I just came back after talking to an immigration attorney (and of course paying him big bucks for this). This is what I learnt:
- One cannot study full time and have no job on his EAD, the AOS has to be approved for that to happen. you have to have atleast a part time job with the same job description while you are studying full time.
- In the current scenario - no one knows what the processing times of AOS are going to be (uusually, it takes anywhere between 8 - 12 months to get approoved). If your I140 has not been approved yet, add a couple of months as well...if your name is a common indian name ..add some time for background checks ..(but hey, all processing time estimates are speculations, who thought they could even bring the priority dates to all current ....)
- There is no promise of any extra resources for the USCIS to fasten the processing of applications...
So - if you can, file your AOS and defer your admits.
There is another option, if you are on the Do-mba-go-back-to-india boat ( I have to start my mba next year 'coz HAVE to go back to India after that, I cannot delay it anymore...been here long enuff!!)
File the AOS and hope it goes through before next july. If not, withdraw the AOS and I140.
[I know it does not make sense to even file the AOS when I have to go back - I should probably do some soul searching and revisit my own priorities (India or here ??) ...but some part of me still does not want to loose the opportunity of gc, that people spend years waiting for...]