18d • General discussion
Need Advice – OPT Denied, SEVIS Correction vs New Initial I-20
Hi everyone,
I’m an F-1 student at Northeastern (MS in Software Engineering, program ended May 2025). My OPT was denied on Sept 3, 2025 because USCIS said my application was filed outside the 30-day I-20 window.
Right now, my SEVIS is still Active, but my DSO says they must:
- File a correction to mark OPT as Denied → SEVIS will flip to Completed.
- Then file a second correction (Completed → Active) if I show an admit letter for a new program (Graduate Certificate at NU or transfer to another SEVP school).
They told me approval of the second correction isn’t guaranteed, and while it’s under review I’d technically be out of status. If denied, my backup option would be a new Initial I-20, but that means starting a fresh SEVIS record and waiting one academic year for OPT.
My questions:
- Is this two-step correction process (Active → Completed → Active) standard?
- If a SEVIS record is already “Completed,” can the DSO file the second correction directly?
- What are the risks of relying on the correction route vs. just starting over with a new Initial I-20?
- Has anyone here gone through a similar situation and successfully kept their OPT eligibility?
Any insights from DSOs or students who have experienced this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,Shubham
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Need Advice – OPT Denied, SEVIS Correction vs New Initial I-20
