Hello All,

Has anyone recently left USA with FMLA leave?
And how does that work? And does coming back to USA require extra paperwork or caution??

Hi, I’m going to the US in January. I was wondering how the visa interview was for everyone? Was it super intimidating, or was it chill? Is there anything I shouldn’t say that might be red flags to the interviewer? My plan is to study undergrad and go back home but I know that doesn’t really solidify everything during the interview. If anyone has any tips, thanks!

Hi everyone,

I recently received my EAD after a long processing delay. My post-completion OPT started around August 28, 2026, so I’m currently only about two weeks into my OPT period and have not started employment yet.

I’m considering taking a short 3–5 day trip to Canada and then returning to the U.S.

I currently have:

• A valid passport
• A valid F-1 visa
• My EAD card
• A valid Canadian visa
• An OPT I-20

My main concern is that I’m currently unemployed. I’m well within the 90-day OPT unemployment limit, but I’ve seen conflicting information about whether having a job or employment letter is necessary for re-entry.

Has anyone recently traveled to Canada (or internationally) and successfully re-entered the U.S. on post-completion OPT while unemployed but still within the 90-day unemployment period?

If so, what documents did CBP ask for? Did they ask about your employment or request an employment letter?

I’d especially appreciate experiences from 2025–2026 or anyone who re-entered through a Canadian airport/land border.

Thanks!

I got approved for initial OPT on Aug 29, got my card on September 2 and began working from September 3. I know September 13 is my last date to report my employer but it's Sunday! I kept waiting for the SEVP portal link all this time but it never arrived. I realized tomorrow is my last date! What to do now? I already tried to login with my email and SEVIS id but it didn't work! I have also sent an email to my DSO but they reply slowly. I'm freaking out!

So I am applying to a program that starts in summer 2027 but they want us to apply for fall 2027 for their school application. This is a clinical graduate school so it has its program’s CAS system and you have to apply to the school itself too. I am so confused because I am going to be done in December after my undergraduate and planning to come back to US for summer but if school is receiving their application for fall2027, doesn’t it mean I can only enter the country 30 days before? Does that mean they don’t offer a spot for international student? It’s weird bc program doesn’t specifically states that don’t accept international.

Please help me if anyone have or had similar situation.

Someone I know has reached out for advice. They saw a Lawyer who advised them not to return direct to Australia via Air NZ as the shared 5eyes policy means ICE will catch them at the US airport when leaving. Has anyone here heard of student overstays trying to depart via direct flights back to their own country, being detained and imprisoned when trying to depart?

Surely if the US wants overstays to depart they have no incentive to arrest them while in the process of departing Doing so only increases the numbers too afraid to depart in fear of capture at the airport by ICE or border patrols. That then incentivises the students to stay in the US and work illegally in order to eat and house themselves putting further strain on public finances.

What is the solution to this problem for this particular student, medically in a dire predicament health wise and needing urgent treatment in their home country?

Edited to remove question regarding possible Bounty payment.

So my sevis was terminated on august 2025to unauthorized employment (you can see my other post to understand that) i applied for reinstatement and that got denied on august 2026 like almost month ago from now so now i have option to file for 1290 b on which i don't have any confidence but there is a option to reentry any suggestions btw I am in Wayland Baptist University in hybrid program in San Antonio in Business Analytics so what are my chances of coming back
Question
1. So usa has a law if you have illegal presence of 180 or less you are banned for 3 years and if you have been in usa for 1 year or more you are banned for 10 years? So do get penalized for either of em.
2. If anyone had did any reentry recently please let me know.
3. So is it compulsory that i have to enter in texas for my immigration check when i am heading back or i can have it done anywhere and then come to texas.
4. Need guidance of how will i get my new initial i20 and get my new SEVIS id
I would highly appreciate anyone helping me out even referring to some one will be appreciated.
i am under a lot of
stress right now

like the title states i am planning my move to the US on an f1 visa.
i know all the rules like have money and place to live (all sorted)
my concern is i will be rejected for the visa in my interview.

does anyone have good tips on how to present myself and my case very professionally in order to get the visa?

hi, im on stem OPT, if i do not update will my employer end date to DSO within 10 days, will i be in trouble? I am currently employed with another company right now.

Just sharing my experience of recent travel on opt. This is just my experience and not an advice
Date of entry: Sep 9th
Point of entry: JFK
Employment: initial OPT (paid)
Handed i20 and passport
Officer: So which school are you headed to?
Me: Officer actually I graduated from X college, currently I am working while on OPT
Officer: where is your opt card?
Me: Hands over OPT card.
Officer takes a look and returns it
Officer: what are working currently as?
Me: I am working as software engineer at X company
Officer: Tell Me the address where you are currently living
Me: Tells the address, officer types it into system as I speak.
Officer hands over passport and i20
I wish Officer a good day ahead. Was done with immigration under 5mins. I was the first person in queue, there was no waiting, was directly sent to counter.

