Job change at the transition from 12-month OPT to 17-month OPT STEM extension

[squishy_giraffe 0]

hello,
I am in a precarious situation. I am currently in the 12-month OPT status, which expires by the end of June. Also my current employer terminates my job on that date (it was an year appointment coinciding with my 12-month OPT period). In most likelihood I will have a new job offer in a month or so. I need to apply for the 17-month OPT STEM extension. The issue is with the field "e-verify number" of employer in the form I-765:
- Since my appointment with my current employer ends before my 17-month OPT STEM extension will start, my current employer is refusing to give me their e-verify number for the purpose of filing my STEM extension application. Can they refuse on this ground?
- On the other hand, my degree university (one that issues my I-20) informed me that I cannot mention a future employer's e-verify number in the application for STEM extension, even if I have the job offer by the time I submit my application. Is that correct?

So here is my question: Suppose I have the new job offer in about a month (April, that is), and I immediately apply for the 17-month OPT STEM extension (the new employer being registered with e-verify). Whose e-verify number should I mention in the form I-765? My current employer refuses to give it (although they are registered with e-verify). And apparently I cannot mention the e-verify number of my "future employer" (who I will start working with beginning of July). What should I do?

[Leo7777 243]

WOW . . . tough situation. Have no clue as to the answer. I would hope your University's International Student office can help you.

Might be some way to obtain your current employer's number. What about if you ask some other employee to show you the number he/she used? Providing there is another employee in the program.

[engineer21 51]

I don't see why you can't use the new employer everify # especially since you already know you won't be working for your current employer for the opt extension period. I would suggest you ask your DSO to double check this. Pretty sure job changes are allowed during OPT and extension. Is it possible to speed up the process of getting the new job so you can start there before your current EAD expires? Then when you apply for the extension there is no confusion on which employer everify to use? If you didn't sign a contract to stay the full year at your current job, why not start the new one early. I think your EAD gets extended for 180 days automatically as long as you have pending extension application that you filed before it expired. So you can keep working while you wait.

Anyway, good luck, hope you get this sorted out!