Hello Rajiv sir,
I am in a dilemma here and in need of your help. Here's a bit of my background:
My initial post-OPT expired on July 8, 2025. Before that, on July 4, I filed my STEM OPT extension using Employer A’s I-983 and requested my school for an I-20 with STEM extension start date as July 9th. Unfortunately, I never started working for Employer A since my start date was set for August 4. Then on August 4, my employer postponed the start date to August 18 due to customer delays and budge problems. But in a sudden turn of events, on August 15, I received an offer from Employer B (E-Verified) and submitted a new I-983 and requested a new I-20 from my school before starting to work with Employer B which is on August 18. Recently after I submitted my new I-983 to university, my DSO sent a follow up email saying:
I wanted to follow up with you about your ServiceNow inquiry and recent STEM OPT e-form. I will make the changes you are requesting, but I wanted to make sure you have prepared documentation for your employment situation. Because you are reporting that you did not ever work for the employer that you applied to USCIS with, I am not sure how they will adjudicate your application.
It is likely you will receive a Request for Evidence from them or even a denial of your STEM OPT application since you did not have employment at the time of your application. I want to emphasize that OGS is not USCIS and so I cannot say for sure whether this will happen, but I wanted to make sure you are prepared for these potential outcomes.
I would be grateful for your guidance on the following:
I have attached a screenshot of the email I received from my DSO. Thank you for your time and advice.
Best,
Rohit Paul
I am in a dilemma here and in need of your help. Here's a bit of my background:
My initial post-OPT expired on July 8, 2025. Before that, on July 4, I filed my STEM OPT extension using Employer A’s I-983 and requested my school for an I-20 with STEM extension start date as July 9th. Unfortunately, I never started working for Employer A since my start date was set for August 4. Then on August 4, my employer postponed the start date to August 18 due to customer delays and budge problems. But in a sudden turn of events, on August 15, I received an offer from Employer B (E-Verified) and submitted a new I-983 and requested a new I-20 from my school before starting to work with Employer B which is on August 18. Recently after I submitted my new I-983 to university, my DSO sent a follow up email saying:
I wanted to follow up with you about your ServiceNow inquiry and recent STEM OPT e-form. I will make the changes you are requesting, but I wanted to make sure you have prepared documentation for your employment situation. Because you are reporting that you did not ever work for the employer that you applied to USCIS with, I am not sure how they will adjudicate your application.
It is likely you will receive a Request for Evidence from them or even a denial of your STEM OPT application since you did not have employment at the time of your application. I want to emphasize that OGS is not USCIS and so I cannot say for sure whether this will happen, but I wanted to make sure you are prepared for these potential outcomes.
I would be grateful for your guidance on the following:
- What did my DSO mean by “making the changes I requested”?
- What steps should I take now to avoid an RFE or denial?
- What documentation should I keep ready to avoid RFE/Denial?
I have attached a screenshot of the email I received from my DSO. Thank you for your time and advice.
Best,
Rohit Paul
