My OPT Ends in May, Can I travel to India now for 1mt before H1b apr1?

My H1 B application will go in on April 1st.

I will leave and get back to the states in the last week of March.

I have my valid Documents.

I recently went to Jamaica and got back in with no hassle.

Thank You!

Have a valid reason for travel ready. Your documents will show you are a current F-1 student but please remember you are legally admitted until Duration of Study (DS). When returning, at the US port, if the officer concludes your studies are going to be over in May, you might get an entry stamp valid till May 31st. This will make things stressful for you. Can you get an extension on OPT before leaving so you have enough time for H-1B approval? Wish you all the best

Dr. Sandeep Shankar

Faculty

Colorado Heights University

www.chu.edu

sshankar@chu.edu

When does the OPT expire?

I see that the OPT expires in May. So if you return to US in March and apply for H-1 in April, you will become eligible for cap-gap. This allows you to stay and work until Oct 1 or H-1 denial date (whichever is earlier).

Once you receive your H-1 receipt number, let your DSO know about it so that they can update the SEVIS record.