What the SEVP Portal is and who can use it
- The SEVP Portal lets F-1 students on post-completion OPT, and M-1 students in practical training, meet their legal reporting requirements. Portal overview
- Only students with approved post-completion OPT or STEM OPT can create portal accounts. Portal user guide
- The portal shares information with SEVIS but does not give students direct access to SEVIS. Portal overview
- There is no cost to access the portal. Create an account
- You can report changes through the portal, or ask your designated school official (DSO) to report them for you. SEVIS and the SEVP Portal
- DSOs cannot access the portal and cannot limit your access to it, but they can require you to use it. SEVIS and the SEVP Portal
- Using the portal does not replace the need to communicate with your DSO. Portal overview
EADly is not the SEVP Portal and is not affiliated with SEVP or ICE. It does not report anything to your DSO, SEVIS or the SEVP Portal.
Getting access: the account email
You do not sign up on your own. The portal emails you a registration link once SEVIS sends it your OPT data. Create an account
- Check your email in SEVIS. Confirm with your DSO that your email address is saved correctly in SEVIS. Portal overview
- Wait for approval and your start date. SEVIS sends your OPT information to the portal when OPT is approved, the OPT start date is not in the future, and your email address is in SEVIS. Create an account After the start date is reached, the email might take a day to arrive. SEVIS and the SEVP Portal
- Look for the email. It comes from do-not-reply.SEVP@ice.dhs.gov with the subject "Optional Practical Training Approval - the next step. Create an SEVP Portal account." Portal overview Create an account
- Use the link. The link in this email is the only way to reach the registration page. It is unique to you and cannot be shared or reused. Create an account
- Enter your SEVIS ID and create a password. Your SEVIS ID is in the top left corner of your Form I-20. SEVP email notices You have three chances to enter it correctly. If you are locked out, contact your DSO. Create an account
- User name. Your email address is your portal user name, so it must be unique in the portal. SEVIS and the SEVP Portal
- How long the link lasts. Official texts differ. The initial account-creation email says the link is valid for 14 days. The email sent when your SEVIS email changes before you register says 31 days. The email sent when a DSO changes your email after the account exists describes a link that is good for 14 hours. SEVP email notices If the link expires, your DSO can request a new one. SEVP email notices
- How many emails. Official pages also differ here. The Create Account page describes one email with a link. Create an account The SEVIS Help Hub email page says you will receive three emails, including one with a temporary password. SEVP email notices The 2024 user guide says to look for two emails, one with the link and one with a temporary password, followed by a confirmation email. Portal user guide
- A new OPT period. Since a 2024 portal release, the portal sends a new account-creation email when a new period of post-completion OPT begins. Release 6.1
- SEVIS outages. If you do not have an account yet, you cannot create one while SEVIS is down. Portal user guide
Logging in and passwords
The official account email gives the portal address as https://sevp.ice.gov/opt. SEVP email notices You log in with your email address and password. Navigate the portal After login, you must agree on an attestation page that you will not provide false, fictitious or fraudulent information. Navigate the portal
| Rule | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Length | At least 12 characters Password page |
| Characters | At least one letter, one number and one special character Password page |
| Change | Every 90 days. The portal emails a warning 15 days before a password expires. Password page Portal user guide |
| Reuse | You may not reuse your previous eight passwords Password page |
| What it cannot contain | The password page says your SEVIS ID. The Password Tips Sheet says your user ID (email address). Password page Password tips |
| Sharing | Not allowed. Sharing breaks a DHS security policy and will adversely affect your student status. Password page |
- Lockouts. The portal locks your account if you do not log in for 90 days or after three failed login attempts. Navigate the portal If you are locked out after 90 days without logging in, contact your DSO. Password page
- Resetting a password. Start from the "Reset Password" link under the email and password fields on the login page. Navigate the portal Official pages differ on what happens next. The password page says you get an email with a unique link. The user guide says you get an email with a temporary password. Password page Portal user guide
- Still locked. If a reset does not unlock your account, your DSO can request an unlock in SEVIS. Portal user guide
- Idle time. After 20 minutes of inactivity, the portal asks if you want to stay logged in. Navigate the portal
- Grey buttons. An unavailable action usually means some required information is missing. Navigate the portal
- Planned outages. Students cannot log in during portal releases, such as Release 6.12 on September 10 to 11, 2026. Release 6.12 The portal was also unavailable during the SEVIS 6.89.1 outage in September 2026. SEVIS Release 6.89.1
What you can and cannot update
In the portal you can update your physical and mailing addresses, telephone numbers and employer information, and monitor your employment authorization. Portal overview
- Name and date of birth are read-only. Contact your DSO if they are wrong. Update user profile
- Email address. You cannot change it in the portal. Give the new address to your DSO, who can enter it in SEVIS. Update user profile
- Addresses. The portal will not save an address it cannot verify. If your address is correct and still does not validate, your DSO can enter it in SEVIS. Update user profile Portal user guide
