Questions from Designated School Officials is a blog series on Study in the States for designated school officials (DSOs). Each month, we will answer a question that will help you advise your F and/or M students. If you are a DSO and would like to submit a question, you can email us or ask us via social media, your Field Representative or the SEVP Response Center. We may edit questions for clarity and consistency and may not feature all submissions on Study in the States.

Question:  May a student on the 17-month extension change employers?

Answer:  An F student in the United States on the 17-month extension may change employers if the new employer is an E-Verify employer. If this happens, the student must report any changes to you. You must then update the employer information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.

If, however, a student changes employers while the application for 17-month STEM extension is still pending, the process is different. With your help, the student must in that case submit an updated Form I-765, “Application for Employment Authorization to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). There is no fee for this form. This updated form should include the following information:

• The new employer’s E-Verify number
• A copy of the receipt the student received from USCIS when the student submitted the original Form I-765
• A brief letter explaining the reason for the new submission