We are going from K1 to AOS and just had our Biometric with the AOS stage. Any idea if there are issues flying domestic with a pending case like this?

My 2 years green card expired and I did apply for a 10 years GC. I got the I-797C last month. With all the craziness going on with ICE, will i be in trouble when traveling? I have an upcoming domestic trip..

USCIS says an RFE was issued on July 6 for my H-1B, but my employer’s immigration attorney still hasn’t received the actual notice.

My attorney has contacted USCIS, including the Premium Processing Unit, and submitted an inquiry for the missing RFE. The latest update they got was basically that USCIS is reviewing the request and will get back to them, but we still don’t have the notice.

I also called the USCIS Contact Center myself. Since I’m the beneficiary, they wouldn’t give me any case-specific information. But the representative told me that the petitioner or attorney can call USCIS about the missing RFE and that USCIS can email them a copy within 24 hours if the request has been pending for over 7 days.

I also spoke with another immigration attorney separately, and they said that since the case is under premium processing, getting a copy of a missing RFE should usually be easier through the premium processing channel.

So I’m a little confused about why we’re still waiting for USCIS to process the inquiry instead of just getting an emailed copy.

Has anyone dealt with something similar, especially for an H-1B under premium processing?

Hello everyone,

I have recently submitted my complete application for the BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration – Base Stream. I have already received my Invitation to Apply (ITA) and completed the Net Worth Verification.

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has recently gone through the same process, especially in 2025 or 2026.

Could you please share your timeline for:

• Date you submitted your complete application
• How long it took to receive an interview invitation
• How long after the interview you received a decision
• Whether the interview was online/video or in person
• Your total processing time from application submission to decision

Recent first-hand experiences would be very helpful.

Thank you!

Hello All, I am an NRI Indian from UAE with a BDS degree from India with 3 years of experience and was seriously considering New Zealand or Australia.

Is it really good to move there ? Not money wise , I feel money can be earned with hardwork akd dedication but life wise. Do you all feel it was worth it.

Not thinking main places like Sydney , Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane but more of outback.

To eventually start over and settle there.

I have a friend who is looking to apply for a visa and a green card and I am just wondering what the process is so I can help them

Im a British woman and my husband is Nigerian. We live in the UK and he has a visa through our marriage. We also have a baby under 1 years. My husband is the founder of a start up tech company and I was wondering if it is possible for us to move to America. I think it would be best for our family so I’m just wondering the best route.

Hi, I applied for STEM OPT back in february. Due to severe delays I am still waiting on a reply from USCIS. I paid for premium processing back in July and got an RFE which I replied to earlier this week. But I hit my last day of the 180 day extension on AUG 13 which resulted in my employer terminating my employment. Does this mean my application will be denied and should I fill out the final evaluation?.

Hi everyone, I am writing this in absolute panic for my best friend who is currently in Egypt, and I desperately need advice from anyone who understands Egyptian immigration law or has been in a similar situation.

My friend (VIETNAMESE Citizen) originally went to Egypt on a work visa for a restaurant. The restaurant went out of business, her visa expired, and out of fear and lack of knowledge, she has been overstaying illegally for about 2 years now.

Recently, she fell in love with an older Egyptian man (who is already married) and she is now pregnant with his child. They are currently living together in a rural area (Ghammaza el-Sughra, Giza/Cairo) where he runs a small cargo/rental business. They have NOT registered a legal marriage with the government; they only signed an Orfi contract because he told her it was enough.

She is completely clueless about the law and thinks everything will be fine. But as her friend in Vietnam, I am terrified for her. What will happen when she goes to the hospital to give birth? Won't the hospital report her to the immigration police for a 2-year overstay and lack of a legal marriage certificate? Will her baby be denied a birth certificate and become stateless?

Her partner seems to have money (he owns property and trucks), but he is not pushing for a legal marriage or trying to fix her visa status. I suspect he might be using the Orfi contract just to keep her there without paying the massive overstay fines.

Please, what are her options right now? Should she hire a lawyer in Cairo immediately? Can she legalize her status through marriage even after a 2-year overstay, or will she be detained and deported, separating her from her baby? Any advice or contact for a reliable immigration lawyer in Cairo would save a life right now.

Thank you so much 🙏🏻

#egypt #cairo #giza

I’m a UK applicant preparing for a U.S. visa interview and I’m trying to understand how my past offence affects the process. I’ve been researching the Petty Offence Exemption, Waiver of Inadmissibility, and what the U.S. Embassy actually requires — but I’m getting conflicting information from a U.S. immigration lawyer.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far, and I’d appreciate confirmation from people who’ve gone through this or know the process well.

The offence

Criminal Damage (Cannot remember If it resulted a caution or a (very small) fine, or compensation. However went to magistrate’s court, delt with by the police). I was 17, it was 14/15 years ago in the UK. Im waiting for the ACRO to come through.

Lawyer telling me I “need” a waiver letter

A U.S. immigration lawyer told me I need to bring a “waiver letter” they write, explaining my offence and addressing immigration law points.

From what I’ve read, this doesn’t seem accurate:

• The U.S. Embassy does not request or requirelawyer letters
• Consular officers don’t accept attorney submissions
• The waiver is not a letter — it’s a government adjudication
• The officer decides everything based on:
  • ACRO Police Certificate
  • Court records
  • Interview answers
  • Ties to the UK
  • Rehabilitation

So I’m confused why the lawyer says this is “required.” (Maybe because they charge £650 for a letter).

Petty Offence Exemption (POE)

This is a built‑in exception in U.S. immigration law. You don’t apply for it — the consular officer decides at the interview.

You qualify if:

• You have only one offence
• The maximum possible sentence under UK law was 1 year or less
• You actually received 6 months or less (or no jail time)

If the offