Disclaimer： This guide provides general publicly available information. It does not constitute legal, tax, or immigration advice. For questions regarding immigration status or compliance, please consult your school’s International Student Office (ISO) or a licensed immigration attorney.

Many international students are exploring and considering self-employment during OPT and STEM OPT. Freelancing, consulting, running a small business, or starting an e-commerce operation are all popular options.

This simplified, beginner-friendly guide will help you quickly understand whether OPT or STEM OPT self-employment may be suitable for your situation.

🟦 1. What Is OPT Self-Employment?

During OPT, F-1 students are allowed to work for themselves through:

• Freelancing

• Starting their own company

As long as the work is clearly related to their academic major.

Examples:

• Data majors → data analysis, visualization, business intelligence

• Computer science majors → programming, software development, technical consulting

• Marketing majors → digital marketing, brand strategy, social media operations

• Business majors → business consulting, operations support

🟦 2. Basic Requirements for OPT Self-Employment

Below are publicly available informations:

✔️ 1. The work must be related to your field of study

You must be able to explain:

“The work I am doing = a direct application of the skills I learned in school.”

✔️ 2. Maintain complete documentation

It is recommended to keep:

• Project contracts

• Invoices and payment records

• Project descriptions

• Client communication records

• Portfolio or work samples

• LLC formation documents

✔️ 3. Update SEVIS

Report your self-employment details to your school to keep your SEVIS record compliant.

✔️ 4. File taxes correctly

Report income properly (EIN, appropriate tax structure, etc.).

📌 OPT self-employment is allowed — but you must be able to prove that you’re doing legitimate, legal, professional work related to your major.

🟦 3. What Is STEM OPT Self-Employment?

STEM OPT does allow self-employment, but the requirements are significantly stricter.

The foundation of STEM OPT is: Training + Supervision.

🟦 4. Key Requirements for STEM OPT Self-Employment

According to publicly available guidance, three major points are essential.

✅ 1. A bona fide employer–employee relationship

During the STEM OPT period, there must be a genuine employer-employee relationship between you and the E-Verify employer.

This means:

• The company bears actual responsibility for your daily work, training content, and performance.

• The employer must supervise and guide you, and participate in creating and executing your I-983 Training Plan

• The company must meet E-Verify requirements

In simple terms:

USCIS wants to see that you are truly working for a company.

✅ 2. The work must be directly related to your STEM field

STEM OPT emphasizes training and practical application of skills.

Your Job title, daily responsibilities, and training tasks must all clearly connect to your academic background.

When completing I-983 or school forms, you must explain how this role helps you apply and advance your STEM skills.

This becomes critical if you ever face an RFE or need to justify your work in the future.

✅ 3. The work must be paid employment

STEM OPT generally requires paid, compensated work, not unpaid volunteering or symbolic employment.

Typical indicators:

• A real salary or project-based compensation

• Normal payroll records, tax records (e.g., payroll, W-2s)

• Evidence that the company can actually pay you for your professional work

For students planning to be self-employed through their own company, this is extremely important.

Your company must not only exist — it must be able to pay you real wages.

📌 STEM OPT self-employment is possible, but it cannot be a “one-person company.”