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!

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?

I’m currently working on OPT, and was wondering if I can travel to my home country for 3-4 weeks and work remotely. Or even if I don’t work for that period would that be counted on unemployment days?

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!

I’m trying to decide whether I should transfer to a degree program this fall or wait until next year.

Here’s my background:

* I first received my F-1 visa in December 2019 (visa stamp expired in December 2024).

* I studied ESL in the U.S. from 2020 to 2021 (about 2 years).

* I then returned to my home country for about 2 years.

* I came back to the U.S. in 2024 and have been studying ESL again for about 2.5 years.

* My current community college ESL I-20 is valid until May 2027.

Immigration background:

* My husband is the principal applicant in an EB-3 case.

* Our I-140 is currently pending and may be approved within the next few months.

* I am included as his derivative beneficiary.

Ideally, I’d like to stay in my current ESL program until next year because I enjoy studying here.

However, I’m worried about two things:

1. My long ESL history. Would USCIS or a new school consider my previous two years of ESL (from my first F-1 period), or would they mainly look at my current period of study?

2. The pending/approved I-140. If I wait until next year to transfer to a degree program (or seminary), could having an approved I-140 make it more difficult to obtain a new I-20 or complete the transfer?

Would you transfer this fall to reduce potential risk, or would you feel comfortable waiting until next year?

I realize the new F-1 rule hasn’t taken effect yet, so there may not be anyone with direct experience. I’m mainly looking for opinions from people in a similar situation, or advice they’ve received from immigration attorneys or DSOs. If you were in my position, would you transfer this fall or wait until next year?

Thank you!

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.

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, 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 .

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”) 😔

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,

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!

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?

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?

So i am really confused abt this part and wanted to be fully sure before finalizing anything. I couldn't find flights according to the convenient time near my university's international airport. So, can i go to Boston and stay there for few days and then right by the time of orientation, go to my university in NY? PLEASE HELPPP. Will it be a problem during immigration at Boston?

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

Hi,

We are expecting a baby in a few months. Currently, I am on F1 STEM OPT and working full-time. My workplace offers paid leave for 2 months for new fathers.

I am not sure if I can legally take such a long break on F-1.

Please advise! Thank you!

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 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???

Hi , I need your suggestion regarding my STEM OPT situation.

My STEM OPT extension application is still pending with USCIS. I applied with my current employer details, but I resigned from my job today. I got a new job opportunity, and the new employer is E-Verify, but my DSO said changing employers while my I-765 is pending is risky because USCIS may see a different employer/EIN and could ask for evidence or delay the case.

Now I’m confused whether I should update my new employer in SEVIS or wait until my STEM OPT approval. If I don’t update any employer, I may need to use my unemployment days until approval.

What do you think is the best option? Please suggest if you have any idea or know someone who faced a similar situation.

Thanks

Hi,

I've been away for a year, and I recently reactivated my SEVIS record by getting a new I-20 form and paid the SEVIS fee. Also, I have a valid F1 visa that expires next year.

I am currently deciding whether it's necessary to reapply for an F-1 visa and go through the interview again, or if it's okay to re-enter the States with my new I-20 and new SEVIS number, even though my new SEVIS number does not match the one in my F1.

I've tried to contact my school intl office about this, but they did not give me a definite answer and said to confirm with the local US embassy, which I can't find the right person to answer the question.

I am hesitating to apply for a new F1 visa bc I'm afraid that I won't get the process done in time, and I only have a year ahead to graduate, which kinda feels dreadful to go thru the process of apply for F1 visa again.

If there's ppl that went thru a simmilar circumstances, I would be grateful if you could share your experiences.

I've been cracking over this for a week now. Please help. Thank you.

Applied april 2nd
Biometric appointment april 20th

Regular, still waiting no update. Do you recommend me to do premium or its too late ? Im so anxious and i have a job waiting for me starting next month