You must report any change to your U.S. residential address within 10 days of a move. Your address can be reported through the MyBU Student Portal, under the “Immigration-U.S.” Address. You will continue to have access to the address tabs of your MyBU Student Portal for the length of your active F-1 status, until the end of your OPT and STEM OPT, and F-1 grace period.

If you change your address while your STEM OPT application is still pending with the USCIS, you must also report your address change through the USCIS address update form. Federal mail from USCIS will not be automatically forwarded to a new address. Changing your address in the middle of an ongoing application can lead to delays in processing or to your card being lost in the mail. Please carefully monitor your case through the USCIS case status tool to make sure your card is mailed to your new address.

You are required to report any changes to your biographical information, including a change to your name, or country of citizenship, to BU ISSO for as long as you remain in F-1 status. Report biographical changes by sending an email message to isso@bu.edu or directly to your ISSO advisor. A copy of a new passport may be required to reflect a new legal name or country of citizenship.

Reporting a STEM OPT employer to the ISSO is usually a two or three-part process. For any new employer or additional employer under STEM OPT, you must:

1. Submit a new I-983 Training Plan to the ISSO through the ISSOPortal and obtain a new I-20 from ISSO to reflect a STEM-eligible employer
2. Enter or Update your “OPT Employer Address” through the MyBU Student Portal, under the Address tab. If you will stay at the same employer from post-completion OPT and into your STEM OPT extension, you must enter your OPT address for your post-completion OPT dates, and enter the employer again when your STEM OPT extension begins.
3. If you are ending employment with your first STEM OPT employer, you may also need to submit a Final Evaluation through the ISSOPortal reflecting end the I-983 Training Plan for that employer.

You must contact the ISSO every six months from the start date of your OPT extension to confirm that your name, residential address, employer information, and employment status are current and accurate. The report is due to the ISSO within 10 business days of each reporting date. This six month validation can be made through the ISSOPortal.

For instance, if your OPT start date is June 1, you must submit a six month validation with 10 days of December 1 and June 1 for each year of your STEM OPT.

For each STEM OPT employer, you must complete a 12-month self-evaluation (page 5 of the Form I-983) to summarize the progress you have made toward the training goals outlined on your I-983 Training Plan. This document must be signed by an appropriate individual at your place of employment, and must be submitted to the ISSO no later than 10 days following the conclusion of the 12-month reporting period.

These evaluations can be submitted to the ISSO via the ISSOPortal.

For each STEM OPT employer, you must complete a final self-evaluation (page 5 of the Form I-983) upon ending your employment, to summarize the progress you made toward the training goals outlined in your Training Plan.

A Final Evaluation is required:

• At the expiration of your STEM OPT Employment Authorization
• If you are ending employment with your employer
• If you are ending one position and starting a new position with significantly different responsibilities at the same employer

This document must be signed by an appropriate individual at your place of employment, and must be submitted to the ISSO no later than 10 days following the conclusion of my employment.

These evaluations can be submitted to the ISSO via the ISSOPortal.

You are responsible to inform the ISSO if you will be ending STEM OPT employment – either at the end of your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or prior to its expiration.

STEM OPT requires ongoing support from your STEM OPT Employer. Employer reporting responsibilities are outlined on the SEVP STEM OPT Hub, and include:

• Certify the Form I-983, agreeing to mentoring, evaluation and other provisions
• Review and sign a 12-Month and Final Evaluation for STEM OPT Employees at the one-year mark and at the end of your STEM OPT employment
• Report any material change to the Form I-983 Training Plan
• Notify BU ISSO when a STEM OPT employee ends employment, within 48 hours of your termination

Reporting changes or termination to STEM OPT employment, can be done through the ISSOPortal.