OPT students need to be extra careful with their STEM evaluation and should not miss any deadlines. Some immigrant students are having major problems with their H-1B applications due to this issue.

Taking to social media, an OPT student claims that while he has a clean record, his DSO is receiving reports of his SEVIS termination. This is because the student missed submitting his first-year STEM evaluation by one or two weeks.

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As there's no grace period, even a day's delay could be a nightmare, especially when you are going for an H-1B visa.

Other students also shared their horror stories. One student, who had a DUI record in 2019, received the dreaded SEVIS termination email recently after having a valid status for years.

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Some had similarly missed reporting deadlines but later corrected them. Now, even they are worried about the consequences.

If SEVIS is terminated, there is no other safety net for students. They will immediately lose status and can't switch to H-1B from within the US.

In those instances, your only option is to leave the country and apply for an H-1B visa abroad. If, for some reason, you can't go back to your country, you might want to contact your lawyer and check if you are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).