Take a look at all of the recent SEVP OPT Portal updates. The Portal has created compliance and advising challenges. Does your team need help with keeping your case management software in sync with updates that OPT and STEM OPT students make at the Portal? Would you like a guided exploration of how to manage the Portal updates? IOC team has an OPT Webinar and Toolkit Knowledge Solution that takes the guesswork out of identifying changes students made at the Portal. Would you like to see the latest updates to the Portal? IOC is providing them.
April 5th, v.1.7, Portal adjustments:
- Send email reporting reminders to only science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) optional practical training (OPT) students participating in an active STEM OPT period.
- Send email reporting reminders to students whose STEM OPT applications are in “Requested” or “Pending” status in SEVIS during the first 180 days of their STEM employment authorization period.
- Stop sending duplicate emails.
- Provide an announcement on the login page to advise users when the portal is temporarily unavailable.
- Address issues with users’ history being unavailable.
- Stop sending email reporting reminders if the due date for the student’s report will be later than the end date of the authorization.
March 6th, v.1.6, Portal adjustments:
- When a student changes their email address, they will receive a confirmation notice to both the old and new email address.
- STEM OPT students will receive a reminder 30 days before their 6-month validation reports and 30 days before their annual self-evaluations are due.
February 13th, v.1.5, Portal adjustments:
- Stop sending email reporting reminders if the due date for the student’s report will be later than the end date of the authorization.
- Portal users can now reset their own accounts if they have been locked out.
- STEM students will now see their reporting and self-evaluation requirements.
- The Portal will now only email a notice when an employer end date changes if the student is in an Active period of STEM OPT authorization. This is the solution to the misleading email previously received by students on OPT when STEM OPT was added to their record.