Title: I-290B pending at California Service Center — expedite denied after congressional inquiry. Any similar experiences?
Hi everyone,
My I-290B motion to reopen/reconsider related to an O-1A petition has been pending at the California Service Center since July 16, 2026.
My congresswoman’s office submitted an inquiry and an expedite request on my behalf. This is the response they received from USCIS:
Thank you for your inquiry on behalf of your constituent’s case.
Your constituent Notice of Appeal or Motion form with receipt date July 16, 2026, is currently pending at the CALIFORNIA SERVICE CENTER. Processing times are not posted for Form I-290B because they are worked on a first-in, first-out basis, as resources allow. The case is in the queue and has not been overlooked, however you may wish to check back with this office periodically to check on the status of the case.
The request for expedited processing has been denied. In the interest of fairness to all applicants and petitioners and absent any compelling urgent circumstances, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) generally processes applications and petitions in the order in which they were received. Honoring a request for expedited processing effectively delays the processing of other applications and petitions. For this reason, USCIS considers expedite requests carefully on a case-by-case basis. Decisions to expedite processing may only be granted at the discretion of the Office or Center Director having jurisdiction over the application or petition. Denial of a request for expedited processing does not prejudice any additional requests. If a new request is made, please be sure to include appropriate supporting evidence of the urgent circumstances that justify expedited processing.
Please note, there is no guarantee that a request for expedited service will be approved—even if the request meets one or more of the expedite criteria. To maximize efficiency in the review and processing of expedite requests, USCIS generally does not provide justification or otherwise respond regarding decisions on expedite requests.
I have an attorney, but the uncertainty has been difficult for my family.
Has anyone here had a similar experience?
How long did your I-290B take at the California Service Center?
Did anyone successfully submit another expedite request after a denial? What supporting evidence helped?
Did further congressional follow-ups lead to any meaningful updates?
I understand every case is different. I’d appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thank you!

Hi does anybody have any recommendations for a Houston lawyer well versed in SIJ process to adjustment of status? We have done mostly all with our previous lawyer but need to do adjustment of status portion with c9 ead. Our current lawyer does not want to file the adjustment right now and would rather wait for table A. Just looking for lawyer recommendations! pd:08/2023

First of all, as much as possible, don't. But if you're someone like me whose last 2 brain cells volunteered to read the letter wrong after a long day 😂, here's what I did to to unfuck it up.

Like everyone here, this is important to me. When I got the appointment letter, I was happy, I wrote it down, I added it to my Google Calendar, set alarms and stuff. On the day of the appointment, getting ready to leave the house, I read the letter again and realized that 4 days have already passed. My soul left my body. I know, stupid me. I still went, thinking they would accept me as a walk-in but I got turned away. They said they don't accept walk-ins anymore. (Philadelphia ASC)

• Immediately, I called their contact center and politely requested for a rescheduled appointment. They said that they will send this request in to the officers and can expect a new schedule within 30 days. If I don't receive it after that, I have to call again to escalate.
• I also uploaded an apology letter in the Unsolicited Evidence section explaining why I missed it, why this is important to me and my formal request to them to reschedule.

Fortunately, this is how mine went:

Sept 4 - Biometrics Appointment Scheduled for Sept 29*

Sept 24 - Actual appointment date

*Sept 29 - What I thought was my appointment

Sept 30 - Still went to the ASC anyway to try my luck as a walk-in. Got turned away as expected. But glad I still tried. Uploaded my apology letter later that night.

Oct 1 - Received a notice that I will receive a letter for the new schedule within 30 days

• Night time: API showed hidden appointment as Oct 15

Oct 2 midnight - Appointment Notice appeared in my account for Oct 15

Oct 4 - Received the physical appointment letter in the mail

Oct 15 - Biometrics Appointment. I went, ofc. Took about an hour from wait to finish.

15 minutes later - All my applications became USCIS is currently Processing the Case

Tip: Don't be like me haha

I did interview on October 8, get approved same day, oat ceremony scheduled on 16, then cancelled same day, I don’t know whats going on, really stressed, is any one experience that, Ft Lauderdale, FL

Filed for naturalization: September, 2025

Receipt & Biometrics waived notice: September, 2025

Interview Scheduled Notice: September, 2026

Interview Date: October, 2026

I applied for naturalization through marriage to US citizen. My application was relatively straightforward with no major complications. I went to the USCIS office with my spouse for the interview. I wore collared shirt and dress pants. My interview was in the morning and I had to wait about an 1.5 hours for my appointment.

