 About OPTs and H1-B visas
Hi guys,
Just a quick note for those of you thinking about getting a work visa.
First, your OPT will start from the date you get the document (a card) by mail. So it will expire in a year regardless if you find a job in a week or six months.
Second, once you start working, initiate the process of obtaining your H1-B visa quickly. Every October 1st, a fixed number of visa applications is made available to applicants for the current year. If you fail to apply on time, you will have to wait a whole year, which in many cases is financially impossible. I know this from experience (my wife had to wait for a month, and a week ago I learnt that a friend of mine will have to wait three months to get his visa). During that time you cannot get paid or perform any kind of work for the company, and in many cases you cannot get compensated for future or past work. I believe you cannot even put a foot in the building because of possible legal repercutions.
So, plan ahead and do not trust if the Human Resources officer tells you to relax and that there is time. My wife got burned on this one, and it created a mess.
Pat  |