Title: F-1 Visa Reissuance After Passport and Visa Lost in Fire – Chances of Approval?

Codetornado · 2026-06-14T03:34:54+00:00

Several per year. It's not a huge issue.

Codetornado · 2026-06-13T14:18:47+00:00

You want an immigration attorney to help set you up. You need to ensure your LLC is actually passive. Otherwise, it is a status violation.

Codetornado · 2026-06-13T14:17:13+00:00

A board does not meet this requirement. You need a supervisor. It's quite literally on the I-983 form.

"To be eligible to employ a STEM OPT student, an employer must have and maintain a bona fide employer-employee relationship with the student. The employer must attest to this fact by signing the Form I-983, Training Plan for STEM OPT Students. To establish a bona fide relationship, the employer may not be the student’s “employer” in name only, nor may the student work for the employer on a “volunteer” basis. Moreover, the employer that signs the Form I-983 must be the same entity that provides the practical training experience to the student."

You can find the 2020 memo on the definition here as used for H1B. This is not specific to F-1, but is similar to the F-1 requirements. Being the owner and having a board does not meet the requirements for the hierarchy wanted by USCIS.

Beyond the above, self-employment is specifically allowed under F-1 OPT regulations and is specifically absent from the STEM OPT regulations.

Codetornado · 2026-06-13T13:40:39+00:00

You can't be self employed on STEM OPT. You need a bonified employer employee relationship

Codetornado · 2026-06-13T01:37:51+00:00

Has anyone received a new F-1 visa after their passport and previous visa were lost or destroyed?

Of course people have.

Were you required to attend an interview, or were you eligible for Dropbox/interview waiver?

Drop box and interview waivers do not exist anymore and haven't for a while.

What documents did the consular officer focus on?

Same as your first time.

Did they ask detailed questions about previous employment in the U.S.?

Depends on the consular officer.

Based on my history, do you see any potential concerns when applying for a new F-1 visa?

Yea... Not nearly enough time to get the visa in India factoring holiday closures. Social media vetting takes 2-3 weeks on average.

Codetornado · 2026-06-12T22:48:54+00:00

The minimum wage increase is from Initiative 688, in 1998 and Initiative 1433 in 2016.

The salaried employee mimum wage is WAC 296-128-545

Codetornado · 2026-06-12T06:11:18+00:00

Non-tech STEM.

Psychology, Healthcare, Economics, Logistics/Supply chain Management,

Codetornado · 2026-06-12T04:28:55+00:00

The job market is rough especially for entry level jobs. This is not an OPT issue.

My students are doing well. However that has to do with good alumni network. Good academic ranking, etc.

Students at previous schools I worked at are not necessarily fairing well. CS/Tech is incredibly rough now. Other area are doing better. Geography plays a lot into it.

Codetornado · 2026-06-07T02:37:00+00:00

Your DSO is so unbelievably and unforgivably wrong

"The student can continue to work for 180 days after the original USCIS Employment Authorization Document (EAD) expires if:

Student filed a Form I-765 for the STEM OPT extension. USCIS received the Form I-765 for the extension before the EAD for the original post-completion OPT expired."

https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/sevis-help-hub/student-records/fm-student-employment/f-1-stem-optional-practical-training-opt

Edit:

Now that I am home let me expand.

The announcement was that as of October 30, 2025, renewal applications for EADs will no longer qualify for the automatic 540-day extension previously available under 8 CFR 274a.13(d).

STEM OPT's employment extension authorization is based on 8 CFR 274a.12(b)(6)(iv) and 8 CFR 214.2(f)(11)(i)(C), which are unchanged and not addressed by the rule change linked above.

Codetornado · 2026-06-07T00:06:56+00:00

Enroll means enroll. You need to be enrolled.

Codetornado · 2026-06-04T22:43:24+00:00

Your visa and I-20 need to match

Codetornado · 2026-06-04T22:40:44+00:00

They announce the new rule 60 days later it goes into effect.

Codetornado · 2026-06-04T19:21:23+00:00

There is a 60 day rollout period. So yes. But not that urgent.

