SEVIS Introduces New Student-Facing Portal for F-1 Students on OPT

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Mollie

On March 23, 2018, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) launched the SEVP Portal. The portal is a tool that F-1 students on OPT/STEM OPT can use to report changes to their home/mailing address, telephone number and employer information. The portal is accessible from both mobile devices and computers. Use of the portal is voluntary but highly encouraged by SEVP and OIS.

When and How Do OPT Students Gain Access to the Portal?

The SEVP Portal is only be accessible to students whose OPT has been approved and is active. If a student’s OPT is already approved and active (meaning the student has been issued an employment authorization document (EAD) card and the start date of the EAD has passed), the student should have received an email from SEVP with instructions on creating a portal account. This email came from do-not-reply.sevp@ice.dhs.gov to the student’s email address associated with the student’s SEVIS record (which will be the email address they have checked as “preferred” in their MyPack account). If students are unsure which email address is associated with their SEVIS account, students should monitor all email accounts they have registered in MyPack. Students should check their spam or junk mail folder also to ensure they didn’t miss the email. If a student’s OPT is approved and active, but the student hasn’t received an email from SEVP, the student can contact OIS to request a resend of the email. If a student’s OPT status in SEVIS is still “requested” or pending”, the student will not receive an email until the OPT status has been changed to “approved” which happens when the EAD is issued.

How Do Students Use the Portal?

The SEVP Portal allows students to:

View details about their post-completion OPT or STEM OPT;
Report changes to their residential address, telephone number and employer information;
View and update data on all of their employers in one place.

The SEVP Portal and Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) regularly share data. Data entered into the Portal is sent immediately to SEVIS to update the student’s record. Information comes from SEVIS to the Portal only once a day. Therefore, any updates of a student’s information in SEVIS appear in the Portal the next day. The SEVP Portal User Guide provides detailed instructions for using the portal.

For Students on Post-Completion OPT: Students on OPT are able to add, edit, and delete employer information. OIS highly recommends that students on OPT start create a Portal account as soon as they receive an email from SEVP and begin reporting employment information using the SEVP Portal instead of the OIS OPT Validation form. Students should take care to avoid duplicate submissions: once a student has updated their OPT information in the SEVP Portal, the student should not submit the same information through the OPT Validation form (unless otherwise instructed by OIS).

For Students on STEM OPT: Students on STEM OPT cannot add or delete any employers in the SEVP Portal. To add an employer, the student must submit a completed Form I-983 and a New Employer Form to OIS using the STEM OPT Upload Center. To delete an employer from the student’s SEVIS record, the student must contact OIS. Students on STEM OPT can edit some of their employer’s information in the SEVP Portal, but if the student needs to edit any of the read-only fields, the student must contact OIS. IMPORTANT: STEM OPT Students must continue using OIS’s online OPT Validation form to submit their 6-month validation reports. STEM OPT Students should review all STEM OPT reporting requirements listed on our STEM OPT web page.

What Should Students on OPT/STEM OPT Do Now?

Students should familiarize themselves with the information available about the Portal. Please review the following resources provided by SEVP:

Information about the portal.
The SEVP Portal User Guide which provides screenshots and detailed step-by-step instructions for using the portal.
SEVP Portal videos.
A useful one-page reference sheet on the Portal.

At this time, OIS does not possess any additional information about the Portal other than the information and links provided in this email. Students should not contact OIS to confirm that they created a portal account. If students have any questions about the portal or need assistance, they can call the SEVP Response Center at 703-603-3400.

UPDATE: “Travel Ban” (Executive Order 13780, issued March 6, 2017) – Implementation of Presidential Proclamation

Posted on October 30, 2017 by elbender

On December 8, 2017, the U.S. Department of State began fully implementing Presidential Proclamation 9645. The Presidential Proclamation, issued by the Trump Administration on September 24, 2017, announced new travel restrictions on certain nationals of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and Venezuela. Sudanese nationals are no longer subject to travel restrictions. These new restrictions replace a central portion of its earlier travel ban, Executive Order 13780, and vary by country.

