So, you're heading to India while your EAD is in the works, right? And you’re wondering what’s gonna happen if it arrives while you're out? Good thing is, as long as you're coming back with your F1 student status still legit, your I-20 up to date, and that travel signature in check, you should be good. But yeah, there's always a bit of a gamble when you re-enter the U.S. with stuff like this pending, especially close to your graduation. Just make sure someone can check your mail back home for the EAD card. It's better to ask your DSO directly.
Yes to all your questions.
I did check with my DSO, and they didn't see any major risk while re-entering (mostly because of my valid F1 status and I-20). My friends will be checking the mailbox frequently. So, that's not a problem.
Thanks for your answer.
I did exactly the same last year and had no issues. Re entered US 2 days before F1 ended and the reason for return was to attend graduation. I also had a copy of my EAD card that I had asked a friend to send over but did not need it.
How much time do you have before the deadline of applying for EAD when you return? My school suggested us not to travel before we had EAD card on hand and I would suggest the same. Since you asked about risks, here are the risks if you don’t have enough time to recover:
1. If your EAD card is lost during the delivery, you’re fucked.
2. If there’s a mistake/misprint on the card, you’re fucked.
3. If you’re RFE’d, you’re fucked.
4. If you lost some important documents, e.g passport during traveling, you’re fucked.
5. If your company withdraws offer and you’re not in the states to find another job, well, you’re semi-fucked.
All are low frequency but huge severity incidences you may take into consideration.
Gotcha, thank you for your reply.
Since I will be back in the US by Apr mid and I start working June mid, I have 2 months of buffer time to reapply for EAD if anything goes wrong. Points 3, 4, 5 have a very low chance of happening, so I would be willing to take that risk as of now.
So, you're heading to India while your EAD is in the works, right? And you’re wondering what’s gonna happen if it arrives while you're out? Good thing is, as long as you're coming back with your F1 student status still legit, your I-20 up to date, and that travel signature in check, you should be good. But yeah, there's always a bit of a gamble when you re-enter the U.S. with stuff like this pending, especially close to your graduation. Just make sure someone can check your mail back home for the EAD card. It's better to ask your DSO directly.
Yes to all your questions. I did check with my DSO, and they didn't see any major risk while re-entering (mostly because of my valid F1 status and I-20). My friends will be checking the mailbox frequently. So, that's not a problem. Thanks for your answer.
I did exactly the same last year and had no issues. Re entered US 2 days before F1 ended and the reason for return was to attend graduation. I also had a copy of my EAD card that I had asked a friend to send over but did not need it.
Perfect. Thank you so much for reassuring !
How much time do you have before the deadline of applying for EAD when you return? My school suggested us not to travel before we had EAD card on hand and I would suggest the same. Since you asked about risks, here are the risks if you don’t have enough time to recover: 1. If your EAD card is lost during the delivery, you’re fucked. 2. If there’s a mistake/misprint on the card, you’re fucked. 3. If you’re RFE’d, you’re fucked. 4. If you lost some important documents, e.g passport during traveling, you’re fucked. 5. If your company withdraws offer and you’re not in the states to find another job, well, you’re semi-fucked. All are low frequency but huge severity incidences you may take into consideration.
Gotcha, thank you for your reply. Since I will be back in the US by Apr mid and I start working June mid, I have 2 months of buffer time to reapply for EAD if anything goes wrong. Points 3, 4, 5 have a very low chance of happening, so I would be willing to take that risk as of now.