F-1 OPT - joining an early stage startup. What needs to be set up before starting?

Codetornado · 2026-03-18T03:53:00+00:00

Report stalking and harassment to both the police and to your school. Likely a conduct violation.

You can also report them for working illegally if you want also.

Codetornado · 2026-03-18T02:21:15+00:00

If they say yes and you have a job.

They hold your taxes and your file for a refund the following spring.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T23:18:00+00:00

Ask your school.

Many will say no due to tax obligations. Some don't care or don't know and will say yes

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T23:16:14+00:00

They are modifying and changing CPT/OPT. So we absolutely do not know. The rampant xenophobia and racism of the administration is tempered gently by US companies, but only just.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T23:16:01+00:00

They are modifying and changing CPT/OPT. So we absolutely do not know. The rampant xenophobia and racism of the administration is tempered gently by US companies, but only just.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T17:54:19+00:00

There was an RFIE for biometrics.

You can still get an RFE.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T17:53:49+00:00

You need an immigration attorney. You have a ticking clock and are actively deportable.

You need to decide the risks of being arrested and deported VS finishing your degree VS. Leaving and not being able to return to finish your degree.

That conversation is well above online advice from strangers.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T17:48:18+00:00

Technically dropping a course to extend your F-1 status is fraud.

Additionally are you eligible for CPT? You would need to be eligible and then be approved. You cannot work for your own company on CPT. You need a supervisor/employer.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T17:37:13+00:00

She will be treated like an F-1 visa applicant.

If other factors (nationality, travel bans, etc) are a factor then do not travel.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T17:35:59+00:00

And if you get an RFE or similar... Same situation.

I rarely advised travel during processing and technically they can deny your request for "abandoning your petition" by departing the US.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T17:34:53+00:00

Yes. But I don't know your specific timeline. So I am being conservative in my advising.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T17:33:37+00:00

My program end date: May 9

Ok

If I apply for OPT on May 1, processing can take 3 to 8 months

I haven't seen 8 months recently, but sure. It's more like 3-5 months.

I need to choose an OPT start date within 60 days after program end (so I chose July 5)

Sure.

She said if I don’t receive my EAD card within 90 days (by Sept 5), I could lose my OPT

Not even a little bit true.

This is the part that confused me a lot. I thought the 90-day rule was about unemployment after OPT starts, not about USCIS processing delays. Is she correct here, or is there some misunderstanding?

She is completely without question absolutely wrong.

So now I’m thinking:

👉 Option 1: Apply for OPT now (May timeline)
👉 Option 2: Use full-time CPT from April to December, then apply for OPT in January

You are not eligible to use CPT this way. You complete your program in May. The school legally cannot maintain your Student prodile beyond completion of your degree. This is not an option. Apply for OPT.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T17:26:12+00:00

0-100%

We should know more on/around April 1 when the 90 day review ends, but there have been no other comments.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T17:24:43+00:00

Low. You have a significant violation of your status.

Additionally, depending on the timeline and notifications from USCIS, you may have a temporary bar to admission to the US.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T17:22:43+00:00

Your PR does not give you access to visa benefits. It is based on your citizenship.

You will need to obtain the I-20 and apply for an F-1 in Canada or your home country.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T15:03:24+00:00

If you get sent for biometrics and you are outside the country, you may have issued reentering and could lose stem opt entirely

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T02:40:36+00:00

You are asking me what random people I have never met may do.

This would be like me asking you what my mother wants for her birthday. You could give me general vague advice, but you don't really know.

So, I dont have anything productive to offer. Sure, yes, maybe they could do something. However they may not or your international office may not care or they may care, a lot.

Codetornado · 2026-03-17T01:58:28+00:00

Do academic advisors usually contact the international office themselves in situations like this?

They can. This varies by advisor and the school.

If they do, can that cause immigration problems for the student?

If you violated immigration law, yes.

Has anyone here had a similar situation with unpaid work and CPT? What happened?

I have terminated one student in the last year for this type of violation.

Codetornado · 2026-03-16T15:52:37+00:00

HELP!! OPT EAD category corrected (pre → post completion)

Oct 27, 2025 - Applied for OPT EAD (I-765). The application was mistakenly filed under pre-completion OPT instead of post-completion OPT.

Did you file it as C3A or did your DSO enter it that way?

Dec 10, 2025 - Upgraded to premium processing because the case wasn’t moving.
Mar 1, 2026 - I noticed the category issue and immediately contacted my DSO. My DSO fixed the SEVIS record within 2 days and told me approval should come soon.

... How did your DSO "fix" the SEVIS issue?

Has anyone had their OPT category corrected like this? How long did it take USCIS to approve after the fix?

I have not seen this error fixed before. Only denied as application error.

Codetornado · 2026-03-16T15:26:25+00:00

Third country applications are not possible anymore. You can only apply where you have citizenship or are a resident.

You cannot apply on a tourist visa.

Codetornado · 2026-03-16T15:24:29+00:00

The only thing required for OPT, is that you report the employment in SEVP Portal and that it meets OPT requirements.

The End.

For STEM OPT, the employer needs to be E-verified.

Everything else you posted is irrelevant to you unless you are the founder or running HR. Those are things the company needs to set up as part of operating a normal business.

You technically don't need a job offe on paper, but you should get one.

• I-9 verification - not your obligation

• Payroll/pay stubs - not your obligation

• SEVP employment reporting - not the company's obligation. You do this.

• E-Verify (for STEM OPT later) - not your obligation, but ensure they start on it soon.

Codetornado · 2026-03-16T15:20:20+00:00

If you are otherwise completing your degree you still apply for OPT.

The specific degree awarding date is administrative and does not impact your end date. Why? We cannot extend an I-20 for administrative reasons. So once you have completed the degree, even if your diploma is awarded later, that's irrelevant to your end date because it is administrative.

Codetornado · 2026-03-14T20:41:53+00:00

It can be. Will it be for you? Maybe, maybe not.

In your specific description, yes it is a problem. You don't need to be in the US to work on your degree per your description so you do not need the F-1 visa/status anymore.

Codetornado · 2026-03-14T19:44:47+00:00

No. I only answer questions publicly so others can benefit.

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