OPT STEM Extension Employment(Paid or unpaid)

[svj88]

Hello everyone,

I have applied for OPT STEM through my employer, and now I have an approved EAD. My question is, does it have to be a paid employment? Is it okay to have un-paid employment? Is it okay to continue in an unpaid position? Will it cause complications while applying for H1-B(As they ask for pay stubs).

Really appreciate your help and opinions.

[DesiOPTForumAdmin]

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[DesiOPT-FaceBook-Fan]

hmm it gotta be paid ..can u explain u r exact situation ?? Bcoz there are different types of payment options ..

[DesiOPT-FaceBook-Admin]

volunteer experience during an OPT STEM extension
A: Students on a STEM extension are allowed to volunteer, incidental to their status. This means that volunteer work is allowed but does not count as employment for the purpose of maintaining F-1 status.

Source: http://www.issis.uga.edu/images/docs...nt/opt_faq.pdf

[DesiOPT-FaceBook-Admin]

Types of employment allowed for students during a 17-month extension of OPT. Unpaid Employment is allowed under regular pre and post completion OPT.

A student authorized for a 17-month extension must work at least 20 hours per week for an E-Verify employer in a position directly related to his or her DHS-approved STEM CIP. For a student who is on a 17-month extension, this employment may include
- Multiple employers. A student may work for more than one employer, but all employment must be related to his or her degree program and all employers must be enrolled in E-Verify.
-Work for hire. This is also commonly referred to as 1099 employment, where an individual performs a service based on a contractual relationship rather than an employment relationship. The company for whom the student is providing services must be registered with E-Verify. If requested by DHS, the student must be prepared to provide evidence showing the duration of the contract period and the name and address of the contracting company.
-Self-employed business owner. A student on a 17-month extension can start a business and be self-employed. In this situation, the student must register his or her business with E-Verify and work full time. The student must be able to prove that he or she has the proper business licenses and is actively engaged in a business related to his or her degree program.
- Employment through an agency or consulting firm. A student on a 17-month extension may be employed by an employment agency or consulting firm. The employment agency or consulting firm must be registered with E-Verify, but the third parties contracting with the agency or firm (for which the student is providing services) need not be.
Source: http://www.ice.gov/.../pdf/opt_polic...nce_042010.pdf

[rufengdiguo]

Did you do unpaid work for 12 months on opt and successfully get an EAD card for stem opt? I heard that some state starts to reject some stem opt application if the student did unpaid work for more than 3 months on opt