Can I go from OPT (Optional practical training ) to J1

J

jibus63

Registered Users (C)
Hi everyone I am in the US since 2010, I am an Italian citizen I have been student (F1 visa) for one year where I have got my bachelor degree in management .
With this Bachelor degree I have applied and received a one year working authorization (OPT from 17 August 2011 to 17 August 2012) under my F1 visa.

Despite the state of the economy I manage to find a job but I think it will be hard to be sponsored for a H1b .

I an wondering if it is possible to apply for a J1 visa to remain in the US and the same company for 12 or 24 months.

Is it possible to get the J1 starting in september 2012 after the end of my OPT ?

Is it fine to remain in the same company or USCIS won,t be too mad ? Do I have lots of chance of success getting the J1 ?

How long should I apply before the date I intend to work ?

Tell me your experience ,give me interested link etc.. I would really appreciate any kind of help .
Thank you !
 
Yes, you can change from F-1 to J-1. That is exactly what I did after my OPT.
You will have to apply for a J-1 outside the US though (they usually recommend to do it from your home country) for it may take very long to transfer while in the US.
The process of getting a J-1 can be really fast but if all the paperwork is done quickly. If your company can sponsor you, it is great. If not, you will have to go through a sponsoring organization who will take care of the "legal" documents. But I can see that you still have a lot of time to think about it. If you want to have a look, I went through CICD (they have a pretty clear website), and they are cheaper than others because it is very expensive as you will see. Depending on your background, you can interning from 3 to 18 months.
Good luck.
 
Questions F1 -> J1 or H1B

I'm in a similar situation now. I'm a postdoc at the national lab. My F1-OPT-STEM ends in May 2012. The lab wants to put me on J1, they do it by default, but I want H1B, which they are reluctant to go for, unless I push through the chain of command. My postdoc ends in Jan 2013, so that J1 would be valid only for 8 months. They promise that I'm not a subject to the 2 year rule, since they don't receive funding directly from the feds, the lab works as a private contractor. The other issue is that I'm going to apply for GC, EB2-NIW. I want to do that before my F1 ends. So the questions are:
1. if I apply first for NIW (I-140) and while it's pending I then apply for J1. Will my J1 petition be denied?
2. if I apply for NIW and while it's pending I apply for H1B. What can happen to my F1 if NIW is denied?
3. if I get J1 and then apply for NIW. What happens to J1 is NIW is denied? or approved?
4. if NIW is approved, can I go for AOS being in J1 status?
5. what can I do after my initial J1 ends, can I work at a private company?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top