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F-1 visa stamping and stamping in third-country; Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR)
I am in the US with an approved COS from B2 to F1, so my F1 visa is yet to be stamped on my (Indian)Passport.
1. My STEM masters program is for 9 months, and my I20 has a start and end date of 2 years(2026). Do I have to stamp before the end of 2 years to avail myself of the OPT and STEM validity?
2.I might have to visit a family member in Canada sometime in mid-2025 after my master's program has started. Is it advisable to go to Canada since I do not have the F1 stamped on my Visa? If I can visit, then will I require a different visa?
3. Is it possible for me to schedule my F1 Visa stamping in Canada during the visit? Or would you advise something different here? Or is it better to get it stamped in Mexico?
If you are on an F-1 visa converted from B-2, your visa stamp is only necessary if you plan to travel outside the U.S. While in the U.S., your status is governed by your I-94, which typically says "DS" (duration of status) and remains valid as long as you maintain your student status.
If traveling briefly to Canada or Mexico for under 30 days, you can use Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR) to return without a visa stamp, provided you haven’t applied for and been refused a visa during your visit. Scheduling visa stamping in Canada is risky—if denied, you lose AVR eligibility and must return to India to reapply.
Increased Denials & Delays in some US Visa Categories, Rajiv in QnA, Feb 12, 2025
Nonimmigrant Visas
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mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
Can I volunteer with a Non-Profit while on any temporary visa (for example, F-1 OPT)?
I am on F1 OPT and working for a company. I have a few questions:
1. Am I eligible to volunteer with a nonprofit organization related to my field if the work involves event organization (webinar or In-person training)?
2. If I volunteer to review research papers or articles in my field, would that be considered permissible, or would it be classified as work?
Yes, you can volunteer while on a temporary visa as long as you are not compensated in cash or kind.
For F-1 OPT, if the volunteer work is meant to count toward your OPT compliance, it must be at least 20 hours per week and related to your field of study. If it’s purely additional volunteer work (e.g., helping at events, reviewing research papers) and not counted for OPT compliance, there’s no issue, but check with your DSO.
However, you cannot volunteer for a for-profit company, as that could violate labor laws, though the violation would be on the company’s part, not yours.