USCIS PM-602-0199 (May 21, 2026) reaffirms adjustment of status as discretionary relief, not a guaranteed right, and DHS has moved to end Duration of Status for F-1. Check your Risk Score →
Diagnostic clarity for international professionals on F-1 and student visas, OPT, and H-1B. Know your real green card odds across EB-1A and EB-2 NIW, and build your case to work and live in the US, compliantly and stress-free.
Criterion-level · Evidence-mapped · Case law grounded · Built by F-1 alumni
Free preview · No commitment · Pay only for the full report
Three rules. Now official.
The strongest response is a self-petitioned green card, EB-1A or EB-2 NIW, that puts your future in your hands instead of an employer's.
Your time on F-1 may be capped
DHS has submitted a final rule (under OMB review) that would replace open-ended Duration of Status with a fixed 4-year admission period for F-1 students and shorten the grace period to 30 days. It could take effect as early as September 2026.
Leaving the US is riskier than it was
Travel bans and immigrant-visa processing pauses now affect nationals of many countries, which makes adjusting status from inside the US a safer path than consular processing abroad.
A green card is never automatic
USCIS reaffirms (PM-602-0199, May 21, 2026) that adjustment of status is a discretionary decision, not an entitlement. An officer weighs the positive and negative factors of each case individually. Approval is earned, not guaranteed.
Strong evidence is what wins
With officers weighing the totality of circumstances and issuing more RFEs and Notices of Intent to Deny, a well-documented petition, like an approved NIW I-140, is your strongest position.
Your immigration journey
Most international professionals end up on the employer path by default, not by choice. Here's the difference.
The employer route
Their timeline.
Their decisions.
H-1B Lottery
1-in-3 odds. Repeat every year until you win.
PERM Labor Certification
Your employer files. You wait 2-3 years. You have no control.
EB-2 / EB-3 Priority Date
Join a backlog that stretches decades for some nationalities.
Green card.
Eventually. On their timeline. If they stay committed to you.
Your career, your income, your entire US future, contingent on one employer staying committed.
The self-petition route
Your timeline.
Your control.
Build your evidence
Publications, citations, press, judging, awards, criteria you already meet.
File your I-140
EB-1A or EB-2 NIW. You file. No employer signature required.
Adjust status
Stay in the US while your case is adjudicated. No consular processing.
Green card.
On your timeline. Without asking anyone for permission.
F-1 Careers was built for this path
We assess your profile against every EB-1A and NIW criterion, and show you exactly where you stand, criterion by criterion.
See my pathwayF-1 → OPT → STEM OPT is the shared starting point. What happens next is the decision that defines the next decade.
Our story
From years of first-hand experience navigating the same system you're in right now, for ourselves and others, as the landscape evolved.
We built F-1 Careers because generations of international students had already figured this out. That knowledge deserved a home, and we're committed to democratizing it so that you can plan ahead.
The tool we wish we had. Trained on the case law that actually decides your petition.
Case-law trained
Built on the exact standards USCIS officers use to decide self-petitions.
Not generic AI. Your analysis follows the controlling precedent for EB-1A and EB-2 NIW, the same case law an adjudicator applies to your petition.
Every tool built for the evolving landscape.
Get your diagnostic and strategy reports now.
Your case for a self-petitioned, employment-based green card, the kind you file yourself. We score both paths, EB-1A (Extraordinary Ability) and EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver), then map your evidence, gaps, and 12-month roadmap. Free preview before you pay.
Upload your USCIS Request for Evidence. Get a risk-ranked, issue-by-issue response strategy.
Pro membership
Every month, personalized moves built specifically for your criteria gaps, your field, and your timeline. A 90-day campaign that updates as you grow.
Your Green Card Score tracks every report. Watch it move as you execute.
Less than one hour of attorney time.
Get Pro →Example career moves
Submit review for NeurIPS 2025 Programme Committee
EB-1A §iv, Judging the Work of Others
One formal review invitation documents a new criterion entirely. OpenReview.net is actively recruiting reviewers now.
▲ +10-14 pts on EB-1A score
Get quoted in MIT Technology Review on your research
EB-1A §iii, Press and Media Coverage
Your university press office can pitch this today. One credible media mention covers §iii with minimal time investment.
▲ +8-12 pts on EB-1A score
Who this is for
If you hold or have held an F-1, OPT, H-1B, or similar visa and are working toward permanent residence, this is built for you.
F-1 OPT / STEM OPT
Running out of time. Need a clear next step before your work authorization expires.
H-1B holders
PM-602-0199 makes Adjustment of Status discretionary. A strong, well-documented petition, ideally an approved I-140, is your best protection.
EB-1A / NIW filers
Unsure if your evidence is strong enough or which pathway gives you the best shot.
RFE recipients
Just received a Request for Evidence and need a response strategy fast.
Researchers and PhDs
Have publications and citations but don't know how USCIS actually values them.
Self-petitioners
Filing without employer sponsorship and need to understand what extraordinary really means.
What strong looks like
These are the evidence patterns that anchor a competitive EB-1A or EB-2 NIW self-petition. Your report shows which ones you already meet, and the fastest way to close the rest.
AI & Computer Science
EB-1A / NIWBiotech & Life Sciences
NIW / EB-1AMedicine & Public Health
NIWEngineering
EB-1A / NIWBusiness, Finance & Economics
NIWArts, Design & Media
EB-1AIllustrative benchmarks, not testimonials. Every petition is judged on its own evidence under the controlling case law.
Rate your evidence against each USCIS criterion. Your profile data pre-fills where possible.
See your top visa pathway, overall profile strength, and a teaser of the full analysis before paying anything.
Pay once for your full criterion breakdown, evidence map, gap analysis, and 12-month roadmap. Download as PDF.
For HR teams & General Counsel
We review your workforce, identify who's at risk, and build NIW petition frameworks for every eligible employee.
Free preview. No commitment. Just clarity on exactly where you stand.
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