STEM OPT students can no longer work at third party work locations

[ImmigrationHerald]

USCIS reinterpreted the 2016 STEM OPT extension rule today. From now on, USCIS prohibits an OPT student from working at a third-party work site. In order to employ a student under the 2016 STEM OPT extension rule, employers currently fill form I-983 training plan and agrees to supervise and train the F-1 student for the duration of the program. However, current regulations do not specify anything about the student’s work location during the training and supervision. As a result, offsite placement of STEM OPT students was legally permissible. Moreover, form I-983 questions the employer to list the company’s address and the work site’s address. This implied immigration officials anticipated that students would be placed at third party locations. Furthermore, remote and distance training arrangements stand prohibited. 
 

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