- History. You can view a history of changes to your portal record. Navigate the portal
Employers on post-completion OPT
- You can add, edit and delete employer information. Portal user guide
- When adding an employer, you explain how the job relates to the degree that qualified you for OPT. Update employer information
- The employment start date cannot be before the start date on your OPT authorization. Update employer information The user guide adds that it cannot be more than 10 days in the past. Portal user guide
- If you change employers, do not overwrite the old employer. Edit the old employer's end date, then add the new employer. Update employer information
- You can delete an employer only if you never worked there. Update employer information
Employers on STEM OPT
- You cannot add an employer. The Add Employer button does not appear. You send a completed Form I-983 to your DSO, and the DSO enters the employer in SEVIS. Update employer information
- You cannot change the employment start date in the portal. A change in start date goes on the Form I-983. Update employer information
- You cannot delete an employer. Portal user guide
- You can still use the portal to change your contact information and existing employer information. SEVIS STEM OPT page
- A STEM Student Due Date Announcement box shows your reporting schedule and report status. Portal user guide
Official pages differ on which existing employer fields STEM OPT students can edit. The SEVIS Help Hub STEM page says most employer information except the start date. SEVIS STEM OPT page The 2024 user guide lists EIN, employer name, employer address, full or part time, start date and end date as read-only, says you can edit only some fields, and tells you to ask your DSO to update the end date if you leave early. Portal user guide
How the portal and SEVIS stay in sync
- Changes you make in the portal go to SEVIS immediately. SEVIS and the SEVP Portal
- Official pages differ on how fast DSO changes reach the portal. The SEVIS Help Hub page says once an hour in one passage and once a day in another. SEVIS and the SEVP Portal The Portal Overview says once a day. Portal overview
- After you report a change to your DSO, the DSO has 21 days to update SEVIS. SEVIS Help Hub
Reporting requirements on post-completion OPT
| What to report | Deadline | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Change of address | Within 10 days of the change 8 CFR 214.2(f)(17) | DSO or SEVP Portal OPT reporting requirements |
| Legal name change | Within 10 days of the change 8 CFR 214.2(f)(17) | DSO. Some pages also say the portal, but portal pages say your name is read-only (see below). |
| Employer information, or interruption of employment | Sources differ (see below) | DSO, or the SEVP Portal if eligible Study in the States |
| Anything you cannot or do not report in the portal | Within 10 days SEVIS Help Hub | DSO |
- Employer deadline. The regulation requires you to report a change of name or address, or an interruption of employment, to your DSO throughout OPT, but that paragraph gives no number of days. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(12) The SEVIS Help Hub OPT page says 10 days for name, address and employment information. SEVIS Help Hub SEVP's 2010 policy guidance recommends reporting any change within 10 business days. SEVP policy guidance ICE says that guidance remains in effect, except where its 17-month STEM content conflicts with the 24-month rule. ICE
- Name changes through the portal. Two Study in the States pages say you can report a name change to your DSO or through the portal. OPT reporting requirements Study in the States The portal pages say name is read-only and name changes go to the DSO. Update user profile
- Which address. The address must be where you actually live, not a mailing address, except where you cannot receive mail there. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(17) If your U.S. physical and mailing addresses differ, the DSO must have both. OPT reporting requirements Telling your DSO within 10 days meets the separate 8 CFR 265.1 address-change requirement. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(17)
- Employment expected. You do not need an employer when OPT is requested, but you are expected to be employed during post-completion OPT, at least 20 hours per week or full time. SEVIS Help Hub
- Before, not after. Some changes need your DSO before they happen, such as a transfer, travel abroad, bringing dependents or requesting employment or training authorization. OPT reporting requirements
- Records of reporting. The 2010 guidance recommends email when reporting to your DSO, because it shows that you reported and when. SEVP policy guidance
- Accuracy. Inaccurate information can jeopardize your ability to remain in the United States legally and can delay new visas. OPT reporting requirements
A DHS rule published July 17, 2026 does not list the OPT reporting paragraphs among the parts it amends. Federal Register USCIS says a court postponed the rule's effective date on September 14, 2026, and that USCIS "will proceed under the previous regulatory provisions." USCIS I-765
Reporting requirements on STEM OPT
Complying with the STEM OPT reporting requirements is required to maintain F-1 status. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(12)
| What | Deadline | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Change of legal name, residential or mailing address, employer name, employer address, or loss of employment | Within 10 days of the change 8 CFR 214.2(f)(12) | DSO. The portal can be used for contact details and existing employer information. SEVIS STEM OPT page |
| End of your practical training experience | Within 10 days of the event STEM reporting | DSO |
| Validation report | Every six months. Each report is due within 10 business days of the reporting date. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(12) | You review your data and confirm it with your DSO. The DSO submits the report in SEVIS. SEVP email notices |
