SEVP Warns Graduates on OPT About Exceeding Unemployment Limits

in F-1 Students, Immigration Actions Trump 2.0
May 18th, 2025

A few recent BU graduates on post-completion OPT have reported receiving letters from the Department of Homeland Security about failing to report their employment information and exceeding allowable F-1 regulatory unemployment timeframes. The letters, sent directly to some graduates via email from SEVP (Student Exchange Visitor Program), asserted that the individuals have been engaging in OPT for more than 90 days without reporting any employer information, and suggested they take action immediately to rectify their situation. The letters also indicated that SEVP may set their record to “terminate” if they do not update their record within 15 days of receiving the letter.

F-1 regulations mandate current address and employer information that are reported within strict deadlines. Graduates on OPT and STEM OPT report OPT employment activity through the ISSO Portal and can verify data and review their unemployment calculator through their own SEVIS link to the SEVP OPT portal. SEVP/ICE have suggested for many years that they may take action on a SEVIS record if the F-1 exceeds the regulatory unemployment limit. These recent notifications signal that SEVP/ICE may begin to terminate records without information about a graduate’s current employer while on OPT.

The ISSO team is actively monitoring unemployment calculators in SEVIS for graduates on OPT and STEM OPT and continuing to send urgent reminders if they approach unemployment reporting maximums. ISSO also will continue to monitor the SEVIS termination lists for unusual activity.

Students and recent graduates with questions on this OPT matter should review all reporting requirements on the ISSO website and contact their ISSO advisor for further guidance.