GRRAWorld

The agent told them they could no longer go to the college they had been excepted to. This is in the article. The agent then offered them an inferior acceptance which they took.

And you don't think at least a good number these very determined students who traveled around the world would directly contact the actual school to try to sort things out if they actually thought they admitted? I've worked with international students for many years. Students from India are not ones to take "no" for an answer without at least trying to ask again and then often want to engage in negotiation toward their goal. I find it very challenging to believe they wouldn't try to contact the actual admissions office to at least try to work something out if told the school to which they thought they were admitted was weirdly "full".

I'm very certain some number of these students would have contacted directly the actual universities listed on the admission letter to try to determine what happened/negotiate getting to attend despite being told the school was "full" if they actually thought they were admitted.

Applying for a change of status through US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is only done from inside the U.S. if you are not planning to leave the U.S. between wanting to change from one status to another.

How would USCIS ever know what your physical location was while you were writing the book?

Just a note that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforces U.S. immigration law. As an F-1 student, one's SEVIS record and F-1 status reporting/maintenance is with ICE and not USCIS. The I-20 is created in SEVIS which is an ICE database (not USCIS). The DSO is certified with ICE, not USCIS. All the info the DSO reports in SEVIS goes to ICE, not USCIS. CPT is authorized with ICE. Even OPT employment reporting is with ICE, not USCIS.

Valid passport. Valid F-1 visa (except for Canadian citizens who don't need a visa). Valid I-20 document. For those re-entering the U.S. from travel during study a valid travel signature on page 2 of the I-20.

No requirement for list of registered classes and Financial documents?

No. Some students won't even be registered yet for classes depending upon their school's registration policies. You can carry your financial documents if you want, but you would only present them if they ask you for them. Those have already been verified by that point. 1) That same information already appears on your I-20 which is itself an official U.S. government immigration document, and 2) you already had to present that to and have that reviewed by the U.S. government to get your F-1 visa.

While you are physically located inside of the United States, your F-1 status only allows you to work in these situations:

That works provided the business is registered in your home country and the money goes to the bank account in your home country.

This only applies if you are also outside of the United States while you do the work. If you are inside of the U.S. doing this, that is an F-1 status violation. It doesn't matter where the business is located. It doesn't matter where the compensation is being sent. What matters is where you, the F-1 student, are located while doing the activity.

Your F-1 status only allows you to work in these situations:

If you have the new SEVIS record and I-20 from the new school you should be able to use those documents along with your unexpired F-1 visa to request to enter the US up to 30 days prior to the program start date on your new I-20.

Would this still be pretty standard entry? Would the leave of absence/ suspension make things complicated immigration wise?

That type of re-entry happens all of the time. I haven't seen it be a problem. There's always a chance you'll encounter that One CBP Person who will make anything a problem, but in general, it doesn't seem to be a concern of theirs.

There is really no reason at all to apply by mailing a paper application and waiting weeks for a mailed receipt before you have any receipt confirmation that they've received your application.

Thank you! I believe I will apply online. As for the CPT, do I have to upload a cancelled CPT? Or just the utilized CPTs that weren’t cancelled?

If uncertain, you can always upload the canceled one writing on it before uploading it, "This CPT was canceled and not used."

If your school gave you an updated I-20, aren't you now arriving by the program start date on the new, updated I-20? You are allowed to arrive in the US up to 30 days prior to the program start date printed on the I-20. You should arrive by no later than the program start date on the I-20.

From my understanding, as long as the 90 days are not up yet, and you have your I-20 and EAD card with you, you should be allowed back in. It’s always more secure to have a letter of employment if you find a job before that and bring that as well, but I think you should be alright still. (Correct me if I’m wrong if anyone knows something else)

U.S. government guidance provides that once the OPT has been approved, you should have a job offer and be re-entering the U.S. to resume (which could also be begin) the practical training position(s).

And how long has your I20 been expired for? You know you're currently in violation of your f1 status right?

If you look at OP's post history, OP has recently posted here with related questions. It was established here already then that OP violated the F-1 status by not extending the I-20 or completing study by the time the I-20 program end date expired. OP is in the process of attempting to try to regain F-1 status by getting a new SEVIS record/initial attendance I-20 and using them to re-enter the U.S.

The I-20 start date is the program start date listed on page 1 of the I-20, so I'm not sure what you're referencing here as the I-20 start date.

Also, I’m graduating on jan 13th (that’s the date on my i20).

A commencement ceremony has zero to do with the reasons for entering the U.S. or being in the U.S. as an F-1 student. It's an optional (not required in any way) ceremony to celebrate already having completed being a student. So, no.

