H4 to F1 Visa Conversion

[raj615]

I am currently on H4 visa and studying in well reputed University in US  and looking to apply for F1 visa at US consulate in Canada.  These days H4 to F1 change of status takes a year or so in US so I want to go to US consulate in Canada for F1 stamping. My wife had applied for H4 EAD for me a month ago which is still in process. However, I want to convert my H4 to F1 and complete my study as full time student. I wanted to check whether first I should send cancel request to  USCIS to cancel my request for H4 EAD or I can simply go for F1 interview at US consulate in Canada while my H4 EAD is in process?

Please help me with this.

Thanks

[shekar11#]

On 11/13/2018 at 1:04 PM, raj615 said:

I am currently on H4 visa and studying in well reputed University in US  and looking to apply for F1 visa at US consulate in Canada.  These days H4 to F1 change of status takes a year or so in US so I want to go to US consulate in Canada for F1 stamping. My wife had applied for H4 EAD for me a month ago which is still in process. However, I want to convert my H4 to F1 and complete my study as full time student. I wanted to check whether first I should send cancel request to  USCIS to cancel my request for H4 EAD or I can simply go for F1 interview at US consulate in Canada while my H4 EAD is in process?

Please help me with this.

Thanks

You can simply go and get a F-1 visa stamped. Don't worry about your H-4 EAD application. It will be abandoned.

[Shraddha Shah]

Hello,

I am currently on an H4 visa and planning to undergo a change of status to F1 status. I got my new I-20 issued today. I checked the current processing times on the USCIS website which is somewhere around 6-8 months. Can you please suggest to me what are my best options at this point?

I have only one full-course load semester left with me which is the SPRING-2021 semester and 2 credits after that which I am planning to take in SUMMER- 2021.  If I get the COS approved in the middle or late in the semester will my SPRING semester consider on F1?  Also, will it affect my OPT process? 

Thank you for reading this. I appreciate your time.

Edited November 5, 2020 by Shraddha Shah

[JoeF]

With the COS time being what it is it may be better to go abroad and get an F1 visa stamp.

For OPT, you have to be in F1 status when applying for it (and be in good academic standing for the last academic year.) Some universities are stricter and require the whole last year to be in F1 status. Check with the registrar and the international office at your university.