The Trump administration cut legal immigration in half early this year with policies blocking visas for immigrants from nearly half the globe.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/10/18/us/trump-immigrant-visas-decline.html?unlocked_article_code=1.JlE.0aA1.h2TSCF5pknI8&smid=url-share

I can’t believe i got approved a day after my interview.officer was very nice but strict. At first I thought we would be separated but we were called in together. He welcomed us with a smile and after the oath he asked me only 3 questions.
-Name
-Date of birth
- why did you choose to do it here instead of ur home country.
The rest of the conversation was about star wars and Halloween.

If you have an interview coming up, don’t be anxious. And good luck to everyone.

Have you EVER been arrested, cited, detained, or confined by any law enforcement officer, military official (in the U.S. or elsewhere), or immigration official for any reason, or been charged with a crime or offense, or notified that you were being investigated for a crime?

I got some fix it ticket and 1 speeding ticket when I was 19. Do I say yes or no.

TIA

My previous posts:

https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/comments/1aeymi5/my_i485_was_rejected/

https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/comments/1eb5e0v/update_on_my_i485/

Thank you for your support and advices!

This community and the API threads helped me a lot while we waited, so here’s our timeline in case it helps someone.

Category: EB-2
Principal: Me | Derivative: Spouse
Priority Date: [08/2023], current throughout
I-485 filed: June 6, 2025

Timeline

• 06/06/2025 – I-485 recieved
• 07/02/2025 – Biometrics appointment, Two FTA0 events on I-485
• 12/19/2025 – 3rd FTA0 on principal, then FTA1 on both principal and derivative
• 10/17/2026 – Second FTA1 on both cases. I-485J closed, and an approval notice for it appeared
• 10/18/2026 – Principal I-485. Case Approved 🎉
• 10/18/2026 – Derivative also approved 🎉

Other details

• RFE: None
• Interview: None
• The “approval ~24 hours after the last silent update” pattern held for us

Hang in there, everyone. Good luck!

K1 visa applied for October 2024

K1 visa approved december 2025

Husband came over to usa mid Jan 2026

Married in mid Feb 2026

Applied for i485 April 2026

Rfe may 2026 - used cashiers check vs credit card

Corrected 1 week after in May 2026

Interview scheduled Oct 5th 2026 - approved

Green card received 2 weeks later

Just wanted to share the time line. Glad we made it through.

Questions on i485 interview we're really geared toward me the sponsor about my income and where im working. Also about my husband's polio vaccine said he should have had the O variant and this had to be approved by the supervisor.

BANGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Applied as soon as I became a citizen in February
can’t believe it got accepted in 6 months, parent had overstayed on tourist visa 20+ years

Fairfax/DC office

USCIS checks whether the wage level on the LCA fits the requirements in the petition, and it does so on extensions, not only on new petitions. A May 18, 2026 non-precedent AAO decision describes how USCIS revoked an approved Software Developers extension filed at Level II after the employer said the job needed a bachelor's and five years of experience.

The AAO withdrew the revocation and sent the case back because the employer's response had not been considered, so it did not rule on the level itself. Today 8 CFR 214.1(c)(5) has officers defer to a prior approval with the same parties and facts, unless there was a material error, a material change or new adverse information, and a DHS proposal published October 14, 2026 would remove that rule; comments close November 13 and it is not final.

We found no 2026 memo or rule saying Level II jobs must now be Level III.

Not legal advice.

For my EB3 I-485 application, I got an automated email from uscis-casestatus saying

"Your Case Status: Decision

On October 7, 2026, we approved your Form I485, APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR ADJUST STATUS, Receipt Number IOE0936xxx, and sent you an approval notice"

But my USCIS account status says it’s still processing and API shows no updates of approval (3 FTA0s and last SU on 9/16). Nothing on documents tab. Also one emma agent said it’s processing in Hartfort office, and another one said it’s not approved and still processing.

Anyone experienced the same? I still haven't received a physical approval notice yet.

Hello Friends, looking for advice from people who’ve been in a similar situation. TIA!

My situation:
H-1B approved and valid for next year, 2027
Expired H-1B visa stamp in my passport
I-485 pending, and I have the EAD/AP combo card
Passport is valid
Planning a vacation to India in Jan 2027

My understanding is that without a visa stamp, I can’t enter as H-1B, so I’d return on Advance Parole. I also understand that entering on AP ends my H-1B status and I’d be a parolee with a pending I-485 after that.

