Adjustment from OPT to Permanent Resident

[LFCMO 0]

I was hoping someone could help me. I started my Post Completion OPT in May and my 90 day grace period to find employment has expired. Within those 90 days, I got married to an American citizen. We have sent away the paperwork to USCIS and they have received this. My question is, am I allowed to continue to accept employment while awaiting my green card or do I have to wait until I obtain my green card? It seems like this is in a grey area and I am getting conflicting answers from different people. Any help would be greatly appreciated

[Coco8 1,042]

You can continue using your OPT. You won't have the 60 grace period. 

 

However, you should talk to the international office at your university to make sure you are doing all the paperwork correctly. At some point they need to terminate your SEVIS and I am not sure if that will be when you get the EAD from AOS or when they approve your AOS. So you really need to do an appointment with your advisor. 

 

Also, if you have problems getting a job, look at the job websites of the universities. If you are in St Louis, go to WashU and SLU. A lot of Labs post jobs. Professors sometimes look for RAs. There are administrative jobs that you could do too.

Edited August 25, 2017 by Coco8

[LFCMO 0]

Thank you for our help!

[xillini 71]

If your OPT EAD for 90 days is expired, albeit you can still consult with your international student office, I believe you are no longer qualified for working as OPT EAD. Most employers nowadays are E-verify employers, which can immediately tell if a candidate is qualified for work authorization or not. 

 

When you apply for AOS, did you apply for I-765 as well? If you did, you can request expedite decisions for I-765 if you are offered a job. They will accelerate your I-765 so that you can secure employment.