In Progress
4) H-1B Path (The Lottery You Must Win)
Find H-1B sponsor employer (vet them carefully)
Not all employers who say they 'sponsor H-1B' actually do it well. Research potential sponsors on MyVisaJobs.com, H1BGrader.com, and the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub. Look at their approval rates and denial history. Red flags: asking you to pay any filing fees (illegal), vague job descriptions, pressure to sign quickly, or refusing to let you speak with their immigration attorney. The quality of your employer's immigration lawyer matters enormously—a sloppy petition gets denied. Ask about their attorney's H-1B approval rate.
This is the most dangerous part of CPT. You have a "bank" of 12 months of OPT after you graduate.
- The 365-Day Trap: If you use 12 months (365 days) or more of Full-Time CPT, you lose your entire 12-month OPT benefit.
- The "Safe" Strategy: Most students stop their full-time CPT at 11 months and 25 days to save their OPT.
- Part-Time CPT: Good news! Any amount of Part-Time CPT (even 2 years of it) has zero impact on your OPT.
Free Resource:OPT vs. CPT:
[**CPT \- OPT \- Stem Employment | University of the Cumberlands**](https://www.google.com/search?q=Don%27t+Lose+Your+OPT%21+CPT+Time+Limits&oq=Don%27t+Lose+Your+OPT%21+CPT+Time+Limits&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigAdIBCDE4NjhqMGo0qAIAsAIB&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)
**[What's the difference? | Study in US || upGrad Abroad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TAOGbHeFx4&t=77s)**
Resources
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