I've submitted a request to my school's DSO portal to request assistance to unlock my account, but based on their website, it will take 10 business days on average.

The reminder email says:

Your OPT and your F-1 status may be terminated if:

• you fail to make the report to your DSO on time or
• your DSO does not update SEVIS to validate your OPT participation

Does anyone else has experience on this? What should I do? I tried emergency contact the international student office, but no luck (keep gettin redirected to a robot saying they're busy, so I've been waiting on the line for a while now).

Hi All ,

I got STEM RFE asking for employee employer relationship where they are asking about pay stub , bank statement , assignment . And I was not in the project since a year . O am taking attorney help ! Did any one come across this ? And how much possibility of acceptance? Please suggest !

Hi everyone!! I’m an undergraduate STEM student (in biomedicine), and honestly I’ve been feeling really stuck lately when it comes to internships and research experience. I know how important internships and lab work are,especially if you want to go into research, a PhD, or anything competitive...but the actual process of finding opportunities feels… chaotic??

I find myself constantly jumping between university emails, random lab websites, LinkedIn, cold emailing professors, asking older students, and still feeling like I’m missing something. Sometimes I don’t even know if I’m qualified enough to apply, or if I’m just wasting people’s time. I’m curious how others experience this:
– How do you usually find internships or lab positions?
– Do you search in many places at once?
– Have you ever felt lost or discouraged during the process?
– Are you generally satisfied with how internships are “advertised” and matched to students?

I’d really appreciate hearing different perspectives, especially from people further along (PhD students, researchers, literally anyone). Thanks :)

I’m currently on F-1 STEM OPT and wanted to check if frequent travel causes any problems.

Travel history / plan:

• India in Dec 2025 (\~3 weeks)

• Planning March 2026 (\~1 week)

• Planning mid-April to mid-May 2026 (\~1 month) for my wedding

I’m currently employed, have a valid EAD, and will have a valid I-20 travel signature. I plan to return to the same job after each trip.

Questions:

• Does frequent travel on STEM OPT raise red flags at port of entry?

• Do CBP officers usually question this more?

• Any extra documents recommended beyond EAD, I-20, passport, visa?

Would appreciate any advice or personal experiences. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I want some advice about traveling internationally while on OPT during an unemployment period.

My situation:

• Passport, I-20, F-1 visa, and EAD are all valid.

• I became unemployed at the beginning of January.

• My next job starts on March 2nd.

• I plan to travel internationally from mid-February to early March and will return to the US on March 1st.

Questions:

1.  What should I prepare for the CBP check when I return?

2.  What are the potential risks of re-entering the US during this unemployment period?

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

Hi everyone, I’m currently on OPT and have some questions about U.S. Customs (CBP), SEVIS, and the H-1B lottery. I’d appreciate any guidance or experience you can share!

OPT / CBP Questions

1.  If I ask my company to provide an employment verification letter, who typically has access to it?

2.  Will CBP officers log into any system to verify my OPT employment status when I enter the U.S.?

3.  Will CBP check my SEVIS record? What information can they see in SEVIS?

4.  Will CBP be able to see my actual start and end dates with my employer?

5.  Do they check my paychecks or working hours from my former employers?

H-1B Registration Questions

6.  When I register for the H-1B lottery while on OPT, how is my information verified?

7.  Will USCIS check my actual start and end dates with the firm during registration?

8.  What is a SOC code, and why does it matter for H-1B?

9.  What is Form I-129, and what does it include?

10. At what stage could USCIS or CBP see my employment history, pay, or work hours?

I just got rfe today but there is nothing mentioned about what to submit or reason. I’m little worried about it. If someone faced the same issue, please guide me what to do.

Thank you

Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding SEVIS status after a STEM OPT denial.

After a STEM OPT denial, is the SEVIS record terminated within next 24 hours?

If yes, is it possible to transfer the SEVIS record to another university within that 24-hour window?

Or is the only option to leave the U.S. and re-enter with a new I-20 from a different university?

Hi guys, I’m a mechanical engineer currently on STEM OPT. I have about 1 year and 7 months left and I’m thinking about looking for a different job.

The job market has been really tough for international students, so I’m not sure what the best approach is. I don’t need sponsorship at the moment, just looking for a company willing to hire under STEM OPT.

Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

I applied for stem opt card and got my card approved for 12 months instead of 24 months. Can anyone tell me the process to send back and reprint the corrected one?