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Student Responsibilites and Travel on OPT

MAINTAINING STATUS

Reporting Requirements After Graduation
Although after graduation you may not be living or working in the Harvard community, you are still on a visa sponsored by Harvard and must follow certain F-1 regulations. Your data remains in the government database, SEVIS. Any changes listed below must be reported to the HIO, so that your SEVIS record is updated.

  • change of your address (where you physically reside). You are required to report an address change the HIO website directly within ten days of the change: http://www.hio.harvard.edu/students_scholars/address_change.php )
  • changes in your name or your dependent's name(s)
  • intention of transferring from your OPT to another F-1 program at a U.S. institution
  • change of visa status (e.g. F to H, F to J, etc.). Please contact your HIO advisor directly.

Travel After Graduation
Printed on the EAC will be the statement "not valid for reentry." This statement means that the EAC alone is not sufficient for reentry: you must have ALL documentation listed below in order to travel and return to the United States after graduation. The following is a list of documents required to reenter the United States after graduation using OPT permission:

  • a valid Form I-20, signed on page 3 by an advisor in the HIO (the signature should not be more than six months old at the time of reentry to the United States)
  • a valid passport
  • a valid F-1 visa stamp in the passport
  • the EAC issued by USCIS
  • Evidence of a job offer, evidence of resumption of employment, or if not yet employed, evidence that you are searching for employment

Travel After Graduation but Before the Work Permission Begins
Students who have the documentation listed above may travel outside the United States after graduation and reenter any time before the date the work permission begins.

Visa Documents
You will receive a new Form I-20 from the HIO as part of the application for OPT. The OPT recommendation (dates) as well as a "travel" signature from the HIO advisor can be found on page three of the Form I-20. This signature validates the Form I-20 for purposes of travel for a period of SIX months. You will need to request a new signature from the HIO if, upon reentry to the United States, the current signature will be older than six months. If you are not in the Cambridge area and need a new signature, you should mail the Form I-20 with a copy of the EAC to your advisor in the HIO. The HIO advisor will sign the Form I-20 and return it to the address provided. F-2 family members will also need to have their Forms I-20 signed every six months.

Visa Stamp
For many students, the F-1 visa stamps in their passports will expire by graduation. Often students believe that because they have been granted F-1 OPT permission, they no longer need a visa stamp to travel and return to the United States. Please note that OPT permission alone is NOT sufficient for reentry. Any student who plans to work after graduation using F-1 OPT permission will also need to have a valid F-1 visa stamp for international travel. Before making post-graduation overseas travel plans, it is recommended that you review the information on your U.S. entry visa stamp to determine whether you will need to apply for a new F visa stamp in order to return to the United States. Please note that it is not possible to obtain a new visa stamp inside the United States.

To apply for a new F visa stamp at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside the United States, you will need the documentation listed above under Travel After Graduation. You may also be asked to show additional information, such as

  • Evidence of employment, job search, research work etc.
  • Evidence of financial support for the student and family members (this may only be required if the employment is un-salaried or a low salary)
  • Evidence that you will only stay in the United States temporarily, and that you have strong ties to your home country

Visa denial
The most common reason for a United States. Consular Officer to deny an F visa is "intent to immigrate". This occurs frequently, even when the applicant has no intention of immigrating to the United States. For details on how to address this issue, please refer to the U.S. Department of State web page.

Employer Letter
When requesting evidence of employment from your employer, you should make sure that the employer's offer of employment does not exceed the F-1 OPT period (dates on the EAC). Employers should always make truthful statements about the job offer. Often employers write a separate letter for the visa application, using statements such as "the student will work with us for the duration of his/her practical training".

Other Visa Stamps
Students often ask if they can enter the United States using their Visitor Visas (B-1/B-2) instead of obtaining new F visa stamps. Please note that use of visa stamps other than the F-1 student visa would invalidate the F-1 work permission. You should not use a Visitor Visa unless you are truly a visitor and plan on abandoning your F-1 OPT.

Visiting Countries Other than your Own
Students who are planning to apply for a new F visa stamp in a country other than their home countries should consult an advisor in the HIO. Applying for a new F visa stamp in Canada or Mexico is not recommended unless you are a citizen or permanent resident of one of those countries. Also keep in mind that you may be required to obtain a visa stamp for permission to enter other countries. You should contact the appropriate foreign consulate in the United States to see whether you are required to have a visa to enter any given country.