| 12-month self-evaluation on Form I-983 | Within 12 months of the approved start date on your EAD. The DSO must receive it within 10 days after the reporting period ends. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10) | DSO |
| Final self-evaluation | Within 10 days after the training ends, including when it ends early or you change employers 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10) Form I-983 page | DSO |
| New employer: new Form I-983 | Within 10 days of beginning the new training opportunity 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10) | DSO, not the portal Update employer information |
| Material change: modified Form I-983 signed by you and your employer | At the earliest available opportunity 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10) | DSO |
Validation reports
- Each report confirms your legal name, residential or mailing address, employer name and address, and employment status. STEM reporting USCIS says to report every 6 months even if nothing has changed. USCIS STEM OPT
- The reporting runs from the date the extension begins until your F-1 status expires or the extension ends, whichever comes first. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(12)
- Official pages differ on how many reports there are. The portal emails say reports are due 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after your STEM OPT start date. SEVP email notices The summary on the SEVIS Help Hub STEM page lists 6, 12 and 18 months and says DSOs validate three times. SEVIS STEM OPT page
- Portal users get an email reminder 30 days before each validation report and each self-evaluation is due. STEM reporting Portal emails also go out 5 days before and 15 days after each due date. SEVP email notices
- The DSO must report your participation in SEVIS within 21 days of the established report date. SEVIS STEM OPT page
Self-evaluations
- You and an appropriate person at your employer must sign each evaluation. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)
- Official pages word the first due date differently. The regulation measures it from the approved start date on your EAD. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10) The Form I-983 page says within 12 months of the start date listed on the form. Form I-983 page
- Not submitting a final evaluation violates the terms of the Form I-983 and may jeopardize your status. STEM reporting
Changing employers and material changes
- A new employer must be enrolled in E-Verify before you begin paid work. STEM reporting
- If the new job starts less than 10 days after the old one ends, a new Form I-983 can cover both the loss of employment and the new plan. If more than 10 days pass, you report the loss of employment first and submit the new Form I-983 later. DSO STEM reporting
- Official examples of material changes include a change of EIN, a pay cut not tied to fewer hours, a significant drop in weekly hours, and changed employer commitments or learning objectives. STEM reporting A plan change does not end your employment authorization if the rules are met and the modified Form I-983 meets the requirements. STEM reporting
Your employer's duty
- Your employer must report your termination or departure to your DSO within five business days. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)
- The employer treats you as departed after five consecutive business days away without its consent, or when it knows you left, whichever is earlier. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)
- Employers and students can meet this requirement with an email to the DSO. DSO STEM reporting
- Unemployment caused by an employer's failure to follow program rules does not, on its own, affect your STEM OPT status, if you report changes and stay within the unemployment limits. STEM reporting
What the DSO does
- Only DSOs can upload a Form I-983 to SEVIS, and the DSO enters a new employer based on it. SEVIS STEM OPT page
- The DSO keeps your Form I-983 and self-evaluations, and they must be accessible to DHS within 30 days of your submission. DSO STEM reporting
- Schools must report in SEVIS, within 21 days, any change you report about legal name, address, employer name or employer address. 8 CFR 214.3
Missed reports
- The portal reminder emails warn that your OPT and F-1 status may be terminated if a report is late or your DSO does not update SEVIS. SEVP email notices
- SEVIS is designed to terminate a STEM OPT record 46 days after a missed validation deadline, but this feature is currently disabled. A government official can still terminate a record at any time. SEVIS STEM OPT page
Unemployment and your SEVIS record
- Limits. During post-completion OPT, F-1 status depends on employment, and unemployment may not total more than 90 days. With a 24-month STEM extension, the limit is 150 days over the whole OPT period. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10) That is 90 days during initial OPT plus 60 more during the extension. STEM reporting
- New periods. SEVP says a student receives unemployment eligibility each time they participate in a period of post-completion practical training, including STEM OPT. STEM OPT overview
- How SEVIS counts. SEVIS counts each day without employer information, starting from the Actual OPT Start Date for that period. Unemployment counter A record without employer information is considered unemployed. SEVIS Help Hub
- Dates matter. Employer dates outside your actual OPT dates make you appear unemployed in SEVIS. SEVIS Help Hub Shortening your last day of work in SEVIS starts the unemployment count. STEM reporting DSOs are told to add the new employer first, then shorten the old one, to avoid false unemployment days. SEVIS Help Hub
- The counter. SEVIS shows days allowed, accrued and remaining for the active OPT or STEM OPT period. For STEM OPT, the accrued count includes days from post-completion OPT. Unemployment counter This counter is described on SEVIS Help Hub pages written for school officials. The official pages checked do not say whether students can see it in the SEVP Portal.
