Hey folks,
I’m on my last leg of STEM OPT and just got laid off unexpectedly. My 60-day grace period clock is ticking. I’ve applied to like 50+ jobs already but let’s be real — not many companies are eager to sponsor right now.
Some people mentioned I could enroll in a “Day 1 CPT” Master’s program to stay in status. I know that phrase gets a lot of hate here but… is it actually a valid option if you don’t want to leave the country? Are there legit schools or is it all diploma mills?
I’d rather not go the unpaid internship + CPT route, but I also don’t want to be out of status. Any schools that are more flexible? And if I do go this route, does that screw up future H1B chances?
Appreciate any insight — especially if you’ve done it and it worked out.