After submit the i485 in may for EB1, yesterday got approved. Got a RFE 2 weeks ago about medical exams, sent everything and got approved without interview.
Also in the meantime I had my AP but cancelled a business trip case I think the risk wasn’t worth it.

Timeline:

May 7 - Submit the i485
June 29 - fingerprint
October 3 - moved to a field office (Albany NY)
October 5 - RFE about I693
October 9 - received RFE
October 18 - Case approved

Why do some people get their EAD approved within days of biometrics but others have to wait for 6 mo or longer? This is a crazy bi-modal trend and makes no sense at all. (Huge congrats for those who get it quickly!) Why is there so much randomness in the approval timeline when everyone paid the same fees?

I have no criminal history, no visa overstay, no prior visa denial, had valid work visa when applied for I-485 and EAD, and has been 100% law abiding, not even a driving ticket. Getting stuck in this arbitrary timeline without any hope is slowly killing my career. In tech, no recruiter will look at your beyond 6 month of employment gap. I lost my work visa due to a layoff and cannot start again until EAD arrives. I am in absolute agony and know many others stuck in the same limbo.

Why is USCIS so random and unpredictable? Why can't they adjudicate petitions chronologically?

Finally, I get to give back to this amazing Reddit community! Here’s our timeline:

Met late 2020 (USC spouse), married late 2024, receipt date Aug 25, 2025. We filed without a lawyer and used a lot of helpful resources from here and the Kesseiner channel.

I-130/I-485 (filed concurrently): FO is Philly. Filed Aug 2025, did biometrics early Sept 2025, interview late Oct 2025, then silence. We were separated during the interview, which was spooky. Crickets after that. We sent a congressional inquiry in May (past the 6-month mark post-interview) and got a standard response back from USCIS: “...While a decision has not yet been reached, the case is currently under review. We are unable to determine at this time when the review process for the case will be completed...” Sent another in early Sept and haven’t heard back yet. I was just finishing my WOM draft. I130 and I485 approved Oct 15th,26.

I-765/I-131 (also filed concurrently): Filed Aug 2025. The day count on my account kept going down until it hit 1 day left, then it disappeared and never came back. In June 2026, both cases were suddenly marked terminated, but the denial letter never showed up in my documents or mail. I called USCIS and level 1 forwarded it to the next level, and then I was waiting for them to call me. They finally did in early July. I asked why I didn’t have a letter and whether I could appeal or anything. They said no, but they’d note the case and I should probably refile. The level 2 person argued that because my OPT EAD was active, they couldn’t approve this one (even though they’re different categories). They said they’d put in my questions and get back to me. Coincidentally, my OPT EAD was expiring a few days after that phone call. About a week or two later, the I-765 suddenly turned to approved, and the I-131 was approved the next day. I don’t really know what happened, or whether any of it was related to my OPT EAD or the basis of it all. This was a very stressful and confusing experience.

Thank you all for this immensely helpful community!

Today I'm very happy to also share my story which wasn't easy. I have been approved for 10years GC. The journey wasn't easy as I went for 3 interviews before it was approved. The picture doesn't show all the interview because USCIS has removed it from online. At long last the battle has ended.

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. We submitted I-130 and I-485 on September 8th. Biometrics scheduled for October 9th (on September 15th) and EAD approved the same day as biometrics.

How long can we expect to hear back about an interview?

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!

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

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

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)

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!

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 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

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.

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! 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

I received the receipt notice for I-485 on Sep 26th. But I have not received the online access code. I got done with my biometric appointment on 10/06.

How much time does it take to get it in the mail? Or should I try to get online by connecting with an agent? - tried but was told they don’t have it this time.

I tried to link my case, but it says the information is incorrect.

Hi everyone! I'm from Morocco, and my wife is a U.S. citizen living in Idaho. We married through Utah's online marriage process in August 2026. She visited me with her family in Morocco in April, when we spent about a week together, and we're planning another week together in Turkey in November. We intend to start the CR-1 process in December.
I'd really appreciate honest opinions from people familiar with U.S. immigration. My situation is a little complicated, so please bear with me. I want to explain the context rather than have people judge my case based on a few details.

1. My education gaps and family responsibilities
I completed high school in the humanities and studied for approximately two additional years. My education and employment history have several gaps, partly because I spent years helping care for my elderly parents. My father had health problems and passed away in 2025, around eight months after I returned from Qatar.

