u/impointingtheway

Hi everyone,

I'm currently on STEM OPT and trying to understand whether a specific employment structure would be compliant. I’d really appreciate insight from anyone who has done something similar or understands STEM OPT rules well.

Here’s my situation:

• I may receive an offer from a non–E-Verify company (a nonprofit/research-type organization).
• Since they are not E-Verify, I cannot join them directly on STEM OPT.
• I'm wondering whether it would be possible to instead join an E-Verify consulting or staffing firm, and then be assigned to work with the non–E-Verify organization as a contractor/consultant.

So the structure would be:

• I am a W-2 employee of an E-Verify firm
• That E-Verify firm contracts my services to the non–E-Verify company
• The E-Verify firm completes my Form I-983, provides supervision, and handles STEM OPT compliance
• I work day-to-day with the non–E-Verify organization

My questions:

1. Has anyone here successfully worked under STEM OPT using this kind of structure?
2. Does USCIS allow placement at a non–E-Verify client site, as long as the actual employer is E-Verify?
3. What level of supervision is required from the E-Verify employer in this setup?
4. Are there any risks or red flags I should watch out for when trying to structure employment this way?

For context, this would be a technical/data/database-related role directly related to my STEM degree, not self-employment.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through this or understands the compliance side of STEM OPT.

Thanks in advance!