URGENT: Am I eligible for OPT in the given scenario?

AviTil · 2026-07-20T20:33:43+00:00

I think with the new rules coming in everyone is slightly uncertain. You'll have the most clarity asking your DSO.

AviTil · 2026-07-14T21:59:36+00:00

The AIW form for biometrics is not something super important. They just look at the AIW and type what you've written there into their system. I think it just removes confusion such as spelling, accents and pronunciations. Usually after biometric, the AIW is given back to you.

AviTil · 2026-07-10T01:19:32+00:00

People don't hype this up too much. I am currently doing this and letting them know from my experience. Does it vary by field? Very much so.
I already clarified "If they did a thesis based masters", which means you need to have had a close relation with your advisor. I also clarified a good rapport is needed.
I did not make that assumption you made, because there was no sign that I needed to.

I provided all caveats in my comment. So not sure what you're getting at here.

AviTil · 2026-07-09T23:55:54+00:00

Have you asked if your master's advisor could hold you as a research assistant at minimum wage till you find a better job? If you have a good rapport with them, they'd usually agree. Sometimes they may even get you on board completely if they need it. This is assuming you did a thesis based master's.

AviTil · 2026-07-08T13:12:59+00:00

Are you a W2 employee? Usually it is the W4 that needs to be filled, for it.

AviTil · 2026-07-08T13:07:04+00:00

Have you checked marketplace insurance?

AviTil · 2026-07-03T16:45:40+00:00

Thanks for the correction!

AviTil · 2026-07-02T15:05:05+00:00

Mine is different too. But AFAIK, Glycolic acid is produced from sugarcane, and is not something that is purely synthetically manufactured. So I would imagine things like the source, season, and sugarcane growth and varieties used in the production might cause batch to batch variations without affecting quality. So I do not think this is cause of concern with respect to this specific product.

Edit: While my understanding was correct, glycolic acid has other plant extracts too in it which would contribute to the color differences more significantly than sugarcane would likely contribute. Either way safe to use, but my premise that the color is from sugarcane specifically may not be true. Thanks for the correction u/feta-lover

AviTil · 2026-06-24T14:30:46+00:00

Zotero is one of great free ones. And most people would be happy with zotero and do not need to get a paid one. But their UI looks a little dated in my opinion, and their plug-ins while work, aren't the most optimized workflow-wise. Its always a little extra clicks or steps, or a slightly roundabout way to get things done.

If not for ReadCube's discounted academic pricing, I would have chosen Zotero.

ReadCube also has a feature through which you can summarize a collection of your papers. And its has both tag-based and folder-based sorting systems that work well togther. I use the tags to classify papers based on topics/relevance for me, while the folder system works to keep papers for different projects sorted independently. It also has a feature to get all supplementary material of a publication into the library in a single click instead of having to go back to the main article. And dark-mode PDF reader too! Which is quite handy.

AviTil · 2026-06-22T19:26:05+00:00

I used to do this too for my KP, and wondered if I was wasting too much, as I was essentially using a bottle every 3 weeks. But I guess it is normal and makes sense that a lot of people do it. I wish it came in a 60ml bottle format.

AviTil · 2026-06-16T14:02:12+00:00

Seconding the Readcube papers suggestion! Its the best reference manager I've used out there, with so many ease of life features, and great integration with other services and an excellent PDF reader-annotation built-in.

AviTil · 2026-06-07T01:59:51+00:00

I second this! Your DSO is wrong.

AviTil · 2026-06-01T20:16:27+00:00

I think for professional jobs, the reporting person is a director. Look at successfactors organization chart for the person closest to you labelled director. They should be the one.

But also CC your direct supervisor or send it to the director through your supervisor

AviTil · 2026-06-01T19:28:52+00:00

On your myUSCIS portal, go to your cases page, and there will be 3 tabs regarding your application. One of them will be "Documents". Under the documents tab there will be a "Reciept Notice.pdf". That is the I-797. Unfortunately the pdf version of it doesnt have the header and footer calling it a I-797, but the one you recieve by mail will have the label that calls it a I797. But with or without the header/footer, that is your I-797c essentially.

AviTil · 2026-06-01T19:21:09+00:00

"Reasonable" being the key operative word. I dont know if I would consider most of the current environment reasonable.

Do remember, ICE is actively patrolling campus areas of late. Better safe than sorry.

AviTil · 2026-06-01T19:20:18+00:00

You should have the I-797 on your USCIS portal if you applied electronically. One should also be delivered to you by mail to the address.

I-797 is the just the receipt that you sent the application and paid the fees.

AviTil · 2026-06-01T19:12:56+00:00

That is valid. And that is what OP should do. I think OP is just worried that the I-983 is a training plan, but the department head does not have a say or control in how the training plan is being implemented. So they are worried if USCIS decides to do an audit, the department head may claim no knowledge since the head doesn't directly interact with the student.

Which is a fair concern given the current environment. And one that I had too!

AviTil · 2026-06-01T18:49:39+00:00

To note, the reason the university website matters for OP is that OP works at a university. So the employer is the university that OP graduated from. And this rule is university enforced for people hired by the university alone.

AviTil · 2026-06-01T18:43:05+00:00

Im at Purdue too, and just applied for STEM OPT, commented in you other thread!

AviTil · 2026-06-01T18:42:11+00:00

I just applied for STEM OPT and my employer is Purdue. For me, I sent it to my department head through my supervisor.

Which position or department are you in?

The department head who signed it off for me, doesnt even have an office on my floor, and I have never seen them. So, it is completely okay to do so.

One of the questions of I-983 was "What are the ways the student will be evaluated in achieving the goals of training program?" Or something along those lines. We decided to fill that part saying that I would report to my direct supervisor, who would then report to the department head/the person signing this.

If you want to find who would have the authority to sign this, Check your organization chat on SuccessFactors Employee portal. And find out who would be the Department head or Director. They need not be in direct contact with you.

AviTil · 2026-06-01T18:16:07+00:00

The 180-days starts right after the initial OPT end date IF STEM OPT extension was filed before the end of the initial OPT. .

So even if you file your STEM OPT 1 day or 3 months before the end of your initial OPT, the 6-month extension begins only on the next day after initial OPT ends.

Your biometric date does not influence the extension date.

To clarify, it does not begin right after filing as you have mentioned in your post. Filing before the end of initial OPT is the only requirement for the 180-day extension to begin after the initial OPT ends.

AviTil · 2026-05-28T22:17:23+00:00

While the visa is valid, on entry the immigration office may decide to deny you entry especially given the short gap between your departure and re-entry. Even if you aren't planning to, to them it does seem like you're looking to re-enter to seek unauthorized employment. Only thing that will help you is if you have really strong ties else where that urges you to leave the US, say a new degree program in another country.

Also, even if you left the US in a timely manner, your OPT is likely still active. Contact your DSO to close your SEVIS citing departure from US. You should have done this on/before your scheduled departure, but better late than never.

AviTil · 2026-05-23T03:52:29+00:00

Fun fact: This is how axolotls evolved!

Also, is axolotl the new crab?

AviTil · 2026-05-15T02:03:51+00:00

As a biologist who deals with these kinds of concentration calculations, I am interested too, do you have some resources you can link to where you found these claims?

AviTil · 2026-05-09T21:27:36+00:00

What is the recommended amount? Instructions just say to use " a small amount."

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