A growing number of international students in the United States—particularly those participating in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program—are receiving strict notices from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over compliance issues related to employer information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
The warnings are primarily triggered by missing, outdated, or incorrect employer details in SEVIS, which is used by the Department of Homeland Security to track the employment status of F-1 visa holders. Under OPT regulations, international students are allowed a maximum of 90 days of unemployment during the initial 12-month OPT period. Students who receive a STEM-OPT extension are granted an additional 60 days, totaling 150 days.
Students identified as non-compliant receive letters from ICE giving them just 15 days to rectify their SEVIS records. Failure to respond within this period could lead to the termination of their SEVIS records and the initiation of deportation proceedings.
One such letter reviewed states: “Because there is no employer information in your SEVIS record, you are accumulating unemployment days… failure to take corrective action may result in immigration proceedings.”
Indian students are among the most impacted. During the 2022–2023 academic year, approximately 69,000 of the 270,000 Indian students in the U.S. were participating in OPT programs.
Immigration attorneys are strongly advising international students to remain vigilant and report any changes in employment—whether it be a new job, loss of employment, or changes in employer details—within the required 10-day window to maintain legal status and avoid severe immigration consequences.
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