opt grace period

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pinocchio

Registered Users (C)
my opt expires at the end of 2005(dec. 31 2005). now if i were to be accepted by another school during my 60 grace period and the spring semester had already started by then, would i have to leave the country before i start school? i'm asking this because i found a school and their summer semester starts on the 29th of may. that is within the 5 month time limit but their spring semester starts in january which is after my opt will have expired but still within the 60 day grace period.

furthermore, if i do get to start school from that summer semester, do i have to be enrolled full-time?

thanks in advance for all your help.
 
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you have to enroll in school within 5 months in the FIRST available semester. You have to get a new I-20 and transfer your SEVIS record within 60 day grace period. So, if you get a new I-20 in January and the school starts at the end of January, you may want to start school in this winter semester, and not wait for Summer semester. You are on shaky ground.
 
winter semester

the winter semester starts on the 17th of january. the offices won't open til the 10th of january so if i start the application process in january i don't think there's enough time. do i HAVE TO start the process in december to be safe?

i guess my question is 'what if i don't get my i-20 transfered until after the school starts.' i'd like to think that's a very possible and likely situation if i don't make any moves until next year. do i get to start school in summer then?

or am i obligated to start the process early enough to get into the first available semester?
 
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i guess my question is 'what if i don't get my i-20 transfered until after the school starts.' i'd like to think that's a very possible and likely situation if i don't make any moves until next year. do i get to start school in summer then?

Two years ago, I was planning on doing that myself. Can't tell you how it ended, since I didn't have to maintain my F-1 status anymore. But in theory, yes, you can do that.

You got accepted into a school, right? The only thing that remains is getting a new I-20, correct?
 
no, i haven't been accepted. it's a community college so i'm thinking i'll most likely be accepted. i was going to wait til next year to do everything just to make it look all legitimate, like i didn't just wait til the first day of class to get a new i-20.
 
I'd try to get accepted a bit earlier.... so many docs to collect... of course, for me it was graduate school, it's a lot more difficult to get into than community college. :)
 
Try not to allow any lag between the 60-day grace period and new I-20 start date. Or, at least, file F-1 application now and the receipt date would prove that you adjust your status before expiration days. Any loopholes would be captured during your greencard interview if you survive till then.


Good luck!!!

pinocchio said:
no, i haven't been accepted. it's a community college so i'm thinking i'll most likely be accepted. i was going to wait til next year to do everything just to make it look all legitimate, like i didn't just wait til the first day of class to get a new i-20.
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i'm already in the US on F-1. what do you mean by "file F-1 application now"? does that have to be done from my home country?
 
I am not sure if you have to apply another F-1 using different I-20 if you change school. If so, apply now. The lag between end date of old I-20 and start date of new I-20 may pose a problem in the future. So, if you can argue that you apply for change of status before the expiration date and it is not your intention to have a lag, you may be fine.



pinocchio said:
i'm already in the US on F-1. what do you mean by "file F-1 application now"? does that have to be done from my home country?
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LucyMO said:
you have to enroll in school within 5 months in the FIRST available semester. You have to get a new I-20 and transfer your SEVIS record within 60 day grace period. So, if you get a new I-20 in January and the school starts at the end of January, you may want to start school in this winter semester, and not wait for Summer semester. You are on shaky ground.
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LucyMO, where do you find in writing that it has to be the "first available semester"? i found the "5 months" part on the sevis site, but i can't seem to find the other information.
 
I got the info from my DSO and the International Advisors group on Yahoo.

By the way, waitinginnyc was writing something about changing status, etc. It doesn't apply to you, since you are continuing to be in F1 status.
 
LucyMO said:
I got the info from my DSO and the International Advisors group on Yahoo.

By the way, waitinginnyc was writing something about changing status, etc. It doesn't apply to you, since you are continuing to be in F1 status.
Click to expand...


i didn't think so.

i found something very interesting on the nafsa page:
http://www.nafsa.org/_/Document/_/june_2005_sevis_policy.pdf

this is from june 2005, and i'm not sure if there's been a regulatory change since then on this matter or not. i have a feeling that dso's are advised by sevp to tell students that it has to be the first available semester. it gets very complicated in my case especially because my 60-day grace period and the spring semester overlap. so far i haven't found anything that says anything about all this in writing.
 
Opt Question

I completed my bachelor in december 2005. I was out of new york during november & december 2005. When I contacted international student advisor in january end of 2006 regarding filing my opt, she said that I can't file the opt anymore. She email & mail a letter to immigration respectively on Feb 7 & Feb 10 terminating my status. She is telling that I did not register to graduate or file for opt before completing the study so I lost my opt period. I was under impression that I have 90 days after completion of study to file the opt.

I don't understand how can I maintain the legal status, how can I reinstate the status. Is there anyway I can get the opt (ead card) if not for 12 months then at least even foe 6 months.

I would greatly appreciate your help/advise in my case/
Please advise.
 
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