JoeF

Hmm, a PhD requires research 24/7. At a real university you wouldn't have time to do any CPT, you would work on research backed by grants. So, the CPT looks bogus. Care to provide the name of the university?

The employer shod inform USCIS way before Oct. 1 that you are not working there. Like, right now.

If you are not going to work for A you can't list their information.

A transfer would only be possible if you would start working on the H 1 for the original employer. Since you got laid off the H1 is gone.

No issue from an immigration standpoint. The GC is unrestricted work authorization. However, your employment contract may not allow such side jobs.

So, which university was it? Application success depends to a big part on the quality of the university. Getting admission from a well-known public university is best.

If you are currently in the US, what is your status? You earlier implied that you are outside the US: "I have to travel to US." AVR is for people in certain statuses, and doesn't apply to the British Virgin Islands (unless you are in F1 status, I believe.) If you are in H1 status, you can use AVR within 30 days from Mexico and Canada, but you would return in H1 status. The I-94 is invalid if you want to enter in a different status. So, nothing of this has any meaning with a B1. It is rather unclear what any of this has to do with your situation.

The employer is required by law to inform USCIS that you no longer work there. That is mandatory. Since you are not going to start working for the employer on the H1 it is gone.

You would have to start working on the H1 for the original employer before a transfer to a new employer is possible.

The 60 days *is* the grace period. If you don't find a new job after 60 days you have to leave the country.

They can nowadays outright deny cases without a client letter.

Hmm, not quite true. For example, if a person is on H1, and files a COS to H4 the person can stop working on the H1, i.e., not being in valid H1 status anymore, way before the COS to H4 is approved.

Why don't you ask your employer and his lawyer? They have to handle this, they know how to handle this.

People on H4 do not qualify for social security cards. They can not work (unless you have an approved I-140, then your spouse can get an EAD, social security card, and can work.) Get an ITIN (tax id number) for your dependents.

My understanding is that the OP filed a COS to F1 as soon as she was enrolled, i.e., before her husband left the country.