Education Abroad & Student Resources

For students coming to the U.S. and parents planning the journey — from choosing universities to F-1 rules, OPT and staying in status.

Written and verified by the SOSGI Editorial Team · Updated September 22, 2026

Official Student Resources

Study in the States (DHS) ↗
Official F-1/M-1 rules, SEVIS guidance, OPT explained.
SEVP Portal ↗
EducationUSA (U.S. Dept. of State) ↗
Official advising centers across India.

From community experience, not from an official source. Check the official links before acting.

Community tipNever work off-campus without authorization — unauthorised work is a status violation with serious consequences, including loss of status and effects on later applications; how far it reaches depends on the facts.
Community tipKeep every I-20 you are ever issued — later applications can ask for your history.
Community tipReport employment and any change of employer, address or name through the SEVP portal or your DSO straight away — SEVP asks for 10 days, and the regulation makes that a hard 10-day duty once you are on the 24-month STEM extension. Unreported work counts as unemployment in SEVIS, and post-completion OPT allows an aggregate of 90 unemployed days (150 with the STEM extension) before status is at risk.

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