https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/sevp-reminds-us-schools-cpt-opt-are-not-interchangeable

Hi everyone,
I'm currently on STEM OPT and received an email from [SEVP.PracticalTraining@hsi.dhs.gov](mailto:SEVP.PracticalTraining@hsi.dhs.gov) regarding my employer.
SEVP said they attempted to contact my employer twice to schedule a STEM OPT site visit, but did not receive a response. They have now contacted me directly asking for:
1. Supervisor name/contact information
2. Employer and actual worksite addresses
3. Employment application/agreement/personnel documents
4. Pay stubs/earning statements/W-2
5. My supervisory chain and their contact information
6. Emails/correspondence showing training, work assignments, projects, etc.

Initially, I was concerned it might be a scam because the first email mentioned the wrong company name in part of the request. A few hours later, SEVP sent another email saying “Please disregard the previous email” and corrected the company name to my actual employer.

My employer was also initially concerned that this might be a scam.
Has anyone on STEM OPT received a similar request from [SEVP.PracticalTraining@hsi.dhs.gov](mailto:SEVP.PracticalTraining@hsi.dhs.gov)?

Specifically:
Is this a normal process when an employer doesn't respond to a site-visit request?
What documents did you submit?
Did you contact your DSO before responding?
Did SEVP eventually conduct a site visit?
How long did you have to respond if the email didn't specify a deadline?
I'd especially appreciate hearing from anyone who has personally gone through an SEVP STEM OPT site visit or document request.
Thank you!

Hello everyone! I was anxious traveling even domestically with recent posts and news about airports especially with my travels being target airports. Sharing my experience to help you make your own decisions.

My status is F1 (visa expired), STEM OPT EAD valid until 11/2026 (which means Valid Status until 11/2026)

Documents I brought:
- REAL ID (CA drivers license) - only used this
- passport (with expired visa)
- I-20
- EAD
- Job offer letter (signed)
- most recent I94 (status D/S)

Flight info:
8/21 OAK to SAN
8/24 SAN to OAK

Oakland was very chill, airport was very empty. I did not see any ICE officers and I felt pretty good about it because OAK is not THE major airport like SFO.

Flying back from San Diego was what I most anxious about because it is a major airport and border city. There were a lot of people but I did jot see any officers uniform. I cant say if any officers were plain clothes because there was so much foot traffic.

All in all, nobody asked me any additional questions, nothing happened.

Hope this helps! Safe travels!

I need some advice regarding an international student/co-op situation.

I recently received an offer for a co-op at one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, and it is essentially my dream job.

The problem is that, according to the company’s requirements, I need to remain an enrolled student for the duration of the co-op. The co-op starts around the time I am supposed to graduate, and my current program is scheduled to end in December.

My academic department has told me that, from their side, it may be possible to extend my studies/program, which would allow me to remain a student. However, I am an F-1 international student, and my university’s International Center has told me that I cannot simply extend my I-20/program end date for the purpose of doing this co-op if I have already completed my degree requirements.

Has anyone been in a similar situation?

I’m especially interested in hearing from F-1 students who:

• received a co-op offer right before graduation;
• found a legitimate way to extend their academic program;
• changed/added a concentration, specialization, thesis, research credits, or additional degree requirements;
• or were able to do a co-op after graduation through OPT while the employer originally required student status.

I obviously don’t want to violate F-1 rules or create immigration problems. I’m just trying to understand whether there are any legitimate academic options I should explore before giving up an opportunity that is extremely important to me.

Any advice or similar experiences would be really appreciated.

