Document OPT Employment

7. Document OPT employment

It is very important you keep documentation of all OPT employment, including all paid and unpaid positions. USCIS may request documentation of OPT employment when you apply for future immigration benefits (e.g. STEM OPT, H-1B, green card, etc.) as evidence that you have properly maintained your F-1 immigration status while on OPT. Types of documentation previously requested have included, but are not limited to pay slips, tax forms, and employment verification letters.

We recommend you obtain an employment verification letter at the end of all employment in order to have documentation of the start and end dates of the position. There is no template for a letter, however, we suggest that documentation of each OPT job should:

• Be written on the company’s letterhead;
• Be addressed to you;
• Include job title;
• Specify start and end dates of position;
• Specify the street address where the employment was performed (street, city, state, and zip code);
• Include a detailed job description (at least a few sentences describing specific duties, tasks, goals, etc.). If it is not clear from the job description how the work is related to your degree, a statement of how your degree is related to the work performed should be included in the letter.
• Include hours per week worked; and
• Specify contact information for your supervisor or other authorized representative of the employer that can attest to the details of your position

Do not submit this documentation to the International Center. Keep it permanently in your personal files as proof of proper maintenance of your legal F-1 status which may be requested in the future.