Could traveling for a while after graduating college in the U.S. count as unlawful presence?
After graduating college, I assumed my student visa was still valid and, without checking my I-20 expiration date, traveled for about a month.
I only found out about this while preparing to study abroad again for graduate school, and I’m worried I may have been out of status during that period.
If you had fully completed your studies, a grace period of up to 60 days applies, during which you may remain in the U.S. After that, it becomes a SEVIS violation, but strictly speaking, this is generally not considered unlawful presence. Please review the exact details with an attorney, since confirming whether the 60-day grace period applies requires knowing precisely when your studies ended.