I am currently in the US and hold an F-1 visa and an OPT EAD (I-766) that both expired this month (2020-07). I have filed my STEM OPT extension application and it has been received and processed -- I received my I-797C proving receipt, giving my EAD a 180-day extension.
Considering visas are like "keys" to enter the country legally, my intuition tells me that if my F visa expires, I cannot legally re-enter. However, my STEM OPT is expected to last two years beyond my F visa, telling me this might be by design and I can re-enter by presenting my EAD and I-797C.
I want to find out if it is currently possible to re-enter the United States legally if I elect to leave. I talked to my lawyers at work but so far they've been giving me the standard "we don't recommend traveling because borders can close without warning" and not exactly answering my question. Can anyone provide insight or anecdotes on how to proceed here?
tl;dr: expired F visa during OPT period. legal to re-enter by presenting EAD and I-797C?
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/immigration/comments/i0ibva/expired_f_visa_with_valid_ead_for_reentry/