How this Presidential Proclamation Impacts NC State:

There is no change on travel guidance to our international campus community. Due to the continuing uncertainty regarding the travel ban we still recommend that impacted individuals refrain from travel if at all possible.

If you decide to travel, please make an appointment with an advisor at OIS so that we can advise you on what documentation to travel with and what to do should you encounter difficulty in getting a visa in time to return for classes or if you encounter difficulty at the Port of Entry.

Please also note:

The Department of State has issued guidance and an FAQ regarding implementation.
The Department of Homeland Security, or “DHS” (which governs Customs and Border Protection) has also issued an FAQ regarding implementation.
All international travelers should continue to expect delays during visa appointments and at ports of entry. Consular officers abroad and CBP at all ports of entry will now have to make additional decisions regarding who to admit into the U.S., which will undoubtedly cause additional delays.
As always, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will continue to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether the individual is admissible to the U.S. It is possible that CBP will decide to re-review the grounds on which an individual qualified for an exception or waiver, even if the person already met this burden and obtained an entry visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy overseas. If travel is necessary, we strongly recommend that individuals from any of the eight countries carry extensive documentation showing their eligibility for the relevant waiver or exception. Please work closely with OIS if you must travel to prepare this documentation.
The Presidential Proclamation also authorizes the DHS and DOS to grant discretionary waivers of the entry ban where the denial of entry would cause hardship or the foreign national’s entry is in the national interest and entry would not pose a threat to national security. However, the stringent criteria and lack of a clear application process suggest that waivers may be difficult to obtain.

The Office of International Services, International Employment, and the Office of General Counsel are closely monitoring the government’s implementation of the Executive Order, Presidential Proclamation and related court decision(s), and will provide further information as developments occur.

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Additional details:

No visas will be revoked as a result of the Presidential Proclamation. Individuals from any of the eight countries who are currently outside the U.S. and need a visa to enter may qualify for an exception or waiver, however, the exception for a bona fide relationship is no longer available. Nationals from any of the eight countries will not be subject to any travel restrictions listed in the Presidential Proclamation if they fall into one of the following categories:

- U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder);
- Dual national traveling on a passport from a non-restricted country;
- Was granted asylum in the United States; or admitted as a refugee;
- Applicant for adjustment of status with valid advance parole;
- Was admitted to or paroled into the United States on or after the applicable effective date of the P.P for that national;
- Was in the United States on the applicable effective date of the P.P. for that national;
- Had a valid visa on the applicable effective date of the P.P. for that national; or
- Had a visa which was revoked or marked canceled as a result of Executive Order 13769 who qualifies for a visa.

Places of Interest Near NC State’s Campus

Posted on August 7, 2017 by anmcclos

Museums – free entry. Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Rose Garden/Raleigh Little Theater
- Beautiful gardens. Close to NC State’s campus
Lake Raleigh on Centennial Campus
Hunt Library on Centennial Campus
- State of the art library for NC State Students. Located on Centennial Campus.
Bell Tower
- Visit NC State’s iconic Memorial Belltower. Located on NC State’s campus.
Pullen Park– free entry. Open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Close to NC State’s campus
Hillsborough Street
- Visit the many restaurants and shops on Hillsborough street. Located on NC State’s campus.

New Timing & Format of OPT Application Reviews – Starting August 21st!

Posted on August 5, 2017 by iglabuc

Due to a large number of students applying for the post-completion OPT, OIS is changing the format of the OPT application review process. Starting August 21st, OIS will be conducting OPT application review sessions twice a week: on Monday and Thursday at 1 pm. During the session, an OIS advisor will go through the application checklist and answer your questions pertaining to the application. You may also request an individual review of your application at the end of this session.

Starting August 21st, if you would like to attend an OPT application review session, please follow these steps:

1. Assemble your OPT application package.
2. Bring your application package to OIS on Monday or Thursday at 1 pm
3. Select “OPT Final Application Review” as the reason for your visit when you sign in on the computer.

Thank you.

OIS