I completed my Masters in Industrial Engineering (STEM) from NCSU and this is my timeline:
May 2017 - Graduated from NCSU
July 2017 - Started working on F1 OPT
Mar 2018 - Applied for H1b, but did not get picked [did NOT get rejected, it just wasn’t picked]
June 2018 - F1 OPT expired and continuing to work on STEM OPT
March 2019, 2020 - Company will file H1b
June 2020 - STEM OPT will expire
Note: My current F1 visa is valid until July 2020
If my H1b does not get picked in 2019, I plan on resigning and going back to India immediately (to save 11 months of STEM OPT). Then, I plan on applying for a 2nd MS program (STEM, but different university), which will start in May 2020.
Questions:
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Can I actually apply for a 2nd MS? Am I missing something big here?
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F1 visa interview: My current F1 visa expires in July 2020. My 2nd MS will start in May 2020. Do I need to get a new F1 visa (interview again) or will it be a visa renewal?
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STEM OPT: When I graduate in July 2021 from my 2nd MS and get a job right after graduating, can I use my remaining 11 months of STEM OPT on it?