Job Offer Letter on OPT: The Details Your DSO, I-983 and Future H-1B Petition Will Need

Your OPT offer letter becomes the source for the SEVP Portal, your I-983 and a future H-1B petition, so fix the title, worksite, hours and start date before you sign.

Part of our guide to Form I-983.

A job offer letter for OPT has no official format, but a useful one spells out seven things: the employer's legal name, your exact job title, duties that connect to your degree, the physical worksite, hours per week (at least 20), pay, and a start date no earlier than your EAD start date. For STEM OPT, add your supervisor and the employer's E-Verify enrollment. These details get copied into the SEVP Portal, your Form I-983 and, if your employer sponsors you, an H-1B Labor Condition Application (LCA) and petition, so every version should describe the same job.

Status as of 2026-11-01. The OPT and STEM OPT employment rules below are in effect and unchanged, including the STEM OPT 180-day automatic extension for timely filers (the 2026-10-14 rule ending automatic EAD extensions did not touch it). PA-2026-05, in effect since 2026-08-05 and challenged in AAUP v. Mullin, lets USCIS deny any benefit request, OPT I-765s included, without a request for evidence (RFE) when required initial evidence is missing. DHS's OPT fee rule is only proposed (comments close 2026-11-09; after that, check the docket) and does not change what your letter should say. FY2028 H-1B registration is not announced.

What should an offer letter include for OPT?

An OPT offer letter should name the legal employer, your job title, a duties summary tied to your degree, the worksite address, weekly hours of at least 20, pay, and a start date on or after your EAD start date. For STEM OPT, add your supervisor and confirm E-Verify enrollment. No federal rule fixes the format.

University sample letters disagree (letterhead and signature, a duties paragraph, or nothing beyond what you type into the SEVP Portal). Treat them as school preferences, not federal requirements. What matters is that the letter is accurate and matches what you later report and the employer signs, so make it the one source you copy from.

Job offer letter for OPT: the checklist, field by field

Offer letter details and where each one reappears (as of 2026-11)

Field names come from SEVP's Update Employer Information page, the Form I-983 (7/16 edition, OMB expiration 4/30/2029), DOL's Form ETA-9035 and the 09/09/26 Form I-129, read on 2026-11-02.

Job title and duties: the lines everything else copies

On post-completion OPT, the SEVP Portal asks you to "Explain how the job relates to the degree that qualified you for this training." The I-983 has no box for your job title; Section 5's "Student Role" field asks how the role is "directly related to enhancing the student's knowledge obtained through his or her qualifying STEM degree." Later, an H-1B petition needs a specialty occupation, which USCIS's H-1B specialty occupations page ties to "a bachelor's or higher degree in a directly related specific specialty."

A generic "Associate" who "supports the team as needed" is weak on all three. Ask for an accurate duties paragraph you could paste into the portal; our guide to H-1B wage levels shows how title and duties map to pay.

Worksite: an address, not just "remote"

"Remote" is not a worksite. DOL's Form ETA-9035 says each place of employment "must be the worksite or physical location where the work will actually be performed and cannot be a P.O. Box," and the I-983 asks for a site name and street address. A home office or client office is still a place of employment, and the I-129 asks whether each worksite is a "third-party location." On STEM OPT, the employer signing the I-983 "must be the same entity that employs the student and provides the practical training experience," per SEVP's STEM OPT eligibility page.

Hours and pay: the 20-hour floor and the H-1B wage

Post-completion OPT employment "must be at least 20 hours per week or full-time," per SEVP's OPT page. The I-983 field reads "OPT Hours Per Week (must be at least 20 hours/week)," and the employer certifies that duties, hours and compensation "are commensurate with the terms and conditions applicable to the employer's similarly situated U.S. workers."

The same number follows you into H-1B. The LCA lists your wage, the prevailing wage and a wage level, and DOL's H-1B program page says the employer must pay the actual wage or the prevailing wage, "whichever is greater." Since 2026-02-27, cap selection has been weighted by wage level under the weighted selection rule (in effect; Level IV gets four entries, Level I one). The level is the highest OEWS wage level your offered salary meets for the occupation and work location.

