Responsibilities of F-1 Students on Optional Practical Training

Students on OPT are required to follow all F-1 regulations and to report certain information to Immigration Services (for individuals working at UMass Chan on OPT, information below must be reported to appropriate office at sponsoring university) on a regular basis. Failure to do so could result in loss of your legal visa status in the U.S.

All OPT employment must be in a job that is related to your degree program

Limits on periods of unemployment during authorized OPT

Things to report to Immigration Services (at the University from which your degree was granted)

All information should be sent within 10 business days of the event/change. Send updates via e-mail to immigrationservices@umassmed.edu. In the subject line put “OPT Update”

• Legal name changes
• Changes in residential or mailing address
• Current employment information (giving name and address of current employer and start date of employment)
• Changes in employer (giving end date of prior employment, start date of new employment, and name and address of employer)
• Loss of employment

Additional reporting requirements for 17-month extensions: You must send Immigration Services a validation report every six months starting from the date the 17-month extension starts and ending when your F-1 status or the 17-month extension ends, whichever is first]. The report must include the following:

• Full legal name
• SEVIS identification number
• Current address
• Name and address of current employer
• Date you began working for the current employer

Immigration Services requires that all OPT applcants review and sign a form to acknowledge that you have been informed of and are aware of your responsibilities as a student on an approved period of OPT.

Optional Practical Training information - Optional Practical Training application instructions - Traveling while on OPT - Information about the 17 month OPT extension - 17 month OPT extension application instructions - Limits on employment / unemployment during OPT - H-1b "cap-gap" extension (information & instructions) - Traveling on OPT