fail to graduate in time afer OPT got approved!!! urgent help please!!

[activeman]

hello all,
Originally I plan to graduate in Fall 2006 semester, so I applied for optional practical training (OPT) in Oct. 2006 and got approved in Dec. 2006. If I want to officially graduate, I need to submit my thesis by the Jan. 9 2007 deadline (this is a deadline set by the graduate school from the academic point of view, nothing immigration-wise). Since supposably I will graduate in the fall 2006 semester, my I-20 expired on 12/20/2006 (the last day of our fall semester) and my OPT starts on 12/21/2006. However, I failed to meet the Jan 9th academic deadline, in other words, I was not able to submit my thesis before Jan 9th 2007. So what situation am I in now? Am I out of status? My I-20 expired but I got my OPT approved. I have completed all coursework requirement and the only thing left is to submit my thesis (I couldn't do this now because the committee professors want me to do some revisions). My guess is that my OPT cannot be considered valid since I have not officially graduated or completed the academic requirements. However, once I finish revising my thesis and submit it to the graduate school, i.e., meet the academic requirement, am I off the hook totally? Can I use my OPT to work full time by then?

Right now, I am not sure what status I'm in because my I-20 exipred but my OPT got approved. I have completed all the coursework except submitting the thesis, which can be done in the very near future. Am I out of status? Please advise!! If there are any regulations or policies or cases like this, please kindly let me know. This is an urgent situation because I may be forced to leave this country. Any advice is appreciated. Please post on this borad!! Or you can send email to me at greenboy21@gmail.com

best regards,
activeman

 

[LucyMO]

your I-20 is supposed to be annotated on the third page about your OPT. That extends it until OPT expiration. You are still in F-1 status and will remain so whether you are working or not until the expiration date on your EAD. In the meanwhile you can defend, submit the thesis, revise it, revise it again, and finally submit it again for the last time. Until your EAD expires. At the same time you can actually work full time.

I don't know about your school, but my school requires a person to be enrolled in the semester they are planning to defend their thesis (at least one hour - which is allowed on OPT - as long as you don't enroll full-time).

 

[activeman]

THanks for LucyMO's reply. I planned to graduate in Fall 2006 semester, so I held my defense on Dec. 4th 2006 and got a conditional pass because the committee professors wanted me to do some revisions before they agree to sign on my thesis. Fall 2006 was my last semester because my regular I-20 expired on 12/20/2006 and my OPT started on 12/21/2006. Do I still need to enroll for th spring 2007 semester considering that I have finished my defense and completed the coursework with the only thing left of submitting my thesis?
Thanks.