F1 to TN - Special Case

Hey all,

I'm looking to change my F1 to TN status. I know this is a frequent topic, but my scenario is very peculiar.

I'm currently studying as an undergraduate at an US university, and I'm looking to spend the summer interning in the US. However, I am not eligible for OPT training, because of a weird school calendar. Because of this, I must terminate my F1 visa status and leave the US if I do not stay at school for the summer. I have spoken to the State Department, they have suggested that I can apply for a change in visa status to a TN visa temporarily (with the intention to change it back to F1 at the end of the summer and returning to school). I was wondering what the likelihood of getting approval for this change is and what are the best ways of going about it. Also, should I use i539 or i129?

It is of course given that I am a Canadian citizen, have a job offer from a well-known employer, and am in good standing with the law.

Thanks in advance

You can and should get TN (instead of by mail with I-129), but you should get it at the border: quicker and cheaper.

Then you can go back to border when job ends and switch to f1 again.

I am in a very similar situation. My question is do I have to end the job before school starts in Fall? For example,if the Fall semester will start on 8/31/2010,I have to switch back to F1 in prior correct?

I have this problem because my internship will run until mid-September but my school's fall semester will begin in late Aug.

Thanks.

No, you can still go to school on TN. The school however may wish that you change, so you may have to insist that you be allowed to go to school on TN, until your job ends.

I have a similar question. I was in the US on a TN for one year, then on an H1-B for 3 years, and last year I went back to graduate school for film and I am now on an F-1 visa, and have an offer to work for the summer. The work is for a company in my new field, but a majority of the work that I would be doing relates to my prior experience and training as an attorney (I am a member in good standing of the NY State bar). Is it really that easy to switch between a TN and F-1, and I can just go back to F-1 in the fall when my semester begins and my job is finished by exiting the US and returning based on my I-20? Will the switch to TN status over the summer impact my ability to qualify next year for OPT under my F-1? After I complete my degree ideally I would like to have the option to work in a capacity that is unrelated to my prior qualification as an attorney, but instead in a purely creative role related to the MFA that I am now pursuing.

Many thanks.

I also have a string of similar questions. I have a professional degree in Architecture and for the last six years I've been a full-time doctoral student (w/ F1 visa) at a US school studying architecture history. I've just been offered a part -time teaching job in my field at an school other than my own. First question: Can one teach architecture instead of practicing architecture under a TN visa? My Second question: I assume that I cannot hold an F1 visa and a TN visa at the same time. Can I switch to a TN visa while remaining a full-time doctoral student? Third question: I've pretty much maxed out my OPT time, is there a way of extending it? Fourth and desperate question: Assuming that the TN and OPT options are not possible, is there any other way to teach in the fall?

You can and must get TN (or an H1-B) to teach Architecture.

You can go to school on TN or H1-B.