H1B Consular Processing vs Change of Status - Questions & Answers

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Hi Anil,
Really appreciate your answers to the questions being shared by us.

In need of recommendations/suggestions. My wife is currently working on H4-EAD. Her current employer is willing to file her H1B Visa in 2020 lottery (Will request consular filing as per your answers given to others questions).

Her current H4 Visa and my H1B Visa is stamped till August 2020, if we travel to India after October 2020 (Given her H1B is approved with her employer, consular filing).

We will be going for H1B extension stamping with my current employer, Is it compulsory for her to change her Visa from H4 to H1B for the Visa interview when she goes to the consulate? Or can she continue to be on H4 as my dependent?

We would like to continue her H4 Visa (EAD Benefits) if possible else we would ask her current employer to not file her H1B.

She can continue on H4 visa.

If we choose to go with consular processing and my OPT ends on June, 2024 so I’m planning to activate my H1B from Apr, 2024.

  1. If I travel to India in dec 2023, would that be on OPT right?
  2. After coming from India, if I change client in jan 2024, will I be given chance to do change of status processing for activating so I don’t need to go back to India again ?