I did 8 months of part time pre-completion OPT.
My understanding is that this reduced my post-completion ("normal") OPT by 4 months, but does not affect eligibility for any other EAD?
However, my school DSO is asserting that I became ineligible for the 17 month STEM extension the moment I started working with pre-completion OPT!
He pointed me to these websites that have the specific wordings "Students on pre-completion OPT are not eligible for
the extension" and "Cannot apply for STEM extension" under the header "pre-completion OPT":
http://wings.buffalo.edu/intlservices/documents/OptionalPracticalTraining3-12-LH.pdf
http://ialogin.catnet.arizona.edu/upload/395/3902_OPT Packet 10.13.08.pdf
http://www.uis.edu/internationalstudentservices/information/optfaq.html#five
http://international.syr.edu/current-students/employment-ssn/optional-practical-training.html
However, my understanding is that the wordings must be taken literally under the duration of the "pre-completion OPT" period only.
To me, it seems my DSO is MISINTERPRETING the wording as "if you *have* already done pre-OPT, you *cannot* apply for the 17 month STEM extension ever".
I would like to interpret it as "if you are *currently* on pre-OPT, you *cannot* apply for 17 month STEM extension. HOWEVER, once you apply for (and are on) post-OPT, you *can* apply for the 17 month STEM extension provided you are eligible for post-OPT otherwise (meaning, you have not done anything to disqualify yourself from the STEM extension besides the part time pre-OPT in any way)"
I would be comforting to know what the correct interpretation would be and if pre-completion OPT indeed makes you ineligible for the 17 month STEM extension?
My understanding is that this reduced my post-completion ("normal") OPT by 4 months, but does not affect eligibility for any other EAD?
However, my school DSO is asserting that I became ineligible for the 17 month STEM extension the moment I started working with pre-completion OPT!
He pointed me to these websites that have the specific wordings "Students on pre-completion OPT are not eligible for
the extension" and "Cannot apply for STEM extension" under the header "pre-completion OPT":
http://wings.buffalo.edu/intlservices/documents/OptionalPracticalTraining3-12-LH.pdf
http://ialogin.catnet.arizona.edu/upload/395/3902_OPT Packet 10.13.08.pdf
http://www.uis.edu/internationalstudentservices/information/optfaq.html#five
http://international.syr.edu/current-students/employment-ssn/optional-practical-training.html
However, my understanding is that the wordings must be taken literally under the duration of the "pre-completion OPT" period only.
To me, it seems my DSO is MISINTERPRETING the wording as "if you *have* already done pre-OPT, you *cannot* apply for the 17 month STEM extension ever".
I would like to interpret it as "if you are *currently* on pre-OPT, you *cannot* apply for 17 month STEM extension. HOWEVER, once you apply for (and are on) post-OPT, you *can* apply for the 17 month STEM extension provided you are eligible for post-OPT otherwise (meaning, you have not done anything to disqualify yourself from the STEM extension besides the part time pre-OPT in any way)"
I would be comforting to know what the correct interpretation would be and if pre-completion OPT indeed makes you ineligible for the 17 month STEM extension?