Since he is struggling trying to make a living for himself, he asks his university's advisors if he could focus on researching his last year of school and not take any regular classes. They said: "of course!"
Last year of college went great, he even got a great job offer. So since the school told him he would be fine by only doing research his last year of school, he was expecting to do his OPT (Optional Practical Training) with an engineering company. OPT is a one to two year work permit all international students are allowed to use after they graduate. They give you 60 days to find a job related to your major after you graduate, and once you find one, you are allowed to work one or two years in the country, depending on your major.
One morning Patricio wakes up and gets a phone call from his school telling him that since he did not registered this semester he's going to have to go back to Mexico. Patricio, very confused, asks them: "What about my OPT? I got a job offer, that's why I didn't register for classes." So they tell him that because he only did research his last year of school and didn't take regular classes, he will not be able to do his OPT, because the requirement is that you have to be taking classes for at least a year before you can apply.
Now Patricio has to graduate a year later than he expected to because he has to enroll in some classes, figure out how to get the money to pay one more year of college and pray that the job offer he had it's still available once he graduates. All of this, because of a bad advisor. This lack of precise, up-to-date information is extremely serious because any violation of the terms of a Visa can cause deportation and the prohibition to reenter the US ever again.
Now this is just one story. I can say I know more than 20 international students, who have either had problems with incomplete and inaccurate advising or are misinformed about the options they have; and I'm just one person. I can't imagine how many students are struggling right now because of this.
School is two times more expensive for international students because they have to pay out-of-state tuition. Not only that; universities say that while you're in a student visa you can only work for them and no more than 20 hours a week. What they don't tell you (unless you ask of course) is that there are ways you can actually work for a company while you're still in school, and you can also work more than 20 hours a weeks. They just decide to not tell you this unless you ask them.
This is what I've learned these past 5 years I've been living here regarding this subject. This is for all international students or immigrants in a visa or a documentation process:
1) Do not assume that the information an advisor or a lawyer tells you is correct.
2) Do your own research.
3) Have more than two sources of information (advisors, lawyers, goverment's websites).
Here are some helpful websites regarding visa processes.
http://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/students-and-employment
http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english.html
http://www.ice.gov/sevis/
http://www.ice.gov/sevis/travel/faq_f3.htm