F-1 student visa expiration during OPT and whether re-entry is possible
I was told that as long as OPT is valid, re-entry is possible even if F-1 has expired, but I’m not sure this is correct. I’ve always experienced that entry officers check the F-1 visa in my passport first, before the I-20 (STEM OPT), so I’m wondering if re-entry is really possible using just an expired F-1 visa in my passport along with a valid I-20.
1. If the visa has expired, you need to get a new visa. Since you have OPT, this means there shouldn’t be a problem obtaining the visa.
2. This isn’t extending F-1 — it’s getting a new visa to replace the expired one. Barring anything unusual, the visa shouldn’t be denied.
3. You can read this as meaning you need to obtain a new visa in order to re-enter.