MARYVALLE

I don’t disagree or agree with this lawyer. The lawyer is an immigration lawyer so I guess, yes a real lawyer. He is taking a conservative approach by suggesteing I don’t apply for OPT. I just want to hear about people’s experiences

I just finished my program and I am considering applying for OPT because I would like to have work authorization. The green card application+benefits which includes EAD issue has been paused after the current USCIS memo. My country is included in the list of countries affected. We have been advised by our lawyer to not apply for tOPT and let the F-1 status lapse. His reasoning is that given the current immigration environment applying for OPT on a non immigrant visa gives the wrong intent given I am applying for a green card with an immigration intent. Have anybody been in the same position? Did you apply for OPT while you had marriages based green care pending? I don’t know when I am going to get my EAD through the GC application and i don’t want to miss the opportunity to apply for work authorization as part of the F-1 benefit before the status lapses.