<p>Hi,
I'm an indian citizen currently doing my undergrad at JHU.. i will be graduating next year.. but i wanted to take a year off and work as a research technician/assistant before applying to grad school..
anyone has any idea what visa issues i might be getting into?
Im pretty sure i cant remain on my F-1 since i wont actually be studying.. pretty confused here</p>
<p>Yes, you can stay on your F-1 visa and work on post-graduation OPT. That might be your only option because if the current laws don't change, you probably won't be able to get a work visa. </p>
<p>Are you a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) major? If so, you qualify for an OPT extension of 17 months if you have any OPT left by the time you graduate. If you are not a STEM major, you can only use as much OPT as you have left and then you have to leave the country... (You start with 12 months of OPT eligibility; if you have never applied for OPT before, that's what you have left.) </p>
<p>You can stay in the States with your F-1 visa as long as you are working on OPT plus a certain grace period afterwards. (Maybe two or four weeks, I am not sure.)</p>
<p>If you only want to work for a year OPT is the way to go.</p>
<p>So how does anyone qualify for a working visa then??
Maybe after a masters degree??</p>
<p>anyone can get a working visa if you get a job in a company or firm. the company-bank,consulting firm anything has to get an immigration lawyer and help you apply for a H1-B work visa or something like that. I think the lawyer must prove you have very important skills required by the company. this is what people tell me anyways not exactly sure</p>
<p>getting with a bachelors would be difficult though</p>
<p>You can get a working visa with a Bachelor's degree, but not in the same year that you graduate in because of some timing issues in the visa application process. (There is a yearly cap on the number of working visas issues, and by the time college students graduate that cap is usually reached. Unfortunately it is not possible to apply for a H-1B before you have officially been awarded your degree.)</p>
<p>The new OPT rules are meant to alleviate that problem by extending the OPT period long enough to allow former college students to work on OPT until they can apply for a working visa in the year after they have graduated.</p>