F1 Visa Guide (2024)

Here are theChudnovsky Law7 best paths for staying in the USA after graduation:

1. F1 visa work: Optional practical training (OPT)

Can international students work in the USA? F1 visa OPT is a popular program that allows temporary employment directly related to an F1 student’s major area of study. F1 visa students can apply to receive up to 12 months of total OPT employment authorization. Students may complete this F1 visa work in 2 different ways:

1. Pre-completion OPT before completing academic studies.F-1 students must have been enrolled in school for one full academic year and work only part-time while school is in session. They may work full time when school is not in session.
2. Post-completion OPT after completing academic studies.F-1 students may work part-time (min 20 hours per week) or full-time.

All periods of pre-completion F1 visa OPT work will be deducted from the total available 12 months to determine the available post-completion F1 OPT visa status available for the student. OPT application, F1 visa work permit and student work visa guidance is usually handled through your university international student office.

When to apply

Apply for your student work visa early as you don’t need to wait for a job offer. Typically post completion OPT students apply 90 days before the last day of your final quarter. You can apply for your F-1 visa work permit as late as 60 days after a program, although late applications are strongly discouraged.

USCIS only allows F-1 students to stay unemployed 90 days past their program end date before having to leave the US.

24 Month STEM OPT F1 visa extension

Once an F-1 student is working in a post completion OPT, theSTEM OPT extensionallows students with certainscience, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) degreesto apply for a 24 month F1 visa extension to their OPT authorization bringing the total maximum F-1 OPT visa status period to 36 months.

STEM graduates often use the extension time to work withChudnovsky Lawto line up a transition to another visa for longer term employment.

USCIS must receive the STEM OPT extension application as early as 90 days before or no later than the end of the OPT period.

Using OPT time wisely

If your objective is to stay and work in the US after your F1 OPT visa status expires, it is best to use all your US student visa work OPT authorization after you graduate to allow time after graduating for planning and transition.

Many visa options outlined below, such as an F-1 to OPT to H-1B can have long lead times and qualifications that require you carefully map out the steps, find employer sponsors and make good use of the limited OPT time you have.

2. Continue education

Students often elect to pursue additional education or graduate degrees after completing their F1 visa USA undergraduate studies. Students need to work with their international student advisors to timely update their I-20 or DS-2019 to accurately reflect their new school and major and ensure they do not violate their F-1 expiration before transitioning.

3. Start or invest in a business

Chudnovsky Lawoften works with students who wish to utilize US visas that encourage entrepreneurial investment in the US:

• E-2 visa:Allows entrepreneurs fromtreaty countriesto be admitted to the US when:
  • They have invested, or are actively in the process of investing, a “substantial amount” of capital in a bona fide enterprise in the US.
  • Are seeking to enter the US solely to develop and direct the investment enterprise. This is established by showing at least 50% ownership of the enterprise or possession of operational control through a managerial position or other corporate device.
  • “Substantial amount” of capital definition varies depending on the business plan and needs of the business.
  • Initial period of stayis 2 years with no maximum number of 2 year extensions.

• EB-5 visa:For non-citizens who invest at least $500,000 in the US in USCIS qualified investments that create US jobs. This visa offers an F1 visa OPT to green card path.
  • Period of stay:Can be permanent as investors and their families are eligible for a green card or permanent residence. This is a rare student visa to green card path.
  • Investments can be made directly or through regional centers and include a wide variety of options including real estate, businesses and restaurants among others.
  • Investments can either be passive or actively managed by the investor.

