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Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issues guidance on reporting relationship between employment and area of study for F-1 OPT

  1. Original Date Announced

    September 27, 2019

    Guidance states that foreign students are responsible for describing how their practical training opportunity relates to their major area of study, which the Designated School Official (DSO) must review and retain. DSO must determine whether there is a direct relationship between the job and the major area of study on a case-by-case basis. [ID #771]

    SEVP Policy Guidance: Practical Training- Determining a Direct Relationship Between Employment and a Student's Major Area of Study
  2. Effective Date

    September 27, 2019
  3.  
  4. Biden Administration Action: Modified

    August 27, 2024

    2024.08.27 USCIS Policy Update STEM OPT

    USCIS is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding when students may be eligible for optional practical training (OPT) for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The policy guidance clarifies that students may be eligible for post-competition OPT after completion of an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree program.

    View Document

Current Status

Fully in Effect

Most Recent Action

August 27, 2024 Action: Modified 2024.08.27 USCIS Policy Update STEM OPT
August 27, 2024
Acted on by Biden Administration

Original Trump Policy Status

Status: Final/Actual
Trump Administration Action: Agency Directive
Agencies Affected: ICE USCIS

Documents

Trump-Era Policy Documents

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