144: F-1 Students and Entrepreneurship with Rolando Villalobos

In this week’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, I’m joined by Rolando Villalobos, former Director for the Bechtel International Center of Student Affairs at Stanford University where he helped international students for over 32 years. He has reviewed and directed all of the services to almost 6,000 international students and their family members.

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Listen in as we discuss how you can navigate immigration as an international student. At the end of the day, you are responsible for your legal status as an international student. And so, you have to take due diligence in doing all the research you need as you go through this process. You’ve got to have a good foundation when you step foot in the United States and be sure to maintain legal status.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

  • Questions to ask your DSO 
  • Things you need to consider as an international student
  • The 24-month STEM extension
  • How to qualify for STEM OPT
  • Other rules and considerations when applying for STEM OPT
  • Thoughts on experiential learning

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Founder Law:

Your next move deserves more attention.

The wrong immigration strategy can cost you years of progress and mounting legal fees. Founder Law has spent over two decades guiding the tech industry’s top talent and the companies building around them.

We review where you are, map the realistic pathways, and tell you which ones actually fit your timeline, your goals, and your risk tolerance. You leave with a plan, whether you hire us or not. If your career or your company depends on getting this right, let’s talk.