4. Non-immigrant work visas

Non-immigrant visas are for temporary stays in the U.S. and typically have an expiration date.The process for obtaining a non-immigrant visa involves an application to the USCIS and typically an interview. Most non-immigrant visas fall under the following classifications:

Requiring a US institution or employer sponsor

• E-3 visa:For Australian nationals coming to the US solely to perform services in a specialty occupation.
• H-1B visa:For certain specialty skill occupations requiring bachelor’s degrees.
  • H1-B visa quota capsare quickly used up within days of release on April 1st of each year. For 2018 Congress mandated a regular cap of 65,000 H1-B visas and a further H1-B Master’s Exemption cap of 20,000 visas available for Master’s degree or higher applicants. For 2017 USCIS reached the quota on April 7th after receiving 236,000 applications in 5 days for the 85,000 available visas.
  • Cap-Exempt sponsors:Some H1-B sponsors are exempt from the cap including certain (1) higher education institutions, (2) non-profits affiliated with higher education institutions, and (3) nonprofit research or governmental research organizations.
  • Start date:The earliest start date for an April 1st application is October 1st of each year.
• L-1 visa:For employee transfer of a multi-national company or affiliate, or for establishing a new US office.
  • Employee must be seeking to provide service in an executive or managerial capacity.
  • Employee must have worked for the company for at least one continuous year out of the last three years.
  • Maximum stayof 7 years with extensions for a manager or executive, 5 years for a specialized knowledge employee and 1 year if establishing a new US office
• O-1 visa:For non-citizens with extraordinary ability in the arts, science, movies, education, business or athletics, intending to engage in official activity in the US. An advisory consultation letter from aqualified peer groupis generally required to qualify.

Involving business activity

• E-1 visa:For a Treaty Trading employee to carry on substantial international trade with their home qualifyingtreaty country.
  • Example trade items include:goods, services, international banking, insurance, transportation, tourism, technology and its transfer, and some news-gathering activities.
  • Initial period of stayis 2 years with unlimited 2 year extensions.
• TN visa:For qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens engaging inNAFTA authorized professional business activitiesin the US.
  • Example qualifying professionalsinclude accountants, engineers, lawyers, pharmacists, scientists, and teachers
  • Initial period of stayis up to 3 years with extensions available

GUIDE TO US IMMIGRATION VISAS

5. Immigrant work visas

Immigrant work visas are for foreigners seeking legal permanent residence and possibly US citizenship.Foreigners applying for an immigrant work visa usually need a U.S.-based sponsor approved by theUSCIS(U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services).

• EB-1 visa:For non-US citizens who are exceptional professors and researchers.
• EB-2 visa:For non-US citizen professionals with advanced degrees (or their equivalent) and who have an exceptional ability in arts, sciences, or business that benefit the United States economy, cultural or educational interests, or welfare.
• EB-3 visa:For non-US citizens who are skilled workers or professionals.
• EB-4 visa:For non-US citizens who are broadcast professionals, religious workers, armed force members, or Afghan and Iraqi translators, among others.

EB-2, EB-3 and EB-4 immigrant work visas require aPermanent Labor Certificationfrom the Department of Labor (DOL) certifying to the USCIS that there are not sufficient U.S. workers able, willing, qualified and available to accept the job opportunity in the area of intended employment and that employment of the foreign worker will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed US workers.

6. Marry a US citizen: F1 to green card

For an F1 student marrying a US citizen,you may not be eligible for US citizenship immediately, but you become eligible for transitioning from an F1 visa to green card directly. And there are no limits or waiting periods for spousal green cards. A green card can then lead to citizenship.

It is important to note that, even though you are married to a US citizen, you will have to fulfill certain criteria before you can be granted a green card.

It is very important that you not be found “inadmissible” by breaking immigration laws or committing crimes.

You will be eligible to apply for US citizenship three years after obtaining a green card. In order to qualify for citizenship you will need to demonstrate good moral character, be able to speak, read, and write English, and pass a US civics test. Typically you will be interviewed by USCIS and tested on your knowledge of civics and the English language.

7. F1 visa green card lottery

Can F1 students apply for green card directly? The green card lottery, or“Diversity Immigrant Visa Program”is a path from F1 to green card directly that makes up to 50,000 immigrant visas available annually, drawn by random selection among all entries to individuals who are from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.

Most lottery winners are from outside the US and immigrate through consular processing and issuance of an immigrant visa.This program is offered for free by theUS State Departmentduring a registration period that usually begins inOctoberof each year and ends in early November.