F-1 and OPT
Plan your immigration path before OPT runs out.
Your student status is temporary. The choices you make now decide which long-term paths stay open.
The strategy session and the written assessment are free.
What we map on your first call
We look at your current status, your program end date, your OPT and STEM OPT eligibility, and your field of work. Then we put the realistic paths in front of you in writing.
- Program end date, grace periods and OPT timing
- Sponsorship realities in your field of work
- Which long-term categories your record could reach
Why timing decides your options
H-1B registration happens once a year. STEM OPT extensions have filing windows. Evidence for O-1 or EB-1A takes months to build. Starting early is the difference between choosing a path and taking whatever is left.
- H-1B registration season and what precedes it
- STEM OPT extension filing windows
- How long strong O-1 or EB-1A evidence takes
Paths beyond the H-1B lottery
The lottery is a chance, not a plan. Many graduates qualify through cap-exempt employers, O-1 status, EB-2 NIW or EB-1A on their own record. We tell you which of those your record actually supports today.
- Cap-exempt employers and research institutions
- O-1A and O-1B on your own achievements
- EB-2 NIW and EB-1A self-petitions
Questions, answered.
When should I talk to an immigration attorney?
Earlier than most students do. If you are in your final year of study or in your first months of OPT, you still have room to shape the record a future petition will rest on.
Do you handle the OPT and STEM OPT filings themselves?
Your school's international office runs the OPT recommendation process, and we work alongside it. Our focus is the strategy around those filings: what to accept, what to decline, and how each choice affects your longer-term petition.
What happens if I am not selected in the H-1B lottery?
That is exactly what the planning is for. We look at remaining OPT time, cap-exempt employers, other work visa categories, and self-petitioned green card routes, then tell you which ones are realistic for you.
Can a student really qualify for O-1 or EB-1A?
Some do, and some can within a few years of focused effort. Those categories turn on publications, awards, judging, press and similar evidence. We assess your record honestly and say whether it is close or not.
Know your options before the next deadline.
A free strategy session and a written assessment of your case before you pay us anything.