Frequently Asked Question

During your pending OPT application and after the OPT approval by USCIS, F-1 students will remain in F-1 status. OPT is a benefit of your F-1 status and extends your ability to remain in the United States to seek employment in your field of study. This means that you will continue to use your OPT I-20 and F-1 documents to travel and you will still need to get fresh travel signatures from our DSO at Belhaven University (every 6 months). This also means that your DSO is still responsible for reporting changes about your status to SEVIS and helping you maintain your F-1 status while you are on OPT.