bond,,tell your friends to read everything that is written in their OPT card. it says,,"not valid for re-entry US" something like that,,which i noticed when i was in opt. i still remember my attorney banned me going any other country before my h1b officially started. YOU CANNOT LEAVE USA WHEN YOU ARE IN OPT IF YOU WANT TO COME BACK. let me explain little more...well,,lets say, you are in OPT now. if you have masters degree, you can have your H1B before october, if not, you need to wait till october. well.........the point is,,you cannot leave USA before you see yourself in H1B status, if you wanna come back and continue the job you have now. i hope you understand me clearly this time...if not,,let me know,,and if you wanna consult attorney i can give you the contact and talk to him.