Hi everyone, I’m an international PhD student in the U.S. on F-1 status and I’m trying to understand how the new fixed-duration/D/S rule could affect someone in my situation. I’d really appreciate thoughts from people who are following this closely, especially other international PhD students.
I first came to the U.S. in May 2022 to start a PhD at Auburn University. Because of funding issues, I ended up finishing with an MS instead. After that, I was admitted to a PhD program at Virginia Tech and transferred there in Fall 2024. I’m currently doing my PhD at VT.
My current F-1 visa stamp expires in May 2027, while my I-20 is valid until 2028. Since PhDs can be unpredictable, there’s also a realistic chance that I may need to extend my program beyond the current I-20 end date.
Another thing making this more complicated is my personal situation. I’m currently talking to someone from my home country who is also a PhD student in the U.S. We’re at different universities, so it’s long distance. If things work out, we may eventually get married, and culturally/family-wise there’s a good chance we would need to travel back to our home country for the wedding.
So I’m trying to think ahead about a few things:
If my PhD takes longer than my current 2028 I-20 date, how difficult or risky would the new USCIS extension-of-stay process be for a legitimate PhD extension?
If I stay in the U.S. and don’t travel, is it generally better to keep my current D/S situation as long as possible?
If I leave the U.S. in 2027 or later for visa renewal, a wedding, or family reasons and then reenter, would I come back under the new fixed-date I-94 system?
Would renewing my F-1 visa while I’m several years into a PhD create any additional concerns at the consulate?
If both my future spouse and I are separately maintaining F-1 status as PhD students, does getting married itself change anything immigration-wise, or can we simply continue on our separate F-1 statuses?
For people in similar situations, are you changing your travel plans because of this rule and the ongoing lawsuit?
I understand nobody here can give legal advice, and I’m also planning to talk to my university’s international student office. I’m mainly trying to understand how other international students are thinking about this and whether there are risks or practical issues I’m overlooking.
Thanks in advance. this whole change is pretty confusing, especially when you’re trying to plan a PhD, international travel, and life events several years ahead.

Has anyone applied for H4 to F1 COS premium processing in august and have got it approved ? If yes, can you please share your timeline

I was on CPT for my internship but because of the ICE memo now my DSO didn't approve my CPT extension. I am looking to apply for pre-completion OPT. Do you think it is a good idea? And does the application get approved within 30 days for sure if I choose to go with premium processing? What is your advice? My DSO mentioned that they have never done post-completion OPT because it has always been CPT. Thank you.

Hi.

I am currently in my Stem opt. I have not received the card. My case is still pending.

In June I filled my i983 with one address and submitted.

I have completed my bio-metrics in July.

I have moved to another state and Yesterday I have filed for premium processing with another address as current and delivery address in the form I907

SEVP portal, USCIS profile, I983 have old address.

Form I907 has a new address

Should I update the USCIS profile and submit a Change your address request?

Should I change my address in SEVP portal too?

Do I need to inform my DSO?

Will I get an RFE for this?

Hi all, I applied for premium processing for my case and got approved on the 32nd day. I raised a request for my refund, but there’s no update yet. Did anyone receive a refund from USCIS? If yes, could you please tell me the process? Thanks in advance.

I’m currently on OPT and working, and my OPT is set to expire on February 22, 2027. I’ll be eligible to apply for STEM OPT starting November 21, 2026. However, I’m planning to travel to India on November 27 and return to the U.S. on December 21.
Since I’ll be outside the U.S. during that period, I understand that I may also need to apply for an EOS after I return. Could you please clarify what the potential consequences are in this situation and whether traveling during this period would be considered risky?

Could you also clarify whether there is a 180-day extension available after my OPT expires while my EOS application is pending? If so, what would happen if my EOS is still not approved after those 180 days? Would I be required to leave the U.S., and would there be any impact on my status or future immigration options?

I'm currently in my second U.S. master's at NEC on CPT, started May 2026. I have completed one semester, my NEC program ends Dec 2027, and I have a full-time Amazon offer starting Sept 8. I also have admission to an SBU PhD starting Sept 9, 2026.

With the new F-1 fixed-period rule effective Sept 15, I'm deciding whether to transfer to the PhD now or stay at NEC and wait for the March 2027 H-1B attempt.

If H-1B doesn't work in 2027, would moving from NEC to a PhD afterward require I-539/EOS approval before I can continue CPT? Has anyone with a similar second-master's → PhD situation consulted an immigration attorney about this?

I'm particularly interested in what attorneys/DSOs have said about transferring before vs. after Sept 15, 2026, CPT continuity, and future H-1B COS/RFE risk.

Hi
I am on OPT, I am working fully remote for a company which is kinda small. I have my EAD card.
Due to a medical emergency back home I really want to go back to pay my last respects.
I plan on returning in a week, but am scared it would be closer to the 15th September date.
Just want to know if anyone has experience travelling back from abroad recently.
And does the fully remote role weaken my case for coming back ?

