H1B1 grace period coming to an end

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Hello Everyone,

This is my first post on this forum. Apologies if this question has already been addressed in a previous post.

Problem: I am an H1B1 visa holder laid off in March 2020 and I haven't been able to find a job within the allotted 60 days grace period. I have two options now-

1. Become a dependent (F2) of my wife who is on an F1 visa
2. Move to an F1 visa. I have been able to secure admission to another Master's program. I still have my F1 visa from my student days with 1 year left to expiry.

My goal is to buy some time to find a job and revert back to the H1B1. We spoke to a couple of lawyers and we have been getting mixed opinions. Can anyone shed some light on what the best or safest course of action is?

Thanks,
Arjun