My questions:

1. Can I show my AP card and H1B petition in the port of entry and enter USA as H1B petitioner?  I am confused on this point, whether I need to show EAD card or H1B?  What is legal to avoid uscis officer query?
2. Has anyone recently returned on Advance Parole? How was the port of entry experience, and how long did your secondary inspection take?
3. Did you get your H-1B status back later through an extension or amendment? How did that go?
4. After returning on AP, did you keep working on your H-1B petition or switch to EAD? 
5. Any issues with the new $1,000 parole fee at entry? My understanding is that AP holders with a pending I-485 are exempt.
6. Any documents you’d recommend carrying beyond passport, combo card, I-485 receipt, I-140 approval, H-1B I-797, employer letter, and pay stubs?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience!

I see a lot of people from different states getting approved quickly. Has anyone in Connecticut filed for adjustment of status? I am just curious.

I-751 + N-400 Combo Interview Experience and Timeline

Timeline:

• I-751 filed - 11/15/2024
• I-751 receipt/extension - 11/19/2024
• N-400 filed - 11/6/2025
• N-400 interview notice - 05/11/2026
• N-400/I-751 Combo Interview - 06/16/2026
• Officer approved I-751, Passed my N-400 civics test but decision pending (Officer said they need to review and run a background check before approving N-400)

06/17/2026

• We recommended that your Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, be approved. Your case was submitted for quality review.
• Oath Ceremony Cancelled
• I-751 Approval Notice

06/20/2026

• N-400 Oath Ceremony will be scheduled
• 2 and half months of wait for oath to be scheduled

08/28/2026

• N-400 Oath Ceremony Notice Was Mailed
• 45 days for actual Oath

10/16/2026

• N-400 Oath

I-751 Interview Questions Asked

• How did you meet each other?
• Who proposed first?
• Why did you decide to get married?
• What do you like in each other?
• Was asked a bunch of questions like my spouse’s full name, address, when did you enter the US, on what visa did you enter the US?

Civics Test

Was only asked 6 questions got all of them right.

Evidence Submitted and Taken

• Joint Lease
• Joint tax returns of all years together
• Joint bank account statements
• Join Home Ownership
• Joint Insurance (Health, Auto)
• Joint gym membership
• Joint phone bills
• Joint vacation/trip itineraries
• An album of life together (100 photos)

Hi there

This is for my friend who got married to a US citizen in December last year. He finally got his work permit and conditional green card last month. During this process he had prove his relationship and he has shared bank accounts, lease, utilities bills. However now month after he got card, girl don’t want to continue this relationship and wants divorce. This was a legitimate marriage with both families approvals. Now girl is saying she want to separate and putting my friend in a spot. I understand he can file 751 alone but what exactly is the process? Divorce hasnt happened yet but its gonna be soon. As soon he is divorced does he file 751 himself? Does that automatically gives him 2 year extension? Is the 751 process still like 1.5 to 2.5 years with waiver? How does he prove he entered marriage faithfully? His interview was like 1.5 month ago and he already proved bonafide marriage. Other than whats already given to uscis, there is absolutely NONE NEW evidence. I guess he can write explanation. Anything that can be done before divorce that might help his case?

has anyone been approved of their i-864 only having your most recent tax year above the 125% threshold, but below in the previous years? i’ve uploaded paystubs and my company context/agreement, which includes a yearly pay raise chart

We had out interview in December, 2025. Our field office is San Jose. We have been waiting for almost a year, and there has been no update.

What we tried:
* sent 3 e-request -> generic answers

* congressional inquiry -> within normal processing time

* senator inquiry -> have not heard back

Has anyone experience anything similar? What can I do next?

I have 2 FTA1 and silent updates on both my i130 and i485 post interview but have gotten no decision yet. I received a paper that my case was held for review after our interview, and have received 2 FTA1 on my i130 and 2 on my i485 followed by a silent update each. does this mean anything?

marriage based AOS

We are getting ready to file for the I-751 and I feel like we have pretty strong evidence. However, there is one portion where I feel like we might be lacking a bit, that is, joint bank accounts and credit cards. We do have a joint account we both have access to but it is mostly used by me. We do open -and close- multiple credit cards as we play the points/miles game which in return, has allowed us to travel together nationally and internationally so much since we met. That said, I'm a bit concerned that this may be frowned upon even though we have the following evidence.

