate needs to fill I-983 form.
The fifth and final page of this form is the training page in which a candidate can add details in order to report the changes and report the employment status.
During their training period of 24 months, a candidate can use their form and add all the changed details about themselves and the employer they want to work for in the STEM area of study.
For adding all this, a student must have a legal status maintained under an F1 visa, a profile in the SEVIS portal, and have their ID number in order to check their status on the portal regularly.
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FAQ:-
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How do I report employment on OPT?
A candidate can report their employment status on OPT with the help of all their active F1 status and employment details mentioned on the SEVIS portal. A student needs to report their employment with the given form of I-40 and add the details in the section given for the employment report.
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Does OPT count as employment?
OPT is a work authorization period under which an international student is given the opportunity to work under their field of study. It cannot be counted as employment because it only provides permission and the time period under which a candidate can work.
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How do I write OPT on my resume?
Every international student with an OPT has to make a different resume in order to get an opportunity. A student with a valid employment authorization document can add at the top of their resume that they are allowed to work with a local or American employer in the USA.
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Where can I find an opt resume?
An OPT resume can be found on many platforms including social media. There are many OPT resume databases that are available online. An employer can find them with the help of online outreach and references from their own field of profession.
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How do you hire opt candidates in the USA?
One can hire OPT candidates by having permission from the USCIS for hiring or training international students. One can hire with the help of online platforms, agents, or university counselors. An employer needs to have permission first and be verified by the legal authorities of the USA.
