Recorded: January 2026 · ~60 minutes · Talk + live Q&A
Summary
In this January 2026 session, Dr. Michael Taiwo walks international students through the full US immigration journey — from F-1 student status to OPT, the H-1B lottery, and the self-petition green card paths (EB-1A and EB-2 NIW) that put your future in your own hands. Drawing on his own path from F-1 to “blue passport” (US citizenship) and a decade in corporate America, he explains timelines, common traps, and what USCIS actually rewards — followed by a live Q&A on the latest policy changes.
Key Takeaways
Understand your F-1 basics: you’re admitted for “duration of status,” meaning you stay legal as long as you’re enrolled — but your visa is only a travel document, so leaving the country can strand you if you can’t renew it.
Mind your OPT timelines: apply up to 90 days before your program end date and no later than 60 days after; you may accumulate at most 90 days of unemployment, so prioritize landing a job before you graduate.
STEM graduates can extend OPT by two additional years (three total) with an e-verified employer in a job closely related to a DHS-listed STEM field.
Don’t stake your immigration future on employer promises alone — layoffs, performance plans, or policy shifts can kill a company-sponsored filing, as Dr. Taiwo’s own Shell story illustrates; keep ownership of your journey.
The H-1B is a lottery that now favors higher skills and higher wages (including a $100,000 barrier that screens out most overseas applicants) — always have a backup plan if you’re not selected.
EB-1A and EB-2 NIW let you self-petition for a green card without an employer sponsor — and you don’t need a PhD or a stack of publications to qualify; most approvals in his team’s data went to master’s holders.
What USCIS actually rewards is documented creation plus impact: build real things, measure the results, and keep hard evidence (agreements, awards, funding letters, recommendation letters) — “show me, don’t tell me.”
Chapters
- 00:00 — Welcome and introducing Dr. Michael Taiwo
- 03:17 — His path: F-1 to OPT to H-1B to EB-2 NIW to citizenship
- 08:02 — F-1 basics: duration of status, visa vs. status
- 13:34 — OPT: application windows, unemployment limits, STEM extension
- 18:51 — Why employer promises can fall through
- 24:06 — The H-1B lottery in the current landscape
- 27:40 — EB-1A and EB-2 NIW: green card paths you control
- 30:49 — Policy pause, exceptions and the USCIS memo walkthrough
- 41:30 — Creation + impact: what USCIS really looks for
- 45:17 — Documenting your work and closing Q&A
Speaker
Dr. Michael Taiwo — Came to the US as an international student, earned a PhD in chemical engineering, spent over a decade in the private sector, walked the full path from F-1 to US citizenship, and now mentors students and consults on EB-1/EB-2 filings.