• Joint leases for two apartments
• Joint filed tax returns
• DL with shared address
• Phone bill that include both of our names and my spouse's family
• Receipts and photos from our bigger wedding in the US (got married in the courthouse and then had a bigger wedding with our families in the US). We also celebrated a "third" wedding in my home country
• Pictures of all of our travels and when my spouse has visited my family, including our wedding in my home country with my spouse's family.
• Joint utilities (most in my name though I recently found out I could include my spouse in them so I also added her over the past two months)
• Documents showing my spouse as the only beneficiary (401Ks, savings, work accounts, life insurance)
• Car and renters insurance documents showing both of our names

I feel like joint leases and tax returns should be sufficient 99% of the times and that joint bank or credit card accounts are just lazy evidence. After all, anyone can add anyone to a bank account but not many people would file taxes jointly or be added to eachother's leases. That said, we do have a joint bank account in which I get my paychecks at and my spouse transfers money back and for for like rent, utilities or some of our travels. I also pay some of our bills using that account.

As far as other evidence we are lacking, no mortagage. We also lease apartments because renting provides us flexibility to travel and move to see if we find a place we like most than where my spouse is from (we have moved twice around the country together). Also no kids, as neither of us want any.

Is this okay or should I include a statement explaining where we may be lacking some of the "expected" evidence?

Wanted to share my timeline for all the support and comfort this group has provided in this journey. Wish everyone a fast and smooth approval!

Category: EB2 PERM ROW
Priority Date (PD): Mar 2024
PERM: 15 months
I-485 submission: Nov 2025
Biometrics Appointment Date: Dec 2025
EAD Approval Date: Never received (not sure why)
AP Approval Date: Never received (not sure why)
Interview Date (if applicable): Waived
RFE (if any): No
I-485 Approval Date: Oct 2026 (SU and myUSCIS case update in one day)
Gren card received in a week

Good luck to all who are still in the process, stay positive and focus on the finish line!

Green Card not produced

My wife’s Interview was on October 1, 2026 at Newark, NJ in the F2A category.

I130 - Approved - October 1, 2026 (Same Day)
I485 - Approved - October 2, 2026 (Next Day)

Today is October 17, 2026 and her card still has not been produced.

Can anyone else please share their delayed timelines?

Already reached out to Emma and it has been useless as they say it can take 30 days.

A lot of people who interviewed on the same day or even after have received their cards in a week maximum.

Thank you!

While only have pending u visa I have applied on time at the time. Can I be able to apply to any EB based visa such as EB-2? If I have any inadmissibility of ground where can I check? Last but not least how can I able to waive it?

Hi there, we submitted for removal of conditions on a 2 yead marriage based greencard (k1 entry), then after another year and a half or so submitted N400.

We pretty instantly got a receipt, then the IRS sent us a refund (Im assuming the N400 submittal triggered a look at taxes, and we payed too much in estimated payments one year I guess), then biometrics.

A few days later, the ROC was approved. Is this normal? I assumed we would be called in for an interview. What happens next? TIA.

Hello everyone!

My wife (U.S. citizen) and I (Australian citizen, currently in the U.S. on an E-3 visa) are finalizing our marriage-based Adjustment of Status (AOS) application.

We’ve spent considerable time preparing, organizing, and scanning all our documentation and would genuinely appreciate advice from anyone who has recently completed this process, particularly regarding filing methods, packet assembly, payments, supporting evidence, and anything we may have overlooked.

OUR APPLICATION

We’re preparing to file the following forms concurrently:
I-130 and I-130A
I-485
I-765, category (c)(9)
Two I-864s (petitioning spouse and joint sponsor)
I-693 (sealed medical examination)
G-1145 and G-1450 for applicable applications

Our packet contains close to 350 pages, including a substantial amount of bona fide marriage evidence (more than 50%). Everything has been organized, reviewed, and scanned into PDFs.

CURRENT PACKET ORGANIZATION

- Passport photographs and master cover letter
- Separate payment authorizations (G-1450)
- I-130, I-130A, and supporting marriage evidence
- I-485 and supporting documents
- I-864 from my wife, with financial evidence
- I-864 from our joint sponsor, with financial evidence
- I-765 and supporting documents
-Sealed I-693 medical examination

We’ve also prepared G-1145 notification forms for the applicable applications and used light-colored divider sheets with clearly labeled headings to organize each section.

1. ONLINE VS. PAPER FILING

We originally planned to mail everything together because it seemed easier to keep everything organized in one submission. However, we’ve now scanned all our documents into PDFs.

Would you recommend filing the I-130 online and mailing the remaining applications separately, or simply mailing everything together?

For those who have done either:
- Were there any noticeable advantages or disadvantages regarding processing times, C receipt notices, organization, or tracking?
- Does filing the I-130 online make it easier to be manage the application through a USCIS account?
-Did filing online create any complications when submitting the I-485 and I-765 by mail?
- Is there any benefit to filing everything together as one physical packet?

