Often asked: What If My Student Visa Expires Before Opt Ends?

If your student visa expires before your program is over, you may be eligible for an F-1 visa renewal. To renew your F-1 student visa you have to re-apply for the visa from your home country, or another country, at a US embassy or consulate (applying from your country is always preferable).

What if my visa expires during OPT?

If you are approved for OPT/STEM while outside the United States, you will need to arrange for your EAD card to be sent to you in order to re-enter the United States. If your F-1 visa is expired, you will need to reapply for an F-1 visa with your EAD card and proof of employment.

Can I renew my student visa on OPT?

Can I renew my F-1 student visa while on post-completion OPT or the STEM OPT Extension? Yes. You will need a valid EAD as well as evidence that you already have a job or will have a job in the U.S. in your major field of study, along with the other required visa renewal documents.

Can I get OPT if my visa is expired?

You can stay in the United States on an expired F-1 visa as long as you maintain your student status. Therefore, you are eligible to apply for OPT program even though your student visa is expiring or has been expired.

How long can you stay in US after student visa expires?

Seven Ways An International Student Can Extend Their Stay in the US After Graduation. For centuries, the United States has lured young talent from all over the world in the pursuit of higher education.

What can I do if my student visa expired?

What if my F-1 student visa has expired? You can stay in the United States on an expired F-1 visa as long as you maintain your student status. However, if you are returning home or traveling to a country where automatic revalidation does not apply, you must have a valid visa to return to the United States.

What happens if your visa expires during Covid?

Depending on how long ago your visa expired, you may still be able to apply for a substantive visa. Explore your visa options. If your visa has expired and you are unable to apply for a substantive visa, you need to apply for a Bridging visa E (BVE) immediately in order to become lawful.

Can I renew my F1 visa without leaving the US?

You can only renew your F1 visa outside of the U.S. It is possible to renew an F1 visa in a country other than your home country, however, the U.S. Department of State recommends that you renew your visa at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your country.

Is it risky to renew F1 visa on OPT?

Renewing a visa while on OPT is risky. Visa issuance and re-entry to the U.S. is at the discretion of the USCBP. The Office of Global Engagement cannot guarantee re-entry. However, you can minimize any kind of problems by entering the U.S. a few weeks prior to the end date of your I-20.

Can I renew my visa before it expires?

The visa you wish to renew must be valid for longer than one year; you cannot renew a visa that has an expiry date sooner than one year.

Will OPT be extended due to Covid 19?

Will there be an extension or suspension of the 90-day/150-day allowed period of unemployment for OPT and STEM OPT during the COVID-19 emergency? The March 2020 SEVP Guidance has been extended for Spring 2021. During standard post-completion OPT, a student may not be unemployed for an aggregate of more than 90 days.

How can I keep F1 status after OPT?

To ensure that you maintain your F-1 status while on OPT, you will need to:

1. Report certain information to International Student Services by submitting the OPT Report Form for periodic SEVIS record updates.
2. Changes in your personal information (ex.
3. Employment information (ex.

How long can F1 student be out of country?

It is important to know that with an F1 visa, you can be out of the US for up to 5 months. During those 5 months, your SEVIS record will reflect your absence.

What is the grace period for F-1 students?

The length of your grace period depends on your visa type. F-1 visa holders have 60 days after their program end date to leave the United States. For F-1 students who participate in post-completion optional practical training, they have 60 days after their employment ends to depart.

What happens if I overstay student visa?

The punishment for unlawful presence is severe. U.S. immigration regulations state that 180 days of unlawful presence will result in a finding of inadmissibility and a three-year bar to reentry. If you accrue 365 days or more of unlawful presence, you will face a ten-year bar to reentry.

What happens if you stay in the US after F-1 visa expires?

You are certainly not required to renew your entry visa in order to maintain status within the United States. However, if you travel outside the United States after your F-1 visa expires, but haven’t completed your studies, you will need to apply for a new visa stamp before you can reenter in F-1 status.