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Remember that students on the STEM Extension must report to ISSC every six months as part of USCIS’ mandatory reporting. It’s especially important to remember the extra requirements for reporting after the first year of the STEM Extension (12 Month Self Evaluation) and when the STEM Extension ends after two years.
 

If you do not have any changes to your position to report, you will just need to submit the 12-month reporting eForm – in the eForm you will confirm that your employment information is up to date AND upload the I-983 page 5 Self-Evaluation (the top section of page 5). Only the top half of page 5 is required if there are no changes to report.

If you have updates to your employment, you will need to submit an Employment Update eForm with those changes along with your 12-Month Reporting.  
 

The Final Evaluation of the I-983 is due to our office at the end of the 24-months of STEM OPT and any other time you end a position on the STEM Extension. This can be for reasons like ending your employment, switching to a different employer, or changing your immigration status.

If you are reporting the end of your 24-month STEM Extension, submit the 24-month reporting eForm – in the eForm you will confirm that your employment information is up to date AND upload the I-983 page 5 Final Evaluation (the bottom section of page 5).

Remember, the Final Evaluation of the I-983 is not only due when your 24-month STEM Extension concludes. Here are some other situations when the Final Evaluation must be submitted to ISSC.

Any time a student on the STEM Extension ends a work opportunity, a Final Evaluation of the I-983 must be submitted to ISSC. This Final Evaluation should be a reflection on the time you worked on the position, summarizing your experience with the Training Plan.

If you are transferring to a new institution while on STEM OPT, a Final Evaluation is needed to finalize your Training Plan. Remember, while transferring will not end your F-1 SEVIS record, it will end your time on the STEM OPT Extension. ISSC will not be able to process your Transfer Out request until we have received your Final Evaluation.

A Final Evaluation is always needed whenever you conclude your time on the STEM Extension and that includes when you transition to a new immigration status, such as H-1B.

If your 24-month reporting period comes due while you are transitioning to H-1B (such as during your Cap Gap Extension), a 24-month Final Evaluation is still required. Make sure to continue to carefully pay attention to your STEM Extension reporting deadlines even if you are in the process of transitioning to a new immigration status.