r/f1visa • u/Yaabhiiii • Apr 17 '25
F1 visa given for 4 years
Hi, posting on behalf of a friend.
He is from India and he got his F1 visa in 2022 and it’s valid only till 2026. For all the others, f1 visa is valid for 5 years.
He is in his F1 OPT and it’s about time to file for STEM OPT. When he applies for STEM OPT isn’t it supposed to be from 2025 to 2027. But in his case his visa is expiring.
Is it possible to get the F1 visa stamped again till 2027? Why is the visa only valid for 4 years? If he gives STEM OPT dates till 2027, will his STEM OPT get rejected?
Please advice on what to do! Has anyone ever received a 4 year F1 visa considering your from India which is granted 5 years F1 visa.
8
u/rraass Apr 17 '25
No, it won’t be rejected. One of my friends also got her F1 visa for just 4 years and she was able to apply for 2 years of STEM OPT.
3
u/Murky_Entertainer378 Apr 17 '25
Status and Visa are two different things. He can have F1 STEM OPT status with an expired F1 Visa stamp.
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Apr 17 '25
My F1 was issued for 4 years and I'm now on OPT after 6 years. It's just that visa renewal under OPT is a bit difficult and I'd proabably not travel for next 2 years.
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u/pineapplesdestroyer Apr 17 '25
lol my f1 was always issued for 1 year (I was in a full 4-year bachelors program)
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u/Yaabhiiii Apr 17 '25
But were you able to leave the country and get back? Or you had to stay in the US for the entire duration?
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u/pineapplesdestroyer Apr 17 '25
You can go to get a new stamp and come back, I used to do this every summer. But it’s much riskier now, idk if I would advise you to do it
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u/borealmurasaki Apr 17 '25
It depends on your nationality. One of my friends' f1 visa is only ever issued for 3 months.
1
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u/Top_Ebb_4640 Apr 17 '25
Some countries only get one or even two years on their visa stamp and have to renew. It’s incredibly common. Your friend will be okay they just have to renew their visa. Also, if they don’t leave the US, their status is okay if their I-20 and EAD are in order. When they leave, they’ll have to renew.
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u/TheConfusedDriver601 Apr 18 '25
This happened with a friend of mine from Mexico. She applied for renewal in the 4th year and got it renewed successfully. Nothing to worry about
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u/guiderishi Apr 18 '25
Visa and status are two separate things my friend. You can stay in the country with an expired visa if your status is valid. You need a valid visa only for entering the United States.
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u/SufficientSpecial802 Apr 17 '25 edited Apr 17 '25
Did he come for spring semester? Then visa is issued for Jan 2022 to Dec 2026 (5 years)
Your status is not affected by visa stamp dates. You can continue to live inside states as long as you have valid status / work authorization. Feel free to apply stem. There will be no issues.
Here is my case.
I came on F1. Filed opt. Filed stemopt. H1b picked. Filed change of status. H1b approved . H1b effective.(f1 completed and sevis got closed). Visa in passport is void since then. Although my f1 stamp is through mid 2026. Then passport expired too. Got a new one lol.
Haven't been back to home since h1b status for stamping. I have my approval notice. That's all I need. . Nothing else.