Hi Guys -
This is my first post. I went through many topics on the well discussed H1 to F1 conversion and associated issues, in trying to seek answers for some bespoke questions.
A little about my background.
I have a masters in Computer Science & work for a top tier bank in Finance IT, with a little less than five years remaining on H1B.
I have exhausted all 29 Months of OPT (12 mo+17 mo extn.).
I plan to start my MBA in Fall 2012.
Baseline --I need to convert from H1 to F1 to get into a school as a full time student.
-I won't have a written job guarantee from the current employer upon graduation.
-I plan to drastically change my profile after MBA.
-No Green Card has been filed for me.
Questions-1)Internship - Can I use CPT to do the summer internship? I used CPT during my Masters (3 months of allowed 12 months) to do a summer internship. If not, what options do I have?(i.e. international internship in countries with less visa issues etc.?)
2)Full time - Its 2012 and annual H1B cap is nowhere close to being filled as a result of a general hiring decrease. I expect the trend to continue for a few more years. Also, the graduation is around May, so my potential employer would have already applied for a new H1B (can't use the old one as am changing job profile) by the time I graduate?
Will be great if people who've been in my shoes or someone with good knowledge of the process can help me with these questions.
Thank you