I had one more question, so sorry! Once I get my new I20, I can fly to Mexico and back without visa as F1 status allows for entry without a tourist visa? I have a Sri Lankan passport. Visa on my passport is till 2027

I share free information about being in the U.S. and entering the U.S. as a student. I don't share information on the requirements for entering other countries. There are around 200 countries. Each country has its own entry rules. In addition to that each country has different rules for citizens entering it based on the citizenship of the person entering. This creates thousands of variables depending in the country being entered and the citizenship of the person wanting to enter. For information about entering Mexico with your passport citizenship, I would recommend you reference directly the source of that information - the government of Mexico.

I am going to do just that. Thank you so much, all, for the help.

Perfect. I hope you, your DSO, and your academic advisor are able to work together to come up with the best outcome allowed within the F-1 framework.

This depends on your school's situation for the current, 2022--2023 school year.

Visit Canada

I don’t think so that you can work as a freelancer. After you get your OPT you have to let your DSO know that you been offered a job. That job will provide you with offer letter and that becomes your official OPT job. Freelancing is actually great, however since you don’t have any official offer letter it won’t work. This is like gray area that I faced in my college days. While I am not allowed to work outside of campus I can go to stock trading department of college and run my account there and make as much capital gain as possible.

No, you can be self-employed (in your field of study) for 12-month post-completion OPT. You cannot be self-employed for the 24-month STEM extended OPT.

What about working as a freelancer at your home country with an F-1 visa? Me and my wife are going to the US in June, and I do freelance copywriting here.

You can work without U.S. government permission while you are physically located outside the borders of the United States. You have no F-1 status with the U.S. government while you are outside the jurisdiction (borders) of the U.S.

There is no CPT visa or status. CPT is part of being an F-1 student.

Ah thank you! Final question, how do i get this new sevis record with my unexpired f1 visa? I am guessing the school will provide me with an i-20 but i am not sure how to get the new sevis record you are referring to.

The SEVIS record and the SEVIS ID are made by the DSO at the university. Only they can make the I-20. The SEVIS database is a database with the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) which is part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE authorizes DSOs to create I-20 documents in SEVIS.

Ah interesting so my f1 visa expiration date is august 2023, but my SEVIS ID is expired. I’m guessing i will need a new f1 visa stamp so that the government can provide me with a new Sevis ID. Only then i can get my I-20. Is that correct?

No, that is the exact opposite of everything I said.

It's very easy and very clear. Your OPT authorization start date is the start date printed on the EAD. If you don't report any employment that starts that same date, your SEVIS record shows the EAD start date as one day of unemployment. The date printed as the start date on the EAD is day 1 of OPT unemployment if you don't start working on that same date.

It will be 15 days from the date your DSO terminates your SEVIS record for the reason of authorized early withdrawal. You'll need to work that date out with your DSO.

The status of the SEVIS record is not the same as the F-1 status. Having an active SEVIS record alone does not mean that F-1 status hasn't been violated or lost. A SEVIS record is a record keeping and recording database. It is not the same as the legal status (or not) in the U.S. One can be in violation of F-1 status and still have an active SEVIS record. F-1 status is something that existed in law long before the SEVIS database (created after 9/11) existed.

The status of the SEVIS record is not the same as the F-1 status. Having an active SEVIS record alone does not mean that F-1 status hasn't been violated or lost. A SEVIS record is a record keeping and recording database. It is not the same as the legal status (or not) in the U.S. One can be in violation of F-1 status and still have an active SEVIS record. F-1 status is something that existed in law long before the SEVIS database (created after 9/11) existed.

Thank you I will hopefully do , As I got Scholarships and acceptant as my enrollment deposit waived. Thank god for all that

Being from Yemen proving non-immigrant intent to the U.S. to get the F-1 visa is going to be a challenge from the start. If anything in your application or your visa interview gives the visa officer even the slightest suggestion you may intend to not actually complete your study or that you intend to immigrate, that visa will be very quickly denied. And visa officers are very experienced people in these matters.

How am I all wrong I’m asking here to have extra advice from experienced people like you my friend

And the experienced people are all telling you again and again how bad your plans are, yet you keep insisting you plan to do them. So...?

You are eligible for post-completion OPT once you've completed the coursework for your degree program. This means that those completing with thesis or dissertation (post coursework enrollment) can continue that research/defense/dissertation into the post-completion OPT authorization period. However, it will be very important that you complete all of the degree requirements before your OPT authorization ends. Keeping in mind you now also need to be working in an OPT position to maintain your F-1 status stay in the U.S.