- Older guidance. SEVP's 2010 guidance says each day without qualifying employment counts, including weekends, and that time abroad counts as unemployment unless you are employed during authorized leave or traveling for the job. SEVP policy guidance
- Going over the limit. The SEVIS Help Hub OPT and STEM pages say SEVP officials can manually terminate a student who goes over the limit. SEVIS Help Hub SEVIS STEM OPT page The employer-entry page says going over could cause auto-termination. SEVIS Help Hub
To count days from dates you enter, use the OPT unemployment days calculator.
When portal access ends
- You can change contact and employment information up to 15 days after your OPT end date. SEVIS and the SEVP Portal
- Your account becomes read-only on the 16th day after OPT or the STEM extension ends. Release 6.1
- If SEVIS shortens your OPT because of a transfer or change of education level, you can still edit for up to 15 days. Release 6.2
- Once the account is read-only, contact your DSO to make changes. SEVP email notices
- You keep access for six months after OPT ends. Portal user guide
- If OPT ends with no pending or approved extension, you get three emails: on the OPT end date, at five months and at six months. They suggest using your browser's Print or Save features to keep a copy of your account information. SEVP email notices
If something goes wrong
| Problem | What official pages say |
|---|---|
| No account email | Check spam or junk folders. Contact your DSO to confirm your SEVIS email address and have the email resent. Portal user guide The DSO uses the Reset Portal Account link in SEVIS. SEVIS and the SEVP Portal |
| Registration link expired | Your DSO can request a new link. SEVP email notices |
| Locked out while registering | Contact your DSO. Create an account |
| Locked out after 90 days or a failed reset | Contact your DSO, who can request an unlock in SEVIS. Password page Portal user guide |
| Address will not validate | Your DSO can enter it in SEVIS. Portal user guide |
| Wrong name or date of birth, or a new email | Contact your DSO. Update user profile |
SEVP Response Center. ICE Broadcast Message 2609-01 (September 4, 2026) gives 703-603-3400 or 1-800-892-4829, and SEVP@ice.dhs.gov. ICE broadcast 2609-01 Other official pages show a different number. The Navigate the SEVP Portal page and the password page give 703-603-4300. Navigate the portal Password page The 2024 user guide gives only 1-800-892-4829 and records a 2022 fix to "transposed numbers" in the phone number. Portal user guide
Which emails the portal sends. The Create Account page says the only portal emails the government sends are to create an account, unlock an account or reset a password. Create an account The SEVIS Help Hub email page also lists emails about email-address changes, STEM reporting reminders and account closure. SEVP email notices
Common questions
How do I get SEVP Portal access?
You need approved post-completion OPT or STEM OPT. When OPT is approved in SEVIS, your OPT start date has arrived and your email address is in SEVIS, the portal sends an account-creation email. The link in that email is the only way to register. You enter your SEVIS ID from your Form I-20 and create a password.
I didn't get the SEVP Portal email. What now?
The email can take a day to arrive after your OPT start date. Check your spam or junk folder. Then contact your DSO to confirm the email address in SEVIS and ask them to resend it. The DSO does this with the Reset Portal Account link in SEVIS.
What is the SEVP Portal login URL?
The official portal email gives https://sevp.ice.gov/opt, and ICE.gov links to the portal at www.sevp.ice.gov/opt. You log in with your email address and password. EADly is not the SEVP Portal and is not affiliated with SEVP or ICE.
What do I need to report within 10 days?