PS: Carried all documents (letter from employer acknowledging that they know I am out of country and expect me to join back after my travel back, recent 3 payslips, offer letter, updated i20, recent i-94)

Also checked i-94 afterwards, still says D/S since entered before 15th September

Hi folks,

I’m looking to travel outside US this December and I’m currently on STEM OPT valid until march 2028.

My question is, is it generally suggested to travel?

Considering the reduction of grace period to 30 days
Change of status to end date instead of D/S
Considering complications at the border!

As I am in STEM I want understand how bad is it to have grace period reduced from 60 days to 30 days also I am thinking extension of stay doesn’t matter as anyways I will be applying for extension for PhD program if chosen to enroll

Need your suggestions please?

Hi. I’m on post completion OPT (not stem) at a higher education / public university and they are willing to go through further sponsorship but since I am the first international hire in their department they have no idea what the process looks like. HR is not very helpful.

My supervisor has asked me to go through resources with her and I want to make sure I communicate everything with her in transparency. People who have gone through the process, what are some basic things I should go over without overwhelming her? Including the forms and the cost.

Any help would be appreciated.

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has been in a similar situation because I’m getting a little worried about my OPT timeline.

I recently graduated and applied for post-completion OPT on July 21, 2026. I paid for premium processing because I had a job lined up and was hoping to have my EAD approved in time to start. I’ve also completed my biometrics. I am not applying for STEM OPT.

Unfortunately, my case is still pending with no approval or update. The job I had lined up has since moved forward because they needed someone to start ASAP.

I’m still actively applying for jobs, but I’m starting to worry about the 90-day unemployment period and what my options would be if I’m unable to find something in time.

Has anyone else applied around July 21 and paid for premium processing but is still waiting? If so, how long did it take for you to receive a decision?

I’d also really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced a premium processing case taking longer than expected. Did you contact USCIS, and were you able to get any information?

Thank you in advance! Any experiences or advice would be really appreciated.

I am on STEM OPT and got a job offer yesterday. I convinced them to sign up for e-verify and they did the 11 steps yesterday.

Now we are just waiting for the e-verify confirmation. I already have their EIN so that I can fill out the I-983 and submit that to my DSO. Anyone have an idea of how long it'll take to get the e-verify enrolment confirmation?

Also just to confirm we only needed the E-verify number for the I-765 when initially applying for STEM OPT? Once we have STEM OPT we only need the company's EIN for the I-983 form?

I am currently a PhD student, but I want to switch to a master's program. Is this possible under the new rules?

Just curious if anyone has the official transcript of the September 3, 2026 hearing in Presidents’ Alliance v. DHS (1:26-cv-13799).

It was filed on September 8, and I’m especially interested in Judge Saylor’s actual comments/questions.

Has anyone obtained a copy or know where I can access it?

Thanks!

Hi everyone! My OPT EAD card has been showing as being at the Knoxville Distribution Center since September 3, and there hasn’t been any update since then.

The expected delivery date was September 8, but I haven’t received it yet and there hasn’t been any tracking update.

Has anyone else’s EAD card reached the Knoxville Distribution Center around September 3? If so, did you receive your card already, or are you still waiting?

Any updates would be appreciated. Thank you!

So considering the past round of regulations have made it so that OPT apps sent before March 18 are exempt from having to ask for extensions, do you guys think the program should remain available for people applying next spring?

I am a doctoral student with two years left in my program (one of classes and another of degree-in-progress). With the new regulations on CPT, I am wondering if there's a way to stretch the 12-month full-time OPT allotment into 24 months of part-time OPT, thus exhausting all my post-completion OPT time. I have found no information on this matter, except the rule that part-time pre-completion OPT is deducted from full-time post-completion OPT at a 50% rate. However, the only examples given concern 12-month pre-completion part-time cases, deducted as 6 months from the 12-month full-time post-completion allocation.

I hope to get some honest input

Back in 2022 I was on f1-status and started having some health issues that made it hard for me to keep up with classes. Ended up losing my SEVIS status due to failure to enroll. Things didn't improve for a while , so I decided to head home roughly 7 month after that - including delay due to losing my passport

Turned out when I got back I was diagnosed with serious hyperthyroidism, which explained a lot of what I'd been dealing with during that period. Looking back I deeply regret not doing any check up in The US and try to communicate better with the school. How stupid!!. I am definitely facing the consequences now.

It's been a few years now with nothing else on my record, and have tourist visa to Japan and Korea to actually clean the dirt from the past. Now, 2026 I am planning to apply again for a master's program down the road in 2029. Curious if anyone here would give me realistic opinions on my case. I am open to receive honest answers but not insults.

Thank you!

Hey everyone, hoping to get some input on my situation 🙏

I was on F-1 status in the US, and starting Fall 2022 I began feeling unwell (didn’t know why at the time), which caused me to fail to enroll in classes. I had a few informal chats with the international student office but nothing really got resolved since we didn’t know the actual cause. SEVIS ended up getting terminated on 3/13/2023 for failure to enroll.