They finally called me in for the interview, my wife was allowed in with me. When I entered the interviewer's office, they asked me to swear I will be telling truth (the whole truth and nothing but the truth oath). Interviewer said, they were having some technical difficulties thus the long wait. They said they are going to push through and start the interview. They asked me for 4 documents:

1. Passport

2. Green Card

3. Driver's License

4. My wife's birth certificate

Then they asked me why you did not register for the Selective Service? I said "because I was on a student visa". Then they asked me for my student visa which was on my older passport. Then they returned all the documents back to me.

Then they asked me some basic questions about relationship history of my partner and I. Then moved to civic questions, I had to answer 6 out of 10 right, I had studied so I got all 6 questions right. Here are the questions I was asked:

1. What is the supreme law of the land?

2. What is Abraham Lincoln famous for?

3. Name one war fought by US in 1900s.

4. What was the biggest concern for US during cold war?

5. Who wrote Declaration of Independence?

6. Name one ammendment to the US Constitution regarding who can vote?

Then the interviewer printed a sentence on a paper and asked me to read it. Then dictated a sentence and asked me write it on a paper (usually this is done with the help of a tablet but the tablet was not working due to technical difficulties).

Then they asked me a bunch of yes/no questions about whether I have tried to overthrow the government and what not. Then asked me if I pledge to follow the law and bear arms if necessary if I become citizen. After that, they said I have passed the test, gave me a piece of paper saying I have passed the test and said the interview is now over.

I am now waiting for my oath ceremony to be scheduled. Anyone knows how long I would need to wait to get the interview notice?

Hi! I am not sure on what to feel with my interview. Do they usually review the questions they asked you? The officer printed some of the questions and responses we did during the interview and said that he will review the case with the supervisor.
Do they usually do that? I am not sure if it’s good or bad. 😭

Hey everyone! I wanted to share my timeline and see if anyone with a similar case has any experience or advice.
My timeline:
Visa category: K-2 (child of a K-1 visa holder)
I-485 filed: October 2025
Green card interview: August 18, 2026
First silent update: August 21, 2026 (three days after my interview )
Second silent update: October 1, 2026
Current status: “Case Is Being Actively Reviewed by USCIS”

At my interview, the officer seemed satisfied with my answers and documents and didn’t ask me to submit any additional evidence. However, she told me that my case needed to be reviewed by a supervisor before a decision could be made.

My parent has already received their green card, but my I-485 is still pending. I discovered both silent updates through a third-party case-tracking website, and my official case status hasn’t changed.

It’s now been about two months since my interview, and I’m wondering what to expect next.

For anyone who has experienced something similar:
How long did you wait for approval after your second silent update?

Did you also have a supervisor review after your interview?
Did your case get approved shortly after the silent update, or did you have to wait several more weeks or months?
Does anyone have experience with a K-2 I-485 case going through supervisor review?

I understand that every case is different, but hearing about other people’s timelines would really help me get an idea of what to expect.

Thanks in advance to everyone who shares their experience!

Hello everyone,

For context, my family member has already entered the US last year using their SB-1 immigrant visa and their green card was not confiscated, and is still valid til 2030. We have read multiple pieces of advice online to apply for a replacement green card upon entering despite them having a valid green card. We followed the advice of applying for the I-90, and now we’re waiting for USCIS to process that. My confusion is, if they travel outside of the USA during this time, can they come back using the valid green card that they have? We still do not have news regarding the I-90 that we have filed. Would appreciate some clarifications or similar experience!

I have an upcoming marriage-based green card interview, and I’m hoping to hear from people who have gone through a similar situation.

Before meeting my U.S. citizen wife, my family and other people helped support me while I lived in the United States. At one point, I helped someone I knew at his family’s grocery store, and I received groceries in return rather than cash.
My immigration forms state that I never worked in the United States.
At the time, I wasn’t sure whether this informal arrangement counted as work.
For those who have been through a marriage-based green card interview:

Were you asked a broad question such as, “Have you ever worked in the United States?”

If you had an informal arrangement like this, how did you explain the facts to the officer?

Did the officer ask follow-up questions about how you supported yourself before marriage?

If an answer on a form may need clarification, how did you handle that with your immigration attorney?
I’m looking for experiences from people who have faced similar circumstances. I understand that every case is different but help is appreciated

Here is the timeline of my case:

March 2023: I-130 Filed

July 22, 2025: I-485 filed

October 2025: Request for evidence is issued

November 3, 2025: RFE response received

July 15, 2026: Case processing update (USCIS is currently processing the case)

September 17, 2026: FBI biometric privacy notice

October 16, 2026: I-485 APPROVED!