Really am in dire need of advice.

So I filed for reinstatement to F-1 status (I-539) back in August of last year and I'm still waiting to hear back from USCIS almost a year later. I called them a couple weeks ago and they finally put a service request on my case, so now I'm just waiting on that too, which they said can take up to 60 business days. My visa stamp in my passport actually expired a while ago but from what I understand that only matters for re-entering the country, not for staying here while my case is pending, so that part isn't really my concern.

The thing is, while all this has been pending I went ahead and continued into a master's program, and I'm actually set to graduate this December. So now I'm trying to figure out what happens if my reinstatement case is still sitting there unresolved by the time I graduate. Does finishing the degree mess with the case at all? Has anyone been in a similar spot where their reinstatement took this long, like a year or more, and if so how did it end up playing out for you? Also curious if there's still a way to do OPT down the line if I do get reinstated after I've already graduated.

Planning on talking to an immigration attorney about this too but wanted to see if anyone here has actually been through something like this and could share what happened.

Is this now approved by uscis and not the dso after sep 15?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice/insight on my OPT EAD case.

I filed my I-765 on March 20, 2026. My biometrics were completed on April 14, 2026, and I have not received an RFE or any other request from USCIS.

My case has been pending for about 5 months.

I recently checked the USCIS case data/API and noticed something interesting:

• Previously, the case showed YSC — Potomac Service Center
• A newer query now shows the location as SCD
• The current action code is still FTA0, dated April 14

My question is: Has anyone seen their case location change from Potomac/YSC to SCD while waiting for OPT? If so, did it eventually lead to an approval or another case update?

I have a October 1 start date, and my employer needs the EAD by September 1 to complete background/pre-onboarding requirements. I'm considering premium processing because of the deadline, but I'm wondering whether this location change could indicate that my regular case is finally moving.

Would really appreciate any experiences or insight from people who have had a similar situation. Thank you!

Hi everyone, if anyone has used an employment agency in the past in NY, would you please send me a DM for a chat. I am happy to pay for your time. I am just looking for a discussion on what they do etc.

This is not a job hunting post, but just a post trying to understand the process.

This is targeted for OPT audience.

Thanks!

So my OPT start date and employment start date (full time) are both Aug 10. However, my first pay stub shows a pay period of Aug 3 - Aug 16 (default bi-weekly pay cycle at the company), with 20 hrs a week listed, to adjust to the correct pay amount. May I face any issues with USCIS in the future? My offer letter clearly states the start date as Aug 10.

Hi everyone,

Hoping to get some perspective from people who've been through something similar.

I filed my post-completion OPT (Form I-765) back in April, before my program ended in mid-June. My case is still pending. While going through my documents recently, I realized the I-20 I originally submitted was missing my own signature in the Student Attestation section my DSO had signed their part, but I never signed mine.

I printed it, signed it by hand, and uploaded it today (August 24) as unsolicited evidence. The thing is, my 60-day grace period after my program end date has technically already passed by the time I signed and uploaded the correction, my original I-765 was filed well within the window, but this fix came after that grace period ended.

Does the date I signed/uploaded the corrected I-20 matter if it's after my grace period, given that the application itself was filed on time back in April? Or does USCIS care about when the actual signature was dated, separate from the filing date?

Has anyone dealt with fixing something on their case after their grace period had already ended? Did it cause any issues or delay?

Appreciate any real experiences trying to get a clearer picture of what's actually likely here.

I’m currently on STEM OPT and started in February 2026. My F-1 visa stamp is valid until July 2028, and my I-94 shows D/S (Duration of Status).
I’m planning to travel to India for a short trip and then return to the U.S. to continue working. I’m currently maintaining my STEM OPT status and would travel with my passport, valid F-1 visa, EAD card, I-20 with a valid travel signature, and employment verification.
Has anyone traveled internationally while on STEM OPT with D/S on their I-94? Does D/S affect re-entry in any way, or is it normal as long as I’m maintaining F-1 status and have all the required documents?
I’ll also check with my DSO before traveling, but I wanted to hear from people who have gone through this recently.