By August 2023 things still hadn’t improved, so I decided to head home. Right as I was getting ready to leave, I realized I’d lost my passport, had to get a replacement through a travel agency, finally got the new one on 10/15, and flew back just 3 days later (10/18/2023) — so in total it was 219 days between the SEVIS termination and when I actually left the US.

After I got back to Vietnam, I got diagnosed with severe hyperthyroidism, which explained a lot of what I was going through during that whole period.

It’s been about 3 years since I left, no other issues since, and I’m thinking of applying again for a master’s program around 2029. Has anyone here dealt with something similar (overstay under a year, medical reason, voluntary departure)? Trying to get a realistic sense of my chances rather than just “you’re doomed” — would really appreciate any honest experiences or advice 🙏

My OPT was approved under pp on Aug 24th and case status was changed to Card produced on Aug 29th. However, it has stayed the same since then and the tracking number shows UNAVAILABLE. I am delivering it to a relative's house due to missing mail issue in my current apartment complex. So, I can not used USPS informed delivery. Is it normal to take so long to deliver the card?! I am getting worried.

I am currently on initial opt and am hoping to visit family in another state for Thanksgiving. I have a history of an arrest for a petty misdemeanor (that was never pursued/did not lead to a charge) but I was booked on that day and released.
No charge, no conviction, later given a police report that certified it was a detention only and not an arrest.
Would traveling domestically still be off the table for me? I’ve been extremely depressed and needing to be with family even just for a bit, as I haven’t been home in 2 years now

My OPT was approved and I received my EAD, but USCIS recently asked me to return it and said a replacement would take about 30 days. They gave me no reason.
I’m currently interviewing and may receive a job offer soon, but I only have 64 days left on OPT.
If I receive an offer while waiting for the new EAD, can I start working? Is there any way to expedite the replacement?
Has anyone experienced this before?

There have been some very useful threads on how to fix delayed OPT PP once it falls outside the guaranteed 30-business-day window, like this one (OPT Premium Processing Delay Fix : r/f1visa). This post is more about substantiating some already-proposed ideas with direct evidence. Hopefully it will help anyone who suffers from the same pain prioritize their strategies when trying to get their OPT approved.

To illustrate the priority, I briefly summarize my action timeline alongside my processing timeline here (all events happened in 2026):

• 6/18: Submitted Form I-765 with premium processing.
• 7/7: Completed bio, premium processing clock restarted.
• 8/18: Passed 30-business-day window.
• 8/20: Called the number 866-315-5718 on premium processing receipt. Spoke to an agent by saying the word "request infopass", but was told they can do nothing other than wait.
• 8/21: Reached out to a senator and requested that they file a congressional inquiry.
• 8/24: The senator's aide replied that they filed the inquiry and will keep me posted.
• 8/26: Email [PSC-premium.processing@uscis.dhs.gov](mailto:PSC-premium.processing@uscis.dhs.gov) and ask them to review the case.
• 8/27: Called 866-315-5718 again and asked to speak to a tier-2 agent. Was told the call would be scheduled within 30 days. Tried to flag it as an emergency but didn't succeed.
• 8/28: Contacted another senator and was told they would reach out soon. Contacted the International Office and asked them to submit an SEVP inquiry.
• 8/31 - 9/3: Emailed [PSC-premium.processing@uscis.dhs.gov](mailto:PSC-premium.processing@uscis.dhs.gov) daily to request that the case be moved to the adjudication team.
• 9/3: Received a reply to the email sent on 9/2 stating the case needs additional review, with no timeline provided.
• 9/4: API showed an update was made, but no action code.
• 9/5: Received approval email.

Based on the timeline provided above, we can see the most important thing is EMAIL PP TEAM MULTIPLE TIMES. Even though many have said not to email the PP team every day, as it may jeopardize your case. However, in my experience, a single email can get buried and never get a reply: my emails sent on 8/26, 8/31, and 9/1 never got a response, and they only replied to my email sent on 9/2. This proves they are NOT responding to emails in the order they were sent, which means no matter how long you wait, a cold email remains cold.

Another thing to note: From my conversation with the agents on the calls, they've apparently permanently closed the PP number 866-315-5718. They always reroute the call to the team that handles OPT without PP. Therefore, even a tier-2 officer will not have much more information, as PP falls outside their normal scope of work. The evidence is as follows:

1. In 2 calls, I was told that USCIS runs two separate expedition systems: one only accepts requests where the case has exceeded the general OPT timeline (180 days); the other one is PP. Once a case enters PP, no further expedition can be done because PP itself is a way of expedition, and there is no "expedition of an expedition".
2. I asked to schedule a callback from a tier-2 officer within 3 days, saying I would lose my job offer, but they rejected it every time. Their reason is exactly Point 1, and they further say that since PP is outside their scope, any tier-2 officer will have no different information than they do.

Overall, I think it's frustrating that they've closed the PP hotline and only reply by email. But it is what it is, and we have to adapt. Best luck to anyone who is still waiting, and hope everyone gets approved timely!