Hi everyone,

My spouse (primary applicant) and I (derivative spouse) filed our I-485 and I-765 concurrently. We recently completed our biometrics appointment on 10/15.

I noticed a mismatch in our backend API codes and wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this:

• Primary Applicant: Saw FTA0 codes on both I-765 and I-485 right after biometrics.

• Derivative Spouse (Me): I see the FTA0 event code on my I-765, but there is absolutely nothing on my I-485 yet.

  Official public status on the USCIS portal just shows standard text about receiving the application on my I485.

Is it normal for a derivative spouse's I-485 backend codes to lag behind like this? Does it mean my biometrics didn't link properly to I-485, or does the system just update the derivative's I-485 much later than the primary's?

Would love to hear from others if anyone knows about this. Thanks!

requested one from service ontario for AOS case in US, been waiting over a month, any tips to move this along? I tried to call but cant for the life of me figure out how to speak to a real person.

Any tips on how to get through to live person at service ontario?

Looking for information and experiences on this situation:
A green card holder (derivative spouse on an employment-based green card) plans to file the N-400 under the 5-year rule. She needs to be abroad for about 11 months, with a re-entry permit, to take care of a sick mother-in-law.
I understand a re-entry permit protects the green card but doesn't preserve continuous residence, and that an absence of 6–12 months creates a presumption of broken residence.

Situation:

1. About 95 days abroad before this trip, so about 430 days total. Physical presence is fine.
   
2. Spouse stays in the US, in the same state
   
3. Joint lease, joint bills, joint tax returns filed as residents
   
4. Keeps a US bank account and valid driver's license
   
5. No job abroad
   
6. Minor US citizen kids travel with her and stay enrolled in a US online school (not a local school) to return to US public school easily
   
7. Medical records and doctor's letters for the sick parent

Questions:
Has anyone been approved for citizenship after a 6–12 month trip? What evidence helped?

Does a caregiving reason with medical documents help overcome the presumption?

Is one 11-month trip worse than several trips under 6 months?

Any experiences would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Hi all! Im Looking for opinions on potentially applying for naturalization in my current situation alongside a potential UK divorce jurisdiction issue. Here is my summary followed by some questions.

• British citizen.
• Married U.S.-citizen first spouse in UK in 2016.
• Lived together in UK; child born there in 2020.
• Entered U.S. on IR1 immigrant visa / became LPR: Oct 14, 2021. (10 year green card)
• Moved full-time to South Brunswick NJ: Nov 2021 and still live here.
• Started U.S. job: Jan 2022.
• Started UK divorce through UK solicitor: Jan 2022.
• Both spouses were physically living in the U.S. during divorce proceedings.
• I explicitly told the UK solicitor this and repeatedly asked whether England/Wales still had jurisdiction.
• Still maintained some UK ties/address/bank account while wrapping up UK affairs.
• UK solicitor proceeded after discussing jurisdiction and suggested to just use my UK address as I was still maintaining some ties to the UK whilst i fully moved to the US.
• UK Final Order issued: May 19, 2023.
• Remarried a U.S. citizen in NJ: May 24, 2024.
• First spouse and I co-parent our child well; no custody or child-support dispute.
• No criminal history, immigration violations or intentional misrepresentations.
• Approx. 113 known days outside the U.S. over five years, all short trips.
• Now eligible to apply for citizenship under the 5-year LPR rule.

Concern

A lawyer I had a consult with wants confirmation that the UK court actually had jurisdiction to grant my divorce because I was living/working in the U.S. at the time.

England/Wales law appears to allow divorce jurisdiction based on domicile even when someone isn't habitually resident there, including where either spouse is domiciled in England and Wales. [legislation.gov.uk], [stephens-scown.co.uk]

I've contacted the UK solicitor asking for the original divorce application and confirmation of the actual jurisdictional basis used.

Questions:

1. If my UK divorce was valid based on UK domicile despite my U.S. residence, is that normally sufficient for the citizenship application?
2. Assuming the divorce is valid, is there any obvious N-400 risk here? Are they likely to even dig deep into this? I have a legitimate UK divorce certificate and case number but the only worry is will they question why I did a UK divorce instead of US one when I was actually in the US?
3. Would you resolve the UK jurisdiction question before filing N-400 and is there a potential risk to my green card through all this?
4. Should I just wait to renew my Greencard in another 5 years and forget about the citizenship application due to the current complexities and administration?

