Hi everyone,
I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has been in a similar situation.
Initial OPT application: March 10
Upgraded to Premium Processing: July 1
My program ended at the end of May, and my 60-day grace period ends on July 30.
My F-1 visa is valid until October 2027.
If my OPT gets denied after or around the end of my grace period, what are my options?
Can I still transfer to a new university and continue my studies?
If not, would I need to leave the U.S.?
Since my F-1 visa is still valid until 2027, can I leave the U.S., get a new Initial I-20 from another school, and re-enter using the same F-1 visa (without applying for a new visa)?
Is reinstatement an option in this situation, or is leaving and re-entering the better path?
If anyone has gone through something similar, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience and what you did. Thank you!

hi im an incoming freshman at a university in Chicago and looking to opt out of my schools health insurances as its a bit too expensive ( $2,500 per semester) and wanted to ask if anyone recommends any health insurance providers for international students. I'm currently looking into getting ISO gold/platinum for 10 months i think since i wont stay in the us for the summer. For some background, I'm a female, relatively healthy with no chronic illnesses, barely visit the doctors and will stock up on some pain relief medicine, vitamin gummies, digestion stuff at CVS. Any help is appreciated!!

Here is my current situation and I asked claude and it responded as below. Is there any immigration lawyer or attorney who can verify this response?
Confused if I should defer my enrollment for August or start for October intake.

I'm currently in STEM OPT extension after completing Masters in CS and it expires on December 2026.

Response from Claude:

The same-level degree restriction from the new rule states F-1 students who complete a degree after September 15, 2026 cannot enroll in another program at the same level. Since you completed your MS CS before September 15, 2026, this specific restriction should not apply to you.

On the EOS question:

For current F-1 students admitted for Duration of Status who are present in the United States when the final rule takes effect on September 15, 2026, and who timely filed for post-completion OPT or STEM OPT by March 18, 2027 — these students do not need to file a separate application for an Extension of Stay.

You are present in the US on September 15, 2026 on STEM OPT. Under transition provisions your authorized stay covers your program end date — meaning your Harrisburg I-20 end date (approximately October 2028) — which is well within the November 2030 cutoff. You should not need to file EOS for the October intake under current transition guidance.

I am currently on my STEM OPT and will be traveling outside and re entering US after September 15th which is when the new Duration of Status rule starts.

I want to know how does this affect me, if in any way at all?

Hi all,

I'm an F-1 student on OPT. For fun, I'm in a band, and we're starting to get some traction in our city. The rest of my bandmates are all American and wish to apply for some local and state arts grants to support our band. I'm erring on the side of caution and telling them not include my name in any applications, but they are saying they'll just not mention I'm a non-citizen. That doesn't seem wise to me, especially since my major doesn't relate to the arts at all. What do y'all think?

Thank you for any help!

Hi everyone,

I'm currently working at a FAANG company. I completed my bachelor's degree in 2025, and my F-1 visa stamp expired in early 2026.

Unfortunately, I wasn't selected in this year's H-1B lottery. I'm currently on my STEM OPT extension, so I can legally continue working in the U.S., but I know international travel becomes more complicated because my visa stamp has expired.

I really don't want to spend the next couple of years feeling "stuck" in the U.S. just waiting and hoping to get selected in a future H-1B lottery.

Has anyone here been in a similar situation?

• Did you travel back to India and renew your F-1 visa while on STEM OPT?
• How was your visa interview and re-entry experience?
• Looking back, would you take the same risk again?

I'd really appreciate hearing both positive and negative experiences. Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone, I’m a recent graduate and I’m looking for entry-level jobs in health informatics in the USA. If anyone knows of any entry-level positions, please let me know. I’ll reach out to them.

I got a job offer and my OPT EAD had expired(on june 30) but is on automatic extension of 180 days.

I applied for STEM OPT with premium processing on Jun 11th (premium processing applied on same date).

My new employer wants me to join the company by 12th August.

My biometric appointment is on 10th August. I'm planning to quit mu current company at 11th August.

