Hello International Triton!

Greetings from the International Students & Programs Office! The iEmployment Newsletter is distributed quarterly for F-1 students on post-completion OPT and STEM OPT.  
New! Update to the SEVP Portal:
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) released a new update to the  SEVP Portal that will end a student’s access to the SEVP Portal   6 months after completion of their OPT authorization. Previously, the SEVP Portal remained active indefinitely for students to access after the completion of OPT. Students will receive email notifications of when their access to the SEVP Portal will end – one at 6 months before their access ends, one at 30 days before their access ends, and one once their access has ended.  

SEVP is encouraging students to save a copy of their SEVP Portal before losing access to it. Since the SEVP Portal is a student portal that is managed by the SEVP,  ISPO does not have access to the SEVP Portal and cannot save copies for you . If you are unable to access the SEVP Portal to save a copy of it, please just be sure to retain all previously issued I-20s, as those will act as your documentation of your time on F-1 status.  
Reporting Reminders for Students on Standard 12-Month OPT
Keep employment, personal address, and phone number up to date at all times using the  SEVP Portal. If you experience a change in any of these areas, log into the SEVP Portal to update your information within 10 calendar days of the change. You do not need to report these changes to ISPO, only to the SEVP Portal. 

If you would like your I-20 to reflect your changes, request an updated I-20 from ISPO by submitting the Amendment I-20/DS-2019 Request at  iportal.ucsd.edu.
Clarification on STEM OPT Extension Reporting
Requirements (Validation Reports)
For changes to your personal address or phone number, use the  SEVP Portal.  

For changes to your employment information, use the Amendment I-20/DS-2019 Request at  iportal.ucsd.edu, and an ISPO advisor will update your record for you.   

To fulfill your validation report requirement that is due every 6 months while on STEM OPT, use the STEM OPT Report Form at  iportal.ucsd.edu, and an ISPO advisor will validate your record for you. The STEM OPT Report Form must be submitted within 10 days of the validation report due date.  
 
If you experience a change in your employment information at the same time that you have a validation report due, then you must  submit BOTH the Amendment I-20/DS-2019 Request and the STEM OPT Report Form on iPortal.   
ISPO's New Website
We heard your feedback on the UC San Diego Customer Satisfaction Survey and ISPO’s redesigned website launched on September 24th with your suggestions in mind! We hope it will help you find the right tools and resources with ease. Check it out at istudents.ucsd.edu

You can also visit the following pages for general information:  
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
IF YOU HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR THE H-1B CONSULAR PROCESSING, YOUR SEVIS RECORD MAY BE INACTIVATED

USCIS provides SEVP with updates to H-1B applications and ALL are classified as "change of status." If you have an H-1B approval notice for consular processing and you have not already contacted us, please send an email iEmployment with your approval notice so we can check your SEVIS record and request that is be reactivated.
IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO TRAVEL

If you are planning on travelling outside of the United States, you will be asked to show certain documentation as you are clearing immigration and customs. Review the required documents for re-entry into the U.S.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR H-1B OR HAVE OTHERWISE CHANGED STATUS

Submit the Termination or Completion of Status Report Form ” at  iPortal . You will be asked to upload your I-797 Approval Notice for your H-1B petition. If you were previously on STEM OPT Extension, you will  also  be asked to upload your I-983 Final Evaluation. Details about the I-983 can be found at  stemopt.ucsd.edu
Upcoming ISPO Closures
ISPO staff will not be processing any requests during these dates however you may continue to submit requests through iPortal. ISPO will resume processing requests after reopening.  

Monday, Nov 11 - Veteran's Day
Wednesday, Nov 20 - Professional Development Day
Thursday and Friday, 28 and 29 Nov - Thanksgiving Holiday
Monday, Dec 23- Monday, Jan 1, 2020 - Winter Holiday
If you have any questions, contact us at   iemployment@ucsd.edu
CONTACT ISPO
Visit our website at iStudents.ucsd.edu or send us a message through our Online Contact Form
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