R-1 from F-1

[GeorgeG]

Hi,

I'm currently residing & working in the US on my F-1 visa (currently on OPT) and my employer (religious organization) is petitioning for me in order to obtain an R-1 visa since I'm a clergyman. We're currently in the process of filling out the I-129 form and I realized that my foreign passport expires in 3.5 months. Should I fill out the form with the information from my current passport and apply for a new passport at my country's consulate in the US? If that's the case, I'm not sure where my visa will be stamped (current or future passport) or what's going to happen. I would really appreciate some advice on this. Please let me know if you have any other ideas. Thank you!

[Enub4]

If your OPT will not expire soon, I would get a new passport and then fill everything with the new information.

If you are residing & working in the US you can change status from F-1 to R-1 and will not get a visa stamped on your passport until you travel abroad and get the visa. That will be your new passport.

If you need to travel before you change the status to R-1 and before your OPT expires, you can travel with old passport with an F-1 visa stamped there and a new passport. When you get the R-1 visa on the new passport you don't need to carry your old passport anymore. Keep your old passport in a safe place, you will need it in the future if you change your status from R-1 to GC.