OPT Holder Traveling Abroad – Guidance Needed

[Drashti Patel]

I am currently on an F1 visa with an OPT end date of July 2026, and I am volunteering remotely for 25 hours per week at an NGO called KeelWorks Foundation. This counts as valid OPT activity (unpaid employment). I graduated in May 2025 with a Master of Public Health, which is not classified as a professional degree according to today’s news following the Department of Education shutdown.

I want to travel to India for my cousin’s wedding, but I am unsure if it is safe to travel at this time given the uncertainty under the current administration and how regulations for international students may be tightening.

I have all the required documents:

• Updated I-20 with travel signature
• Employment authorization document (EAD) card
• Employment verification letter
• Offer letter
• Other relevant paperwork

My DSO advised that it should be acceptable to travel as long as I carry all these documents. A couple of my friends traveled in similar situations before 2025 and had no issues, but that was before the current changes.

Thank you in advance!