Last Updated on February 23, 2023
F-1 students who were working pursuant to “cap-gap” and have an H-1B petition that remains pending must have stopped working as of September 30, 2018. The good news is that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has confirmed that F-1 students who were working pursuant to “cap-gap” may generally remain in the U.S. while the change of status petition is pending without accruing unlawful presence – as long as these F-1 students do not work without authorization or otherwise violate their F-1 status.
What is “Cap-gap?”
The F-1 visa student visa is for foreign nationals who wish to study in the U.S. Typically, USCIS allows an F-1 student who is the beneficiary of a timely filed H-1B cap-subject petition requesting a change of status to H-1B to have F-1 status and current employment authorization extended through September 30th.
“Cap-gap” provides a way of filling the gap between the end of F-1 status and beginning of H-1B status. The “cap-gap” period starts when F-1 student status and work authorization expire, and they are extended through September 30th and have requested October 1st as the start date of H-1B employment.
Envoy is pleased to provide you this information, which was prepared in collaboration with Managing Partner Sara E. Herbek at Global Immigration Associates, P.C. (www.giafirm.com), Envoy’s affiliated law firm.
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