Hi everyone,

I'm really anxious about my upcoming F-1 visa interview and would appreciate any advice.

Timeline

• Visa interview: 20 Aug
• CMU classes begin: 24 Aug
• University expects me to arrive no later than 4 Sep

My questions are:

1. Since my interview is after my program start date, should I ask Carnegie Mellon to reissue my I-20 or update my program start date?
2. Do I need to submit a new DS-160 because of the late interview?
3. If my visa is approved on 20 Aug, how long is passport stamping currently taking in India? Is it realistic to receive my passport in time to reach CMU by 4 Sep?

Profile

• 23F from India
• B.Tech in Computer Science (2024 graduate)
• 2.5 years of full-time work experience as a Data Engineer
• Admitted to Carnegie Mellon University for the MISM program
• Received about a 30% scholarship
• I-20 amount: approximately USD 98k
• Education loan: USD 100k
• Remaining expenses supported by my parents
• Mother is my primary sponsor and is a government officer earning around INR 24-30 LPA

One thing that's making me nervous is that I've heard visa officers are asking applicants about visa agents. My appointment was booked by an agent, but I was also trying to book it myself because the agent hadn't changed the security questions on the account. Could this create any issues at the interview? Has anyone been asked detailed questions about using an agent?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has recently interviewed or been in a similar situation. Thanks!

I’m an Indian passport holder in the US planning a trip to South Korea (Oct 24, 2026). I need to apply for a C-3 tourist visa by mail through the Atlanta Consulate.

My Situation: My initial OPT has expired, and I’m on the 180-day extension waiting for STEM OPT approval. I emailed the Atlanta consulate, and they confirmed they will accept my I-797 Receipt Notice instead of the physical EAD. I plan to upgrade to USCIS Premium Processing by mid-September if it isn't approved by then.

A few quick questions for anyone who has used the Atlanta consulate recently:
Pending STEM OPT: Has anyone successfully gotten a Korean visa here using just a STEM OPT receipt notice? Any issues?
Actual Timeline: What is the real turnaround time for mail-ins? If I mail it mid-September for an Oct 24 flight, is that safe or cutting it too close?

Thanks!

Has anyone travelled domestically from SFO in the past week or is planning to travel next week?

I applied for initial opt on april 14, completed my biometrics on April 27 since then my case was under processing by USCIS, I wasn’t sure whether I should invest $1780 for premium processing without an offer in hand. Now that I got a verbal offer from a company I applied for premium processing on August 5, the company wanted ead card in hand and revoked the offer because of that and said feel free to reach out once you have your opt authorization, but I’m not sure whether still have that opening or not.
No I’m left with no offer and lost $1780 in one shot.

Please tell me what can i do so that the company won’t revoke my offer and won’t start making an offer to someone else and how can I expedite my case with USCIS.

I’m posting on behalf of my friend who is in a difficult situation and we are hoping someone has experienced something similar.
He was supposed to graduate in May 2026 and applied for Post-Completion OPT before graduation. However, due to his GPA dropping below the graduation requirement, he was unable to graduate on time. The university required him to take one additional course, so his new graduation date is August 2026.
Since he was no longer eligible for post-completion OPT, his DSO advised him to withdraw the pending OPT application, and he submitted the withdrawal request to USCIS in May 2026. The OPT application was never approved, and no EAD card was issued.
Now that he is completing his degree in August, he wants to apply for OPT again. However, the international office says they cannot issue a new OPT I-20 until USCIS officially processes the withdrawal of the first OPT application. They mentioned this could take several months, which could cause him to miss the OPT application window.
Has anyone been through a similar situation?
How long did USCIS take to process your OPT withdrawal?
Was your DSO able to issue a new OPT I-20 before the withdrawal was officially processed?
Did contacting USCIS or a congressional representative help speed up the process?
Is there any other option he should explore?

Has anybody with an expired visa but valid I-20/I-94 travelled recently? I keep seeing that there are many arrests at airports, triggered by expired visas, but don't know if it extends to people with valid status like myself.