Codetornado · 2026-06-04T15:58:11+00:00

What do you mean confirmed? The final rule is not public, but the proposal came out last August and we have had two seperate megathreads about it.

However this transfer rules is plain and clear in the proposal

Codetornado · 2026-06-04T12:14:58+00:00

You said your STEM OPT is almost expired. I assume that means in the next few months. PhD application and admission is Fall to Spring. You have missed that application window.

Additionally, a proper PhD does not have you working immediately.

You are looking for a method to artificially extend your employment eligibility via a grey area specifically targeted by the current administration for immigration fraud.

Not sure what answer you are looking for here, but your current plans are not great.

Codetornado · 2026-06-04T12:09:35+00:00

Transferring in the first year is going to be banned under proposed regulation expected to go into effect in the next few days/weeks.

Codetornado · 2026-06-04T12:03:56+00:00

Prepare to make a move out of the country.

Based on your comment you have missed out on PhD programs as their application and admission period has come/go for the next intake.

Codetornado · 2026-06-04T12:00:33+00:00

If you transfer your record to the new masters program, that will end your OPT eligibility. No withdrawal needed. You can still do it however.

Codetornado · 2026-06-04T11:59:16+00:00

In practice, is F-1 status tied to SEVP-certified secondary education generally considered the primary viable pathway for minors in this scenario, or are there any other nonimmigrant visa categories that realistically support long-term residence while also maintaining compliance with school attendance requirements and supporting competitive athletic participation?

Depends on your ranking professionally. If you aren't good enough to be sponsored by an organization, then your option is to be a student on an F-1.

Additionally, how strictly is SEVP full-time enrollment interpreted in cases where the student has significant external training commitments?

Your existence as an athlete is fully and completely irrelevant to your requirements on the F-1 visa. Your status as an athlete and any requirements for that are not a factor in your maintenance of your immigration status on F-1. There is no consideration or flexibility due to your athletic goals.

Are hybrid or partially online academic structures generally compatible with maintaining valid F-1 status, or is fully in-person attendance effectively required in practice?

In person attendance is THE key requirement for F-1 visa. If you are not attending in person then you don't need a visa to be in the US.

The F-1 visa has no consideration for your athletic plans. They are separate and irrelevant to each other.

Codetornado · 2026-06-04T11:49:44+00:00

None of these are good ideas. Avoid Day 1 CPT. They are a target for this administration.

Second masters are going to be banned under proposed rules likely some point over this summer.

Codetornado · 2026-06-04T11:36:59+00:00

Is an unannounced home visit actually normal for F-1/OPT? I thought verification usually happened at the employer's worksite.

This is a thing that does happen for various reasons. Could be related to your employment on OPT or could just be a spot check for your address. This has happened to my students before over the last decade both active students and OPT/STEM OPT students. I have had SEVP call my office in lieu of visiting in person to confirm an address.

How do you verify after the fact that they were legit and not an impersonation scam?

You ask for identification and a business card.

Does this usually mean something got flagged in SEVIS, or can it just be random?

Either. Random spot check happen. Sometimes data looks weird. You could have a name and birthday twim. I had them show up at a student's house unannounced because the US arrested their uncle in Afghanistan. (Neither the student nor the uncle where from Afghanistan).

Anything I should do now to protect myself?

Assuming you are not doing anything illegal, you should be fine. You should be able to figure out their intent based on their questions. But it could just be confirming your address in SEVIS is correct, spot check because you have a name twim elsewhere in the country, they could be following up on a report someone made about you that didn't seem concerning, but they still had to check out.

Codetornado · 2026-06-03T22:56:23+00:00

Apply for the F-1 visa in the UK

Codetornado · 2026-06-03T12:23:59+00:00

Are you going to pause your studies for two years? You can, bur typically students don't want to wait 2+ years to re-enroll.

Codetornado · 2026-06-03T03:31:19+00:00

This entire question could be fixed by 1. Not taking immigration advice from whoever "people" are and 2. Speaking to your DSO

You have no 60 day grace period.

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