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Questions regarding extending my F-1 visa

Hello friends

I'm currently in the US on an F-1 visa. I graduated from undergrad in June 2019. I am currently on a 1-year OPT that is valid until August. I have also been accepted to a PhD program that I am due to start in August, and I have initiated the SEVIS transfer process for that. Once I receive my I-20 I will be allowed to stay in the US until the program end date on the I-20, so my status in the US is secure.

However, the F-1 visa in my passport expires in July. I've been told that this doesn't mean I can't stay in the US, and that the visa in the passport is only used for re-entry. I was told that I would need to apply for a new F-1 visa in order to be able to re-enter the country if I leave.

I have been told conflicting things regarding the process for application of a new F-1 visa. I have an Indian passport, but I have lived almost my whole life in Singapore, and that's where my family is, etc. I was told by my DSO that I would only be able to apply for a new F-1 visa from outside the US. They also said that I may be able to do it from a country that is not my home country as a "third country national", so I could do it from Singapore instead of India if the US embassy in Singapore is cool with it.

However, my parents contacted the US embassy in Singapore, and they said that I could just do it somehow at www.uscis.gov. They said I couldn't do it in Singapore (they have my file on record because I applied for my initial undergrad F-1 in Singapore). I've poked around on the USCIS website for a while, and this page is the only thing I've been able to find regarding getting a new F-1 visa: https://www.uscis.gov/i539online

Is that the right form to file in my case? If so, does this mean I can just do this while in the US, and that my DSO was mistaken? My DSO didn't mention anything about form I-539. If this isn't the right process, what is? Should I contact the US consulate in India and ask them too?

I understand all this is complicated by COVID-19, but since I'm pretty safe in the US right now, I'm in no rush to get this sorted. So if anyone has any insight into how this process usually works when the whole world isn't in the midst of a pandemic, that would be super useful.

Thank you so much!

submitted by /u/mr_dank_nasty
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/immigration/comments/ga3c4k/questions_regarding_extending_my_f1_visa/
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