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Aug '25 •
🎉 Welcome to Ask A DSO (Free)
Welcome to your new community — a space built for international students who want clear, reliable guidance on studying, working, and thriving in the U.S. I’m Dr. Josh Schoonover (most students just call me Dr. Josh), and over the last 9+ years I’ve helped: - ✅ 4,000+ students secure visas - ✅ 3,000+ OPT/STEM OPT approvals - ✅ 1,600 H-1B approvals - ✅ 400+ green cards Now I’ve built Ask A DSO (Free) so you don’t have to scroll Reddit, Facebook, or random chats wondering if the advice is correct. Here, you get clarity, connection, and community. 🌟 How It Works - Modules: Check the classroom for guidance on visas, career prep, student life, and your American Dream. - Community Threads: Every week you’ll see prompts to share wins, challenges, and questions. - Monthly Live Training + Q&A: Join me live each month for rotating topics (CPT/OPT basics, avoiding status violations, networking, and more). - Replay Notes: If you miss a session, you’ll still get text-based recaps. ❌ What CORE Isn’t CORE is your foundation. It’s not full advising, video tutorials, or 1:1 support — those live inside PRO & VIP. Think of this as your launchpad. 🚀 Start Here 1. Introduce yourself below — share your school, major, home country, and one goal you have for your U.S. journey. 2. Engage in the weekly thread — answer the question of the week and learn from other students. 3. Explore the modules — start with Visa Status Basics to build your foundation. 💡 Pro Tip The more you engage, the more you’ll get out of Ask A DSO (Free). Ask questions, share wins, encourage others. This is a global community of students chasing their American Dream... And you’re part of it now. Welcome aboard. Let’s build your future together. — Dr. Josh
22d •
Trump Visa Announcment
Hello everyone, You may have seen news today about an announcement from the Trump Administration regarding a pause in visa issuance for 75 countries. I want to take a moment to clarify what this means for our community. The announcement does not apply to nonimmigrant visa categories, including F-1 and J-1 visas. In other words, international students and exchange visitors are not impacted by this guidance, and student mobility and enrollment-related processes may continue as normal. [Quick housekeeping note: This group will be closing at the end of January. To make sure you continue receiving updates like this—and don’t miss any important guidance—my permanent Ask A DSO community is available (and still free) here: 👉 https://www.skool.com/ask-a-dso] I know headlines like this can be unsettling, especially given how much uncertainty many of you have navigated in recent years. That’s completely understandable. For now, though, the guidance is clear and there is no change to your current status or plans based on this announcement. As always, I’m keeping a close eye on developments. If anything changes, or if there’s new guidance you should be aware of, I’ll share it in my permanent group promptly, so be sure to join for free. Always on Your Side, Dr. Josh
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Jan 2 •
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, everyone 🎉 2025 asked a lot of all of us.Rapid policy shifts. Uncertainty. Waiting. Adjusting. Re-planning. If this year taught us anything, it’s that the rules can change—but clarity, preparation, and community matter more than ever. We don’t know exactly what 2026 will bring. And that’s okay. What I do know is this: you’re not navigating it alone. This community exists so you don’t have to guess, panic, or carry the weight by yourself. We’ll keep tracking changes, breaking things down, and helping each other make smart, informed decisions—step by step. Quick reminder: this free group will be sunset soon. To keep getting updates, support, and answers in one place, please move over to the new combined Ask A DSO community (still free to join) before this group closes. Join here: https://www.skool.com/ask-a-dso Thank you for being here, and here's to moving forward together in 2026 and beyond! Dr. Josh
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Dec '25 •
Live Workshop with Dr. Josh + Special Guest Ashley Cross!
Community, If you're planning to work in the U.S. — internships, CPT, OPT, or full-time — there are three questions that come up every single time: 🔹 “Will you need sponsorship?” 🔹 “When should you start applying?” 🔹 “How do you network effectively so employers actually respond?” Most international students feel unsure about how to answer these… and that uncertainty can hold you back. So let’s fix that. 💡 📣 I’m hosting a live workshop inside the community with a very special guest: career coach & job search strategist Ash Cross! Together, we’ll walk you through: ✅ How to talk about your work authorization with confidence ✅ The right job search timeline (most students get this wrong!) ✅ How to network effectively ✅ PLUS — a live Q&A where you can get answers for your personal situation If you're aiming for internships, preparing for OPT, or going after full-time roles… this session will give you the clarity, strategy, and roadmap you’ve been missing. 👉 RSVP here to save your spot. Can’t wait to help you level up your job search.
Dec '25 •
🚨 Community Update – Travel Ban Expansion 🚨
I want to keep everyone informed of real-time policy changes, even when they may not directly impact most of our members. The Trump administration has expanded its travel ban to include nationals from: • Burkina Faso • Mali • Niger • South Sudan • Syria • Individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority–issued travel documents Based on what I know about this community, I don’t believe this impacts most of you directly. That said, policy shifts like this matter because they reinforce a broader trend: immigration decisions are increasingly being evaluated through a national security framework, not a student-services framework. Why I’m sharing this anyway: • Travel, visa renewals, and re-entry risk calculations can change quickly • Guidance that was “safe” a year ago may no longer apply • Staying informed before you need to make a decision is critical If you are from one of the impacted countries DM me directly so we can talk through your specific situation and options. (As a reminder, this community wraps up at the end of the month. To stay in the loop on visa, travel, and policy updates, make sure you’re in my free Ask A DSO Community → https://www.skool.com/ask-a-dso/about)
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