Many thanks for all your help

Our employment-based I-485 was recently denied, and the denial notice states:

“Any unexpired employment authorization based upon this Form I-485 is revoked as of 18 days from the date of this notice, unless you submit, within 18 days, proof that your Form I-485 remains pending. See 8 CFR 274a.14(b)(2).”

Our understanding, based on discussions with our immigration attorney, is that if we have a properly filed I-485 pending within this 18-day window, whether through reopening the original I-485 or filing a new I-485, we may be able to prevent revocation of the existing EAD.

However, we would like to confirm whether USCIS actually interprets the rule this way.

Specifically:

1. If we file a brand-new I-485 within the 18-day window and USCIS accepts it, can that pending application preserve our existing C09 EAD, even though the EAD was originally issued based on the denied I-485?
2. Does “proof that your Form I-485 remains pending” specifically refer to the original I-485 being reopened, rather than a newly filed I-485?
3. Has anyone successfully prevented EAD revocation by submitting a new I-485 receipt notice within the 18-day period?
4. Where and how should we submit proof of the pending I-485 to USCIS to prevent revocation?
5. Does filing Form I-290B within the 18-day window help preserve the existing EAD, or must the motion actually be granted and the original I-485 reopened?

This is extremely time-sensitive because the EAD holder is currently employed, and our family depends on that income.

We would especially appreciate responses from immigration attorneys or anyone who has dealt with this exact situation.

Thank you!

Hello everyone!

So i recently received a notice to apply for i-751 but i have lost my physical green card.
I was in my home country when that happened, so like every normal person would, i proceeded with the process to apply for a boarding foil initially, by reporting that my green card was lost, and then i also applied for i-90 form, to have my green card replaced.
I came back to the us with no problems nor issues, but now i'm running into this form.
After conducting research, i found out that i need just 2 copies of my green card to apply for the i-751 (front and back) but i unfortunately only have the front. I tried contacting the USCIS over the phone, but getting through to a live agent seems harder than finding my actual green card.

To sum everything up, i need to apply between the 90 period (which starts on 11/11/26)
I only have the front copy of the green card
I haven't received any notice for the i-90 form
How should i proceed?

If your parent who became a citizen after the green card stuff (like naturalized citizen) then petitions for you, how long would it take to get the 485 after they file the I-130?

And you are over 21 and not married?

So I applied for citizenship in May 2026 and still waiting for any update.

There was no option for me to enter my speeding tickets (2008 and 2009) and so I did not enter them on th from.

I read a post where a member was adding that information under a different question.

Question: can I still update my application?

What all can I carry with me, considering I did not enter that information on the form

Thanks

Good morning,

Just want to check if there's any similar case with me.

I have had my 485 interview at Atlanta FO at 7/29.

And no updates, there were couple silent update on API, but thats it.

It is really frustrating, but i hope there will be at least a RFE someday.

Does anyone have similar case with mine?

Hi everyone,
I am a GC holder but I don’t have the physical copy of it.
I plan to fly to Florida in December.
Is it safe for me to do it? I can only bring my driver license and my immigrant passport.

Thanks

Hi,

My husband had his interview this morning and the officer was very nice. He apologized for the wait and said someone else had our file but they were sick today.

He asked the yes and no questions, asked how many ppl live in our house, and asked if a nurse or doctor did his medical exam and he said doctor then he asked if it was a male or a female and here my husband forgot and said a female.

He also asked my husband about him saying he has a professional degree and my husband said yes I am a doctor and he said ok. He asked if we have kids, he said no bc we don’t but he told him that I am pregnant, he said sorry I have to ask is it his child? And I said that’s ok and yes it is.

Then he said that’s all I have and thanked us for being patient and explained that it had to go under review and then we will get a letter or we will see approval and he explained the process of renewal and when we should do it.

I am just nervous overall I don’t know how to feel and my husband mistake was innocent.

The officer didn’t ask where we met, when did we get married or like anything else.

For reference, he came in on a k1 visa and we got married within the 90 days.

Hi! I Filed I-765 for post-completion OPT (c)(3)(B) online end of July 2026, biometrics done in August 21, no RFE so far.

I keep seeing 5+ month reports, but I also recognize that people who post on forums skew toward the stressed and stuck end, so I’m trying to get a sense of what typical approval timeline is actually looking like right now.

If you filed online around July or August and were approved, what was your timeline?

Also wondering whether upgrading to premium is worth it at this point.

For context: I am transitioning into a postdoc, but the center i will be working with is somewhat flexible when I start atm