Travel abroad while H1B petition is pending

diego177245

New Member
I am on F1 OPT (until 11/14/19) and have a valid F1 visa stamp (until 01/2023).

I understand that if I travel abroad during the time my H1B petition is pending, the Change of Status (COS) portion will be considered abandoned. In that case, I think I will have to travel to India to get my H1B stamped to activate H1B status. It does not happen automatically which is the advantage with COS applicants.

My questions are (assuming H1B is selected in lottery):
  1. Can I travel to Mexico for a short visit (2-3 days) this month in May and re-enter US using my F1-OPT and F1 visa? Both F1 OPT and F1 visa are valid and my H1B petition is still pending.
  2. Since my COS will be abandoned after my first travel to Mexico, does this mean I have the flexibility to travel abroad multiple times on F1 OPT/Visa before Oct 1?
  3. Can I get my H1B visa stamped AFTER my OPT expires (11/14/19)? Although the H1B start date would be 10/1/19, I could continue working on OPT till my OPT expires.
 
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