OPT or H1B--which is better for Visa Stamping (Postdoctoral student)

[sm83]

Dear sir, I am currently a postdoctoral student in Northwestern University. I did my PhD in Princeton university. I am in the first year of my OPT from Princeton. I have an option of either obtaining a Northwestern university sponsored H1B for this year or to get my OPT further extended for 17 more months. The only problem is I am travelling to India and need to get a VISA stamp to come back into the country. I can get all the valid employment letters and funding related statements for my entry back from my university.

I know visa stamping while in OPT is slightly risky, and on the other hand in H1B I will loose two years of my 6 year limit just doing postdocs. In my case, given I have all the required documents for F1 OPT stamping, and that my university is willing to sponsor a H1B, what would be a better option to take. Your insights could be very helpful. I am having a tough time deciding on this. Thanks, Sri

[Attorney_25]

You may want to consult with a qualified immigration attorney to specifically review your options.

[t75]

Given the scarcity of jobs for PhDs, you may be worrying about your time in the US needlessly.