Start date: the EAD date wins

SEVP's guidance is blunt: a student "must not begin working before the start date on the EAD," and the SEVP Portal will not take an employment start date before your OPT start date. Starting much later hurts too: OPT allows 90 days of unemployment (150 in aggregate with STEM OPT), and SEVP's unemployment counter counts each day "without employer information" from your actual OPT start date. If HR keeps slipping the date, see what to do when the offer letter is late and your OPT start date is close.

Supervisor and E-Verify: the STEM OPT additions

The I-983 asks for a "Name of Official" with title, email and phone. SEVP's eligibility page says STEM OPT training must be "through an employer that is enrolled in USCIS' E-Verify employment eligibility verification program," and USCIS's STEM OPT page says the I-765 needs "Your employer's E-Verify Company Identification Number or valid E-Verify Client Company Identification Number." The public E-Verify Employer Search shows enrollment status and hiring sites but not that ID, so ask HR for it. Our guide to the STEM OPT employer I-983 training plan covers the rest of the form.

Do you need an offer letter to apply for OPT or STEM OPT?

For initial post-completion OPT, no. SEVP says "students are not required to have an employer when OPT is requested in SEVIS," so you can file before you have an offer.

For STEM OPT, you need an employer, though USCIS does not list an offer letter as evidence. The employer must be enrolled in E-Verify and sign Form I-983, your DSO recommends the extension after reviewing that plan, and the I-765 asks for the employer's E-Verify name and ID. Many schools also require an offer letter in their own STEM OPT request.

Two dated facts raise the stakes. Under PA-2026-05, a STEM OPT filing without the E-Verify ID could be denied without an RFE (our reading). And USCIS's processing times tool showed 80% of I-765 (c)(3) F-1 student cases completed within 5 months on 2026-11-01; check the live figure. A timely STEM OPT filing gets the 180-day automatic extension; one filed after the OPT EAD expires does not.

Should the offer letter mention H-1B sponsorship?

No rule requires it, and many employers leave it out on purpose. For most private employers, H-1B sponsorship runs through a lottery. If sponsorship came up in interviews, you can ask for a written line on intent: whether the employer plans to register you next season, will complete your STEM OPT paperwork, and pays legal and filing costs. Our guide to negotiating an H-1B sponsorship commitment into an offer has wording. A written sentence is a statement of intent, not a guarantee of selection or approval.

What frames that conversation, as of 2026-11-01:

• Timing. FY2028 registration is not announced; USCIS must give at least 30 days' notice, and March 2027 is an expectation only. Registrants attest that the employer "is offering the beneficiary a salary at or above the OEWS wage level selected," per USCIS's registration page.
• Costs. The LCA says the employer "shall not make deductions to recoup a business expense(s) of the employer including attorney fees and other costs connected to the performance of H-1B" program functions it must perform. If a letter asks you to pay or repay H-1B costs, have an immigration attorney read it before you sign.
• Fees. Proclamation 11069's $100,000 payment stays in effect on paper through 2027-09-21, but courts have blocked the agency policies that would collect it, and it is not being collected; USCIS's I-129 page says a court "vacated agency guidance implementing the $100,000 payment requirement." It never applied to a change of status granted inside the US. A separate $103,265 fee for certain cap-subject petitions is only proposed (comments closed 2026-09-24; no final rule).

Worked example: one letter, three filings

How one letter travels for a hypothetical December 2026 graduate with a STEM-designated degree:

• 2026-10-20. You file your post-completion OPT I-765 online after your DSO's recommendation, requesting a start date of 2027-01-11.
• 2026-11-20. The offer arrives: "Data Analyst," start date 2027-01-04, location "Remote." Both are problems. You ask HR for "2027-01-11 or the start date on your EAD, whichever is later" (at the 5-month figure, the card may arrive later) and for the address you will work from.
• After you start. You add the employer in the SEVP Portal with the letter's exact name, address, title and start date, and paste the duties into "Relation to Field of Study."
• March 2027 (expected, not announced). If your employer registers you for FY2028, the wage level comes from your offered salary and worksite.
• 2027-10-12. Suppose the EAD runs 2027-01-11 to 2028-01-10 (a later approval would shift both dates). If you were not selected, this is the earliest day to file a STEM OPT I-765, 90 days before that EAD expires. Your I-983 repeats the same worksite, hours, salary and duties.

