March 2023 update: Form I-983’s expiration date has been updated to May 31, 2025. STEM OPT applicants/participants must check the expiration date of Form I-983 to submit the most recent and valid Form I-983 (Refer to the image below).

STEM OPT applicants may know that the first step to applying for STEM OPT is completing the Form I-983 Training Plan and submitting it to their DSOs at their home colleges and universities. If you are looking for sample answers to learn how to complete Form I-983, click the first related blog post below which is one of the top popular contents of SEVIS SAVVY.

Related blog post 1: STEM OPT I-983 Training Plan 30 sample answers
Related blog post 2: STEM OPT eligibility, process, required documents
Related blog post 3: My STEM OPT is in pending and my EAD end date is near

However, it seems that not many STEM OPT-approved students know that they are required to complete Form I-983s to add new employers, report STEM OPT participation, etc. As I highlighted in the post about the STEM OPT reporting requirement, it is important for STEM OPT participants to know when to submit Form I-983 to avoid violating STEM OPT reporting requirements and to save time waiting for the reply from your DSOs at your home institution.

Therefore, this blog post will guide you on when STEM OPT-approved students need to complete Form I-983 training plans again after the initial submission for the STEM OPT authorization. To learn general STEM OPT reporting requirements for students whose STEM OPT has been approved, click the second related blog post below.

Related blog post 1: Can I get multiple STEM OPT jobs?
Related blog post 2: Important STEM OPT reporting requirements

When to complete the Form I-983 STEM OPT training plan again

• Add new employers
• Termination of employment
• Decrease in pay or work hours per week
• Change of EIN
• Changes to the employer’s commitments or student’s learning objectives

Add new employers

Whenever STEM OPT students are hired by new employers, they need to complete the new Form I-983 STEM OPT Training Plan and submit them to DSOs within 10 days from the new employment start date. Upon review, DSOs will add new employer information on their SEVIS record and upload the submitted Form I-983 Training plan.

Termination of employment

When STEM OPT students quit their previous jobs, they may need to complete the “final evaluation on student progress” part on page 5 of their Form I-983 or they may not need it depending on the new employment start date. If the new employment start date is within 10 days from the last employment date of your previous job, you only need to complete the new Form I-983 training plan for the new employment. If you are starting the new employment after 10 days from the last employment end date, you should complete the final evaluation on student progress part of Form I-983 for your previous job.

Decrease in pay or work hours per week

If you got your salary increase… congratulations! That’s great and you don’t need to complete the Form I-983 training plan. On the other hand, if there’s a significant decrease in your pay or work hours per week, you should have your employer complete the revised Form I-983 training plan again. If work hours change a little, therefore, pay decreases, it doesn’t need to be reported by completing another Form I-983 training plan.

The regulation requires students to submit the revised Form I-983 “at the earliest available opportunity” and I usually give 5 days. International students are advised to reach out to their advisors to confirm the due dates.

Changes of EIN

If your employer restructures the organization thus EIN (the company’s Federal Tax ID number) was changed, it needs to be reported in the revised Form I-983. The regulation requires students to submit the revised Form I-983 “at the earliest available opportunity” and I usually give 5 days. International students are advised to reach out to their advisors to confirm the due dates.

Changes to the employer’s commitments or student’s learning objectives

If your role or responsibility changes significantly, it needs to be reflected on Form I-983 as well and it needs to be submitted to your DSOs so they can upload the revised Form I-983 to your SEVIS record. The regulation requires students to submit the revised Form I-983 “at the earliest available opportunity” and I usually give 5 days. International students are advised to reach out to their advisors to confirm the due dates.

Other than these specific cases, STEM OPT-approved students will receive email alerts to submit an “Evaluation on student progress” when they reach the 1-year mark and a “Final evaluation on student progress” when they reach 24 months from the STEM OPT start date.

It is worth noting that the above specific cases are examples from regulation 8 CFR 214.2(F)(10)(II)(C)(9)(II) and they are not the only cases where STEM OPT-approved students and employers need to work on Form I-983 Training Plan. Therefore, the best practice for STEM OPT participants will be to have employers resubmit Form I-983 whenever there are any “significant material changes to” or “material deviations from” their formal training plans.

To learn more about STEM OPT rules that all STEM OPT-approved students should be aware of, go to the STEM OPT page. To check STEM OPT application cases, go to OPT/STEM OPT forum.

If any material change to or deviation from the training plan described in the Form I- 983 or successor form occurs, the student and employer must sign a modified Form I-983 or successor form reflecting the material change(s) or deviation(s). … The student and employer must ensure that the modified Form I-983 or successor form is submitted to the student’s DSO at the earliest available opportunity.

8 CFR 214.2(F)(10)(II)(C)(9)(II)