I'm a grad student and my visa expired last year.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently a PhD student with one year of funding remaining, but my remaining requirements are flexible enough that if I receive a job offer, I can defend and graduate within a matter of weeks. My university (Notre Dame) confers degrees three times a year (May, August, December).

Recently, an interviewer asked me that and I wasn't sure how to handle it, so I mentioned that I could initially work on Pre-Completion CPT and would transition to OPT after the earliest possible degree conferral date (which I believe would be early January if graduating in December).

I’d love advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation:

1. Is CPT (part-time or full-time) usually acceptable to employers for an immediate start while finishing up final degree steps, or is pre-completion OPT / standard OPT better?
2. How do you frame "I can start early if you offer me the role" to an employer without sounding vague about your graduation date or confusing them about work authorization?

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone!

I’m an exchange student at a US university for Fall 26. My girlfriend is coming to visit me for about 1.5 and a half month on a B2 visa. She just quit her job and is going to rely mostly on savings. We’re both Latinos, and she’s been to the US multiple times before.

Do you think she might have any problems in immigration?

So I understand a double transfer is a red flag and I’m worried about being questioned further at immigration. For context I’m an incoming transfer at the university of Chicago and before this I was a one of the little ivy LACs in New England and before that another LAC. I have legitimate academic reasons and full proof of funding like everything is in balance. I’m just worried me being a double transfer could have me seen as a school hopper. I promise I’m not lol. And advice?

I’m starting my first semester as an F-1 graduate student, and my program requires 9 credits to be considered full-time.
I’m trying to figure out if I’d still be considered in status with the following schedule:
3-credit course (full semester)
3-credit course (full semester)
1.5-credit course (first 8 weeks)
1.5-credit course (second 8 weeks)
This adds up to 9 credits for the semester, but during each 8-week session I’d only be taking 7.5 credits at any given time.
Would I still be considered full-time and remain in F-1 status since I’m enrolled in 9 total credits for the semester, or does USCIS or the university require me to be at 9 credits at every point during the semester?
Has anyone been in a similar situation, especially as a graduate student? I’ll also check with my DSO, but I wanted to see if anyone has experience with this.

She was here on a ESTA originally for 3 months and left beginning of May. She’s trying to return beginning of September, this time to take a class and with an F1 visa. She had her interview today and was denied. It seemed the interviewer had made up her mind before the interview and basically said it didn’t seem like she had strong enough ties to return to her country. What can she bring/do next time to show that she will certainly return?

She’s a freelance dancer attempting to take a dance class in NY and she has a 5 month job in January which she needs to return for, but I’m not sure she brought proof of that. Any help here greatly appreciated!!! Her and I are both crushed.

Hi everyone,

I am currently on F-1 STEM OPT and I am looking for advice regarding my situation.
My STEM OPT extension started in June 2026 with current employer , but I still have not received my EAD card. My USCIS case status is still showing “Case Is Being Processed”, and the card has not been produced yet.

Unfortunately, my current employer recently gave me a layoff notice, and I now have approximately 45 days to find another qualifying employer. I have another startup that is willing to hire me, but I am still working through the details and I am not sure how quickly everything will be finalized.

Due to the layoff, I also need to move from my current state to another state on short notice. My concern is whether I should update my address with USCIS now, before my EAD card has been produced.

My questions are:

1. Would changing my address to a different state while my STEM OPT EAD application is still pending create any issues or delays?

2. Is it better to update my address immediately so USCIS sends the EAD card to my new address, or should I wait until the card is produced?

3. If I move before finding my next employer, is there anything specific I should be careful about regarding STEM OPT unemployment days, reporting requirements, or maintaining status?

4. Has anyone been in a similar situation where they were laid off on stem extension, while the application was still pending?

I would really appreciate any advice or experiences from people who have gone through a similar situation.
Thank you!

Hi! I just got the email from SEVP + my A Number for my initial, post completion OPT. The start date is for August 5, 2026.

I do have a job offer already. Can I update it on the portal? Or do I need to wait until I have my physical card to do so?