Before you sign: a step-by-step check

1. Compare the letter's start date with your EAD (or, while it is pending, the recommended OPT dates on your I-20) and ask HR to move it on or after the EAD start date.
2. Confirm the legal employer name with HR, and for STEM OPT the EIN, so the SEVP Portal and Form I-983 Section 3 match payroll.
3. Request a physical worksite address, and ask whether it is a client site.
4. Check that hours are full-time or at least 20 a week and that pay and frequency are written down.
5. Ask HR for the employer's E-Verify name and Company ID before a STEM OPT filing, and confirm enrollment in the E-Verify Employer Search.
6. Draft I-983 Section 5 with your manager from the letter's duties, then send it to your DSO with your school's STEM OPT request.
7. Report the employer in the SEVP Portal after you start (STEM OPT students report through their DSO; see the 10-day reporting deadline).
8. Take any sponsorship or cost-repayment clause to a licensed immigration attorney before signing.

Your DSO handles OPT, SEVIS and I-983 questions; an immigration attorney handles H-1B terms and status strategy; a tax professional who handles nonresident returns answers questions about signing bonuses or relocation repayment.

Common mistakes

• Signing a start date before the EAD start date. Work before that date is not authorized, whatever HR intended.
• Leaving the worksite as "Remote." The I-983 and any LCA need a physical address.
• Using three titles. "Analyst" in the letter, "Data Scientist" in the portal and "Associate" on payroll is a needless mismatch.
• Signing with an entity that will not sign the I-983. For STEM OPT, the signer must be your actual employer, not a recruiter or a client. See what a real job offer looks like versus a status offer.
• Ignoring changes after you file. The I-983 lists material changes (an EIN change from a corporate restructuring, a pay cut not tied to fewer hours, a drop below 20 hours); tell your DSO.

Common misconception: "My offer letter has to follow my university's sample format." Correction: sample letters are school preferences, not federal law. What matters is that the letter is accurate and that the SEVP Portal, the I-983 and any H-1B filing describe the same job.

Frequently asked questions

What should an offer letter include for OPT?

No federal rule sets the format. Include the legal employer, your exact title, duties tied to your degree, the physical worksite, at least 20 hours a week, pay and a start date on or after your EAD start date; for STEM OPT, add your supervisor and confirm E-Verify enrollment.

Do I need an offer letter to apply for STEM OPT?

USCIS does not list one as evidence, but you need an E-Verify employer that signs Form I-983, and the I-765 asks for its E-Verify Company ID. Many schools also want an offer letter. Initial OPT can be requested without an employer.

Does my offer letter need the E-Verify number?

Not on the letter. The STEM OPT I-765 asks for the employer's E-Verify name and Company ID, which the public search does not show, so get it from HR. Since 2026-08-05, PA-2026-05 lets USCIS deny an application missing required initial evidence without an RFE.

Can I start work before my EAD arrives?

Not on post-completion OPT. You need an approved EAD and must not begin before its start date, even if your requested date passes while the I-765 is pending. As of 2026-11-01, USCIS's tool showed 80% of (c)(3) cases completed within 5 months. A timely STEM OPT I-765 extends work authorization up to 180 days if your OPT EAD expires while it is pending.

Should the offer letter mention H-1B sponsorship?

It is not required. If sponsorship was promised, ask for written intent and who pays, and have an immigration attorney review any repayment clause. A written line guarantees nothing, and the FY2028 registration was not announced as of 2026-11-01.

Sources

• SEVP, F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Unemployment Counter
• SEVP Portal Help, Update Employer Information
• SEVP, Students: Determining STEM OPT Extension Eligibility
• ICE, Form I-983 Training Plan for STEM OPT Students
• USCIS, STEM OPT extension, H-1B Specialty Occupations, H-1B Electronic Registration Process, Form I-129, PA-2026-05, processing times
• DOL, H-1B Program and Form ETA-9035
• E-Verify, E-Verify Employer Search
• Federal Register, OPT fees proposed rule and weighted selection final rule

How we checked this: we read the SEVP, USCIS, ICE, DOL and E-Verify pages and forms listed above, including the field labels on the I-983, ETA-9035 and 09/09/26 I-129, on 2026-11-01 and 2026-11-02.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice; your own EAD, I-20 and notices, and your DSO or immigration attorney, govern your situation.

If you are on OPT and want help aiming your search at E-Verify employers that sponsor, F1Jobs can help you plan it.