Filed for H1B but want to 'cancel' it to retain F1 visa

[newmanhattan]

Hi,

I am currently attending a PhD program (F1 visa) and my H1B will soon be filed by a company. They are currently in the process of obtaining an LCA. I did this because I was not happy with the current PhD program.

What has now happened is that I have got another fully funded admit from a top tier university and now I am in a fix as to which option should I choose, continue with the H1B process and start the job on Oct 1 or should I go to the other university (on F1) and somehow leave/cancel the H1B for now in a way that this does not use up my H1B years or causes any issues fr H1B or otherwise in the future. Please advise . I would like to join the new PhD program but not in a way that jeopardizes the H1B now or in the future and also avoid any situation where any of my H1B years are used up when i am actually studying full time.

Also, lets say that the H1b is filed and approved around July (before Oct1) but if I want to go back to school on F1 and join the new school in Early September, is it possible to somehow 'cancel' my H1B and retain the F1 visa? If the H1B is approved but I do not start work on Oct 1, would this still eat up my H1B years?

Can I cancel the H1B process while it is in processing, before approval ? How can I cancel it after approval while not wasting any H1B time? Please help.