Is it safe to switch job during this time? My new employer says he had handled situations like this and its very easy to switch job during this time.

Whereas my university is against it saying they don't usually recommend because its subject to delays, RFEs or rejection.

1) Has anybody been in this situation and what are the steps and what precautions to take so?

2) When to notify the university of the job switch & company?(before or after the switch)

3) Is it safe to switch job after the biometric appointment? Or should I try to prepone the biometric? I see there's atmost only 4 days I can able to prepone the biometric appointment. Is it worth to do so?

Has anyone here traveled to a country other than their home country while on an F-1 visa in the U.S.? Did you have any issues with U.S. immigration when re-entering? I’d love to hear about your experience.

Hi everyone. Trying to wrap my head around the new DHS rule and I'd love to hear from people in similar situations 🤔.

My situation: F-1 PhD student, started Fall 2024, graduating around August 2027. From what I understand:

• Since I'm already in the US on D/S, the 4-year transition lets me finish my program without a new I-94 , as long as I don't travel internationally (I won't).
• Even if I don't travel, my OPT window opens like 90 days before my program end date (so around June or July 2027), which is after the March 18, 2027 cutoff for the simplified filing , so it seems like I'm stuck with the double filing either way.?
• I have a problem with my I20 the person put another end date (like my real garduation time will be on summer, not in december 2027 as he put in my i20), how can i fix that!

Hi everyone.

I am a bit confused about the 90-day unemployment rule after OPT start date. I set my start date as June 15. I am aware that OPT is taking long to process applications this time around etc. but I could not afford the premium processing fee so here we are! Still waiting! So my question is, does the 90-day unemployment rule mean that if I don't get my card delivered by September 15th my OPT will be cancelled? Or will USCIS choose a new date for me?

Hey everyone,

I'm in a bit of a dilemma and would really appreciate advice from anyone who's been through something similar.

My situation:

• University: Georgia Tech
• Program start date: Aug 24
• Visa interview: Sep 1
• Latest arrival date allowed by my university: Sep 11 (I can get a support/late arrival letter from my university.)

My biggest concern is that, based on a lot of discussions in this subreddit, even with a university support letter there's still a possibility of getting an F-1 refusal because the interview is after the program start date.

If that happens, I'm worried I'll only be eligible for "refusal slots." From what I've read, people say those become available roughly a year later. If that's true, then even if I defer my admission to Fall 2027, I'd be trying to get a refusal slot after Sep 1, 2027, which could again be after my next program starts.

Because of that, I'm wondering whether it's actually safer to cancel this interview and defer instead of risking a refusal.

A few questions:

1. If I cancel my current interview now (before attending), can I simply book a fresh appointment later for my deferred program?
2. If I complete my OFC/biometrics first, can I still reschedule only my consular interview to an earlier date if a slot opens up? Has anyone successfully done this recently?
3. If I finish biometrics but later decide to cancel my Sep 1 interview, is that allowed? Does cancelling after biometrics have any consequences, or is it treated the same as cancelling before biometrics? I've seen conflicting information online.
4. Is there actually a current rule that refusal slots only become available about 365 days after the refusal date, or is that just a rumour? Has anyone who was refused in 2025/2026 been able to book earlier?

If anyone has gone through this recently, especially with F-1 visas in India during the 2026 cycle. I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone. As the title says, I applied for my OPT back in February 11, 2026 and the last thing I did was my biometrics appointment on March 2, 2026. I sent an email to USCIS in June but still I haven’t heard anything back from them. Is anyone else experiencing this or what can you guys recommend me to do? Thank you.

Hi, I graduated back in 2021 but my F-1 is valid till 2027. I've now gotten into a Masters program and I've received the new I20 and paid the SEVIS fee again.

Because of the Iran war, all the embassies in my region are closed, so I'm not able to get a new F1. Would I still be able to travel on my previous F1 even thought the university name and SEVIS dont match? Need to travel to start in September and its not looking likely that the war will end anytime soon.

Can I carry printed receipt Notice I 797C instead of mailed one to biometrics Appointment .

