F1 expires 05/19 & filing H1 in 04/19 -- extend F1?

[Rohith Nagubandi]

Hello all, my F1 Visa expires on May 12th, 2019 and my EAD (OPT) expires on Feb 5th, 2020. My employer will be filing my H1 in 2019 (this will be my 3rd attempt for H1). My question is: should I work on getting a F1 Visa extension? If yes, how can I proceed? Or, what is the next step, please?

My possible outcomes after May 12th, 2019:

If my H1 gets picked in the lottery -- I might get RFE status. If my H1 gets approved right away, I will have to wait till October 1st for my immigration status to change. So how can I keep my Visa status active during this time?

And if my H1 does not get picked in the lottery -- My EAD (OPT) will still be active till 02/05/2020. How can I keep working on my F1 Visa during this period (05/13/2019 to 02/05/2019)?

I would be very pleased if you can provide assistance here. Thanks in advance!

[pontevecchio]

You seem to be under the impression that the visa is material to your legal stay here. The visa is an entry stamp and lets you enter . Your stay is dictated by your status based on the I94.  You are allowed to work till 2020 based on your OPT EAD.. You will only need a F1 visa should you wish to leave and return in F1 status after May,12.2019.