Tjgarla

everyone goes to the border and take the agent's help to enter mexico via road.

You dont need to have a F1 visa on your passport. You will have to submit a photo copy of your F1 Visa and the first and last pages of the New passport.

H4 to F1 stamping is a bad idea since F1 students are asked to return to India after education. But since you were living in H4 for a long time , they will not believe that you will return. The day you enter the consulate for Interview , the officer will cancel all the current valid USA visa on the passport and then will start talking to you.

you can't goo for stamping with the pending amendment . it is way too risky.

you can't travel for visa with a pending Amendment . you will be in trouble

You can travel on AVR.

just ignore the previous one. Take the new i797 for everything including the stamping

Canada is fine.

I will suggest you to go to Matamoros mexico.

What you did is not your fault. and the i94 at the POE is not in your hand. Your wife might receive an RFE . This will be resolved easily with clear explanation of the situation if an RFE is given. The H4 ead is taking atleast 5 months . Don't worry about what will happen .

If you travel to mexico on F1 and come back on F1 , your H1B approval will be invalid since you have an i94 on the approval and you will receive a new i94 for your F1 status. You can;t get the H1B stamping in Mexico since you are on F1 and they don't stamping COS cases.

Though you can work in the same MSA, when it comes for stamping Amendment is required. Don't risk going for stamping .

though you are technical eligible to work in the same MSA . But when you are going for a stamping the consulate expects an Amendment. You can't go for a stamping using the old approval.

Did you meet the CBP officer? Was your i94 corrected after your cruise?

You are clearly out of status. This is not a i94 error. You should check your i94 immediately on arrival. The only thing you can do is nunc pro tunc. Check with your attorney about this.