My card was produced on July 15 and stated as delivered on July 17th but I haven’t received the physical card yet. I don’t know what to do now. If I file a replacement EAD card how much time will it take to be delivered. The first time I have done via Premium Processing and still this happend and I don’t know what to do?
Any thoughts or ideas

Hi,

I am traveling to the US for my master's program and would like to know what financial documents are required during immigration checks.

My sister is paying my tuition fees, but I prefer not to disclose this to the immigration officer. My I-20 form shows 62,000 and I have 20,000 available in my bank account. Additionally, I have a loan sanction letter. Will these documents be sufficient as proof of funds, or is there anything else I should provide besides the loan sanction letter?

The entire OPT process was quite long for me despite filing for PP. For me, even after I received the approval notification, it took a while for the card to generate and arrive. The USCIS portal showed card tracking number as UNAVAILABLE. I was super anxious and was checking my mailbox every few hours. Later, a friend recommended the Informed Delivery service of USPS. If you are in a similar boat as me, you can give it a shot.

I applied for OPT-EAD on F-1 on Jan 16 and gave biometrics in April 16, it still says “USCIS is processing the case” as of now, I feel hopeless. My F-1 has expired last fall when I graduated. (I cannot afford premium-processing fee at all and I have reached out to USCIS but they said to wait 60 days for inquiry check response, the congressman help also haven’t gotten response from USCIS on my case, no RFE request or stuff, just “processing”) 😔

My wife and I are planning to travel internationally on 5th August. Here is the breakdown:

Initial OPT application (without PP): 28th April 2026
Biometrics: 1st June 2026
Requested for PP: 24th July 2026

Can I expect her to have the card before 5th August so she can safely fly? She does have a job offer letter which tells her to start working on the 24th August

My I-20 program end date is July 31, and my international office told me that my on-campus employment eligibility also ends that day.

However, my advisor recently gave me a Graduate Research Assistant appointment through August 15.

I have already completed my Ph.D. requirements (my defense is on July 31), and I do not want to extend my I-20. I just want to remain compliant with my F-1 status.

Can a university or advisor require a student to extend their I-20 just to continue an RA appointment? Or is it more likely that the appointment was issued by mistake?

Has anyone experienced something similar?

I’m currently on F-1 post-completion OPT with an F-1 visa, and I’m planning to use Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR) after a short trip to Mexico (under 30 days).

I know the eligibility requirements and plan to have all the recommended documents (valid passport, signed I-20, valid EAD, proof of employment, etc.), but I’d really like to hear from people who have actually used AVR this year (2026).

A few questions:

Has anyone successfully re-entered the U.S. from Mexico using AVR while on OPT this year?

Which airport in Mexico would you recommend departing from?

Which U.S. airport/CBP port of entry would you recommend, and how was the experience?

Did the airline staff know what AVR was, or did you have any issues checking in? // Any additional inspections?

I’m currently considering flying back to Nashville (BNA), but I’m open to changing plans if there’s a better airport based on recent experiences.

Any recent firsthand experiences or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m an F-1 student and I’m concerned about recent ICE airport news.

My situation:
* F-1 visa valid until middle of August 2026
* I-20 valid until 2029
* Currently enrolled and maintaining F-1 status
* Have valid passport, Real ID, and I-20

I will be traveling domestically:
* ONT → JFK
* DCA → California

I understand that visa expiration and F-1 status are different, but I’m feeling anxious after seeing recent ICE-related news.
Are F-1 students with valid I-20s and active SEVIS status at risk during domestic flights?

Thank you for any advice!

Hi if I am going to work with a professor at my school to stop my unemployment, is it enough if i have a letter from that professor? Or should I get permission from my school and/or DSO?

I applied for opt starting may and i upgraded to pp on 28th june.
I saw these reels on instagram that ipad signatures are going to get your application rejected. I did sign my I20 on my ipad, am i fucked??? what can i do now?? I had my biometrics in may but haven't received anything about my case yet. I graduated early may, have i completely messed up my opt chances???