Our priority is submitting everything correctly and avoiding unnecessary delays, particularly with employment authorization.

2. PACKAGING AND ASSEMBLY

We’re considering using a 13 x 10 x 2-inch mailer box for the main application packet, placed inside a larger shipping box alongside the sealed I-693 medical examination envelope, which is too large for the smaller mailer.

We also have large padded mailing envelopes available.

A few questions:
- Would you recommend using a box or a large padded envelope?
- Should the I-130, I-485, and I-765 be physically separated into individual bundles, even when mailed together?
- Are binder clips, paper clips, or rubber bands preferable?
- Are light-colored divider sheets with section headings acceptable, or would plain white paper be better for USCIS scanning?
- Should we include a master cover letter and separate cover letters for each application?
- Is there anything we should specifically avoid when assembling such a large packet?

We’re trying to make everything as organized and easy to process as possible without overcomplicating it.

3. PAYMENT METHODS

We’re currently planning to use three separate G-1450 credit card authorizations for the applicable filing fees.

However, I’ve read about occasional payment declines and applications being rejected due to unsuccessful transactions.

For those who have filed recently:
- Have you experienced any issues using G-1450?
- Would you recommend G-1650 ACH bank payments instead?
- Is one payment method generally more reliable than the other?
- Is it better to place each payment authorization directly before its corresponding application?
- Are there any additional precautions you recommend to prevent payment-related rejections?
- We’re particularly concerned about avoiding a rejected packet over something as simple as payment processing.

4. BONA FIDE MARRIAGE EVIDENCE

We’ve compiled a substantial amount of evidence demonstrating our relationship and shared life together, including:
- Relationship timeline and history
- Joint mortgage and residential documentation
- Joint banking and financial records
- Insurance and beneficiary documentation
- Wedding and marriage documentation
- Shared travel records
- Photographs throughout our relationship
- Third-party affidavits
- Additional evidence of our shared household and ongoing relationship

Given the volume of evidence, I’m wondering whether we’ve potentially included too much.

Has anyone submitted a similarly extensive package of marriage evidence?

Would you recommend including everything upfront or reducing the initial submission to the strongest documentation and saving the remainder for a potential interview or Request for Evidence (RFE)?

Our intention is simply to demonstrate a genuine marriage as clearly and comprehensively as possible.

5. EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION (EAD)

One of my main priorities is obtaining employment authorization as efficiently as possible.

I’m currently maintaining E-3 status, but I’d like the additional flexibility and security that an AOS-based EAD would provide.

For those who recently filed I-765 under category (c)(9):
- How long did your EAD take to be approved?
Did you file the I-130 online or mail everything together?
- Did you notice any difference in EAD processing based on the filing method?
Is there anything you wish you’d known before submitting your I-765?
- I understand timelines vary significantly, but recent personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

6. FINAL ADVICE / COMMON MISTAKES

Before submitting everything, we’d love to hear about any mistakes, overlooked requirements, or practical recommendations from people who have already completed this process.

We’re following the official USCIS instructions for supporting evidence, form editions, signatures, filing fees, and mailing addresses.

However, there’s often valuable practical advice from those who have recently been through it themselves.

Is there anything you would have done differently when preparing or submitting your application?

THANK YOU!

Thank you so much to anyone who takes the time to read this or offer advice. We genuinely appreciate it.

After spending so much time preparing everything, we’re simply hoping to submit a complete, well-organized application and avoid unnecessary delays or mistakes.

Wishing everyone the very best with their own immigration journeys.

God bless!

Hi everyone,

My spouse and I recently had our employment-based I-485 applications denied by our local USCIS Field Office in Minnesota. We are preparing to refile our I-485 and I-765 applications and plan to request expedited processing of the EAD due to severe financial hardship and loss of employment authorization.

Since our previous I-485 applications were denied by the Minnesota Field Office, we are concerned about having our EAD expedite request reviewed by the same office.

We’re trying to understand how USCIS actually assigns EAD expedite requests.

1. Who makes the decision on an I-765 expedite request? Is it the National Benefits Center (NBC), a Service Center, or the local Field Office?
2. Does the ASC location where biometrics are taken have any influence on which USCIS office reviews the expedite request?
3. If we complete biometrics in Minnesota, could our EAD expedite request be handled by the Minnesota Field Office, or is it processed independently?
4. Has anyone had an I-485 denied by a local Field Office, refiled, and subsequently received approval for an EAD expedite request?

We’re particularly interested in hearing from people who have gone through a similar situation or have firsthand knowledge of how USCIS routes expedite requests internally.

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences!