STEM OPT: five things to check before you accept an offer

Your situation

You have a STEM degree and an offer, or you’re about to get one. The offer is the easy part. The employer has to meet the rules for STEM OPT, and some small employers don’t.

This isn’t legal advice. Confirm every point with your DSO.

The five checks

• The employer uses E-Verify. STEM OPT requires it. Ask HR to confirm in writing and note the date.
• There is a real workplace. A STEM OPT employer with no real office is a warning sign.
• There is real work related to your degree, with a real person who will supervise it.
• Nobody asks you for money. No fee, no “OPT letter” charge, no training programme that “guarantees” placement.
• Your DSO has seen the details. Tell them about the employer before you start, and about any change within 10 days.

If something feels off

Walk away from any employer who is vague about E-Verify, pushes you to start before your paperwork is ready, or asks you to pay. A job that costs you your status isn’t a job.

USCIS forms are free, and USCIS never asks for money by phone, email, gift card or wire transfer.

After you start

Keep copies of everything. If your employer changes, your address changes or your job changes a lot, your DSO needs to know.

If you plan to stay longer, most people need an employer to file for an H-1B, which usually means a lottery. The rules and fees have changed a lot since 2025, so read the latest on the USCIS page before you plan around them.