I am Brazilian who graduated from the University of Miami in May 2020, with a BS in Advertising Management. Back in my junior year, I started working part-time at my current employer, under consecutive "CPTs". After graduation, I was offered a promotion + full-time position at this same company, working under OPT as a Marketing Coordinator. With the end of my OPT approaching on May 10th, 2021, my employer just made me an offer to sponsor me. This means my OPT would be extended up until October 1st (known as Cap-Gap extension), even though my current F-1 visa expires in June, 2021. (Hold on to this background information, please).  

Last month, I was honored to be accepted into Simon's Master in Marketing Analytics, which I am profoundly interested in attending this upcoming Fall. However, as you probably know, after filing a H1B (which happens now in March), I am not allowed to leave the United States until October 1st, as my process would be considered "abandoned". On March 31st they will notify me whether I was selected as a registrant for the 2021 lottery process or not. So I might even know whether I can leave the country to get a new F-1 visa, by March 31st. Moreover, because of COVID, most U.S. Consulates and Embassies are closed right now, which makes it even more difficult to get a new F-1 visa. 

Given this complex situation, I have a couple of questions I was hoping you might be able to help answering: 

1) How is U Rochester planning to ensure International Students have their visas issued on time for Fall semester, given the current pandemic situation, where most U.S. consulates are currently closed? (Maybe you already have an alternative that can enlighten my process)

2) Are there any possibilities of applying for Simon's F-1 being physically in the U.S., given this unusual situation? Is there some sort of request that could be made to the USCIS that you are aware of?

3) If that is not possible, can I start taking classes under an "extended F-1"/waiting for H1B results, throughout the months of August and September? 

(from my extensive research, when I start the Masters, my current OPT would be terminated. But that's all I know...)

4) If my current F-1 visa expires in June, and I am given an OPT cap-gap extension, this means my F-1 visa would be extended up until October as well? Meaning, I would be able to "transfer" it from U Miami to U Rochester?

5) Do you have any advice/ ideas of a path for this situation?