All F-1 students must report a legal name change or change of address within 10 days. On STEM OPT, the regulation adds employer name, employer address and loss of employment. For employer changes on post-completion OPT, official sources differ: the regulation gives no number of days, SEVIS Help Hub pages say 10 days, and 2010 SEVP guidance recommends 10 business days.
Can I add a new employer on STEM OPT in the SEVP Portal?
No. The Add Employer button does not appear for STEM OPT students. You send a new Form I-983 to your DSO within 10 days of starting the new job, and the DSO enters the employer in SEVIS.
How often are STEM OPT validation reports due?
Every six months, due to your DSO within 10 business days of each reporting date. Official pages differ on the count: portal emails list 6, 12, 18 and 24 months, while the SEVIS Help Hub STEM summary lists 6, 12 and 18 months.
When does my SEVP Portal access end?
You can edit contact and employment information up to 15 days after your OPT end date. The account becomes read-only on the 16th day after OPT or the STEM extension ends, and access continues for six months after OPT ends.
What is the SEVP Response Center phone number?
ICE Broadcast Message 2609-01 gives 703-603-3400 or 1-800-892-4829 and the email SEVP@ice.dhs.gov. Some SEVP Portal help pages show 703-603-4300 instead, so official sources differ.
Keep your records in EADly
EADly can keep your employers, addresses and STEM OPT dates in one timeline and remind you of dates you save, such as STEM OPT validation and evaluation dates. It does not report anything to your DSO, SEVIS or the SEVP Portal.
Official sources
Every fact on this page comes from these official pages. Dates are the "last updated" or "last reviewed" dates the pages showed when checked on September 28, 2026.
- ICE: Student and Exchange Visitor ProgramUpdated 08/11/2026
- Study in the States: SEVP Portal overviewLast updated May 25, 2023
- Study in the States: Create an SEVP Portal accountLast updated May 25, 2023
- Study in the States: Make and maintain user passwordLast updated May 25, 2023
- Study in the States: SEVP Portal password tips sheetLast updated May 25, 2023
- Study in the States: Navigate the SEVP PortalLast updated May 25, 2023
- Study in the States: Update user profileLast updated May 25, 2023
- Study in the States: Update employer informationLast updated May 25, 2023
- Study in the States: OPT student reporting requirementsLast updated June 1, 2023
- SEVP Portal Student User Guide (PDF)Dated September 5, 2024
- SEVIS Help Hub: SEVIS and the SEVP PortalLast updated February 14, 2023
- SEVIS Help Hub: Portal email notices to studentsLast updated July 27, 2026
- SEVIS Help Hub: SEVP Portal Release 6.1 planning guideLast updated May 24, 2024
- SEVIS Help Hub: SEVP Portal Release 6.2 planning guideLast updated November 7, 2024
- SEVIS Help Hub: SEVP Portal Release 6.12 planning guideLast updated September 4, 2026
- SEVIS Help Hub: SEVIS Release 6.89.1 planning guideLast updated September 10, 2026
- SEVIS Help Hub: F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT)Last updated May 19, 2025
- SEVIS Help Hub: F-1 STEM OPT extensionLast updated July 27, 2026
- SEVIS Help Hub: F-1 add, edit, delete OPT employerLast updated April 28, 2025
- SEVIS Help Hub: Unemployment counterLast updated July 27, 2026
- STEM OPT Hub: Students, STEM OPT reporting requirementsLast updated July 6, 2026
- STEM OPT Hub: DSOs, STEM OPT reporting requirementsLast updated May 25, 2023
- STEM OPT Hub: Students and the Form I-983Last updated November 26, 2024
- STEM OPT Hub: STEM OPT extension overviewLast updated April 28, 2025
- Study in the States: Applying for practical trainingLast updated August 24, 2026
- ICE SEVP: Practical trainingUpdated 12/10/2024
- ICE SEVP Policy Guidance 1004-03: Update to OPT (PDF)Dated April 23, 2010
- ICE Broadcast Message 2609-01 (PDF)Dated September 4, 2026
- USCIS: OPT extension for STEM studentsLast reviewed/updated 01/30/2026
- USCIS: Form I-765, Application for Employment AuthorizationLast reviewed/updated 09/15/2026
- 8 CFR 214.2 on eCFRUp to date as of 2026-09-24
- 8 CFR 214.3 on eCFRUp to date as of 2026-09-24
- Federal Register: 91 FR 44976 (July 17, 2026)Published 07/17/2026
This page summarizes official information. It is not legal, immigration or tax advice. Confirm your situation with your DSO or a qualified immigration attorney. Last updated September 28, 2026.