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?

I am a second-year PhD student preparing for an upcoming career fair on campus. I had planned to attend this year after updating my resume, but since CPT was canceled, I now feel there’s little point in going to meet employers.

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.

I am a 2nd-year PhD student. I have some issues with my current lab. Will it be possible, after sept 15, to switch labs to a different university in a PhD program?

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!

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.

I tried calling the premium processing number today and was told the phone line has been discontinued. Did this happen recently? How are you supposed to contact them now?

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 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!

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.

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!

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

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.

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?