Surprise USCIS checks hit F-1 STEM OPT students: Transcripts, paystubs under scrutiny

Unannounced USCIS site visits are quietly ramping up for F-1 OPT and STEM OPT students with federal officers now knocking on doors to verify school records, job offers, and bank statements, often without warning.

Multiple immigration law advisories have reported a sharp uptick in site inspections by the Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) unit of USCIS, targeting foreign students on post-graduation Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT extensions.

Students are now being visited at their registered work or home addresses—often without notice—to confirm compliance with their I-983 training plans, F-1 status, and employment details. Officers are requesting documents such as:

• Official school transcripts
• Job offer letters and employment verification
• Recent paystubs and bank statements
• Signed and compliant I-983 forms

While there’s no formal announcement from USCIS or DHS confirming a new policy, long-standing federal guidance does allow unannounced site visits for F-1 and STEM OPT students. These inspections may be triggered by random checks, third-party complaints, or evidence of possible fraud.

The visits may occur at physical offices, remote work locations, or even homes—wherever the student has listed as their work address in immigration records. USCIS and ICE officers have the legal authority to inspect these premises and interview the student and employer.

The compliance push is part of broader enforcement trends observed since 2024. Immigration attorneys say they’ve seen a noticeable rise in site visit reports among clients, especially in the tech and consulting sectors where STEM OPT employment is common.

Officers are scrutinizing whether the job and training align with what was listed on the Form I-983, and whether students are maintaining legal status by working in their field of study and following proper reporting protocols.

Although not officially declared, this shift represents a growing emphasis on monitoring international student compliance—and a warning shot to both students and employers: keep your records clean, your addresses current, and your documents ready.