An Indian student currently on F-1 OPT shared their predicament on Reddit after their H-1B change of status approval was revoked before the start date, resulting in automatic termination of their OPT. The user explained that their H-1B was approved to start in October, but the employer filed a withdrawal in early September. SEVIS records were automatically terminated on October 1, while the H-1B revocation reflected on the USCIS portal on October 4.
Confusion Over SEVIS Fix
The student added that their DSO (Designated School Official) could not request a SEVIS data fix until USCIS issued the official withdrawal notice. “Has anyone faced this same situation: SEVIS terminated because the H-1B withdrawal was delayed? Were you able to get your SEVIS fixed or reinstated?” they asked in the post, seeking guidance from others who had encountered similar issues.
Reddit Users Share Experiences
One user replied, “My friend was in similar situation couple of years back. He was working for Amazon during his F-1 OPT and his H1B was picked in the lottery. Due to some circumstances, he was part of the mass layoffs that Amazon did. This happened two months before start of his H-1B visa i.e. October 1. He hired a lawyer as he was not longer in any visa status (You are no longer on F-1 visa when you get your i797A approval for H-1B). Lawyer told him to leave US asap as he was not on any visa at the moment and he did leave US in next 2 weeks.”
Another user advised, “Been there. Escalate it to PDSO and they would raise a ticket based on the case tracker. Your employer should receive the official revocation notice through email and ask them to forward it to you.”
The post has sparked discussion among international students and H-1B applicants facing unexpected visa complications, highlighting the challenges of navigating US immigration rules amid employment changes and administrative delays.