LPN nurses and O.P.T.

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Hi all

I am a new member here. I recently got my admission in LPN program. I am a F1 student from India presently and was doing my pre-nursing until now. I have a question regrading OPT, I will be grateful if someone answers it..

Will I be eligible for doing an OPT after completing the LPN program? and if yes, how long will it be for? As the OPT has been increased to 29 months recently, will I be eligible for that extended period?

Please let me know..

thanks in advance..

In conclusion, after the one year term is over, there is no way for an international student to advance to the RN program legally in the US?

That surely is very discouraging.

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ok i'm horribly mistaken with the previous post. things are more clarified now that i've read more threads.

sorry!

so again, in conclusion

LPN --> OPT --> F-1 --> RN (CPT is an option every semester) --> OPT --> F-1 --> BSN (is CPT available at this level?) --> OPT --> F-1 --> Master's or cross fingers for work permit or visa.

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CPT time will take from the OPT time, so do not assume that you will get the full OPT after each degree. That is not going to happen..

OPT is not a visa, it is done under the F-1 status, it is considered a training period. You do not get any other visa while you are on it. And per the US immigration rules, you must maintain full-time student status to be able to remain under the F-1 visa. Which means that when the OPT ends, you have to be enrolled in the next semester of classes starting or the visa will be cancelled.

Next problem that one will face that even with all of the training here, there is no guarantee that you will be able to remain in the US and get a green card when you are done as a start. And you need to be aware of the fact that you do not get the CPT automatically when you begin each new school program. You will need to apply for it and you cannot work more than 20 hours per week under it.

Please take the time to do some reading and never assume anything. Things are going to be getting tighter for foreign nurses here, even if you attend school here. There are many American new grads that are out of work and have not been able to start their career as well.

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Is there a fee for obtaining OPT?

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Check with your school, they are actually the ones that handle it.

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I understand. I heard mixed thigs about OPT fees.

CCs don't charge, while universities require a small fee, and vocational schools ask for a ridiculous sum of money.

*shrug*

I guess it's not a matter of who's right or who's wrong, but who charges more or less.

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It really is a moot point. You have no choice but to pay what the school is requesting if you want the OPT. And one does not select a school based on what this fee is. At least they should not be doing so.

But just noticed something, have you actually applied for the OPT? It usually is done about five months out now as it takes that long to get. It must be done before you complete your last day of classes. And one only has three months to obtain an employer or the OPT gets cancelled as well.

If you are going to be graduating next month, you are going to have many issues with this. If you did not submit for the OPT already, then you need to have a little talk with your international advisor on this.

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Thank you for your concern! Well, I'm attending a small vocational school, and apparently they take care of everything. And I sure hope so for the ridiculous amount in fees they charge! But I will definitely confirm the OPT status at school tomorrow (well later today). Thank you again.

I recently became aware of the fees, and my heart literally sank. I can't believe the money they try to

take from my pockets until the end!

The problem for me, was all in the timing. Well, more like lack of awareness and miscalculations. I was hoping to finish the LVN program, get the license, apply for the bridge program, get into the RN program and get things done BAM BAM BAM! But it's all more complicated than I had imagined. Shame.

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This is why I keep pushing for everyone that comes here under the F-1 visa to know everything up front as well as the fact that there are no visas for the LPN when you are done. You get the one year of the OPT that is actually under the F-1 student visa. Otherwise, there is no visa for you to remain in the US and work in that role.

But even if you get into an RN program right away, this is still not going to get you a visa to work here when it is done.

Since you mentioned small, private vocational school; do you know for a fact that it is approved by your BON in the first place? We are seeing quite a few that have opened up but that are not accredited by the state and hence the graduates are unable to sit for any licensing exam.

Just make that this is not happening to you.

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CPT time will take from the OPT time, so do not assume that you will get the full OPT after each degree. That is not going to happen..

Sorry, but your information is incorrect. CPT will not deduct time from OPT. CPT is not an OPT and has different elegibily criteria. One should not take a full-time CPT over a year, or otherwise (s)he will became ineligible for OPT. Students who take CPT may go below the full course load with DSO approval, the formula for that is School+CPT=full-time. Only the pre-graduation OPT deducts time from the post-graduation OPT.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

This is what I have found re OPT and CPT so the difference is full time

What’s the difference between full & part time CPT?

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Part-time CPT is 20 hours a week or less. If done during school year, must maintain full time status. It has no effect on OPT.

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Full-time CPT is more than 20 hours a week. (25 hrs a week is full time). If you do more than 12 months of full-time CPT, you lose your OPT option.

http://www.socc.edu/isp/cpt_opt.html

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