Hours and field of study
On post-completion OPT, work has to be part time (at least 20 hours per week) or full time, and it has to be directly related to your major area of study. The student is the one who explains the connection: before an employer is added to SEVIS, the DSO asks for the job title, employer name, major, whether the job is full time or the average weekly hours, and the regular duties and how they relate to the degree.
How different jobs are entered in SEVIS
SEVIS counts a day as unemployed when the record has no employer information for it. The SEVIS Help Hub describes how DSOs enter these situations.
| Situation | How it is entered |
|---|---|
| Changing employers | The old employer gets an end date and the new employer is added. |
| Self-employed or independent contractor | The primary location where the work is done is entered. It can be a home, an office or a business. |
| Several short-term gigs in one period | Entered as self-employed, with a note in the employment remarks about what the student is doing, for example playing music or acting. |
| Volunteer | The name and address of the organization is entered, and the remarks say the student is a volunteer. |
| One employer with several sites | The location that best meets the reporting responsibilities to the DSO and SEVP. |
| Between jobs | Nothing is entered. If there was an earlier employer, its end date is edited. |
Dates in the record
Every employer start and end date has to fall inside the OPT dates on the EAD. Dates outside that range change the unemployment calculation and put the student on the DSO alert list for approved OPT without current employer information. When one job ends and another begins, adding the new employer first and then shortening the old one keeps false unemployment days from showing up.
"Actively seeking employment" is not an accepted entry in the field that explains how the job relates to the course of study.
STEM OPT jobs
During a STEM OPT extension the job also has to be at least 20 hours per week, the employer has to be enrolled in E-Verify, and self-employment is not available. The employer EIN is required. See the STEM OPT extension guide for the rest.
Updated: November 4, 2026