Am an F1 student, can I go to school even though I have applied for OPT which is awaiting approval?

Good question – I believe that if the time that you are contemplating going to school is covered in the I-20, you should be able to go to school without applying for an extension of the I-20. Even without having the time covered under the current I-20, I believe that going to school without working during the interim of waiting for the OPT would not be a violation of status and would actually be preferable to DHS rather than your just hanging around and waiting for the OPT approval.You should talk to the school's DSO to see whether you should update your I-20. Due to the limitations of the Lawyers.com Forums, Alan Lee, Esq.'s (the "Firm") participation in responding to questions posted herein does not constitute legal advice, nor legal representation of the person or entity posting a question. No Attorney/Client relationship is or shall be construed to be created hereby. The information provided herein by the Firm is general, and requires that the poster obtain specific legal advice from an attorney. The poster shall not rely upon the information provided herein as legal advice nor as the basis for making any decisions of legal consequence.