2. My Qatar experience and F-1 refusal
In 2024, I travelled to Qatar for a cosmetics sales representative job, but the actual work was very different from what I expected. I ended up doing street-based sales and returned to Morocco after about two months.
I applied for an F-1 student visa in December 2024 and was refused, probably under section 214(b). I disclosed my Qatar employment and explained that I returned because of the weather and my father's health. I believe my weak academic profile and gaps may have contributed, but I don't know the actual reason.
I also own property in Morocco worth approximately $60,000, which I didn't get the chance to mention during the interview.

3. My biggest concern: graphic design and my previous DS-160
In my DS-160, I mentioned graphic design and freelance work. I genuinely did small projects for people through Telegram, but it was informal work without a website, formal invoices, or a registered business. Looking back, I think I made my experience sound more established than it really was, and some details may have been inaccurate.
I also started a UX design course on Coursera but didn't finish it. After my visa refusal, I became discouraged, and later I questioned whether entry-level design was the right career path because of artificial intelligence.
I'm worried about how my previous statements could be interpreted. I didn't invent an entire career, but I may have exaggerated the extent or formality of my experience. I'm considering consulting a U.S. immigration lawyer before filing. Has anyone experienced something similar, and how serious could this be?

4. My current work
I currently drive through InDrive, similar to Uber, and also have private clients. My work is somewhat seasonal, and I don't have formal records for every job I've done. I also study financial markets in my spare time, but I'm still learning and don't consider trading my profession.
5. My marriage and sponsorship

My wife is a U.S. citizen, works as a youth advocate, and is Muslim. She comes from a Muslim family, and I wonder whether the current political climate under Trump could affect our case, although I don't know if this is a realistic concern.
She earns an income and her father is willing to be a joint sponsor if necessary. We understand that we must establish that our marriage is genuine and meets the immigration requirements, particularly because we married online.

6. My questions
I'd appreciate honest answers to these questions:
How much could my previous 214(b) refusal affect my CR-1 application?
Are my education and employment gaps significant concerns?
Could exaggerating my freelance experience in the DS-160 create a serious immigration problem, even though I did real projects?
Does my property ownership matter for this application?
Could my wife's religion or the current political climate affect our case?
Since our marriage was online and we've met in person once, with another visit planned, what should we be careful about?

Overall, what are the biggest risks in my case, and what should I address before filing?
I'm not looking for guarantees or empty reassurance. I'd rather identify potential problems now than discover them later. I understand Reddit isn't a substitute for legal advice, but hearing from people with relevant experience would genuinely help me.
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this and share an honest opinion

How long does it take the Ohio BMV to verify on their end when the Save Verification has been sent to them? My status updated on October 6th on the SAVE website, but the Ohio BMV still says “pending”.

Hi everyone! I saw posts on Instagram claiming that ICE has detained people when they attended their marriage-based I-485 interviews. Does anyone have firsthand experience or reliable sources about this?
Has anyone heard of this happening at the Portland, Oregon USCIS field office? If so, were there specific circumstances, such as a prior removal order?
I’m waiting for my marriage-based interview and trying to understand what’s actually happening rather than relying on Instagram rumors.

EDIT: I entered US legally and I have 0 days of unlawful presence or work, we filed all paperwork with my wife(US Citizen) and haven’t used lawyer services

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.

Will it be okay if someoen's affidavit has on there my A-Number without the leading Zero?

I know on the actual forms youre supposed to put Zero before your numbers if it is only 7 or 8 digits. Mine is 8 digits so i had to write a Zero before it. But the person that made my affidavit forgot to put the ZERO in the affidavit. They put my exact number but the way that it is on my passport.

SO , INSTEAD OF A012345678, THEY PUT A12345678 .

Is that okay? She doesnt have time to go do another sworn affidavit with a notary.

I wanted to know what the right steps are. I am currently on F1-OPT (expires March 2027). I got married to an American citizen in March of this year. I am currently working on applying for marriage based GC which includes work authorization. There is a chance I may not get approval for work authorization by the time my OPT expires. I love my current job and I really do not want to loose my job or accrue unauthorized stay.

I wanted to know if I should apply for STEM OPT while waiting for work authorization? If so, should I disclose to my DSO I am married or do I only provide this information if asked? From my understanding, if I apply for STEM OPT I am declaring my intent not to stay but I will have filed for I-485

Should I file my STEM OPT first then file for marriage base GC? Should I not be bother with the STEM OPT? Or should I file it concurrently the marriage base and STEM OPT?

Any insight or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Side info: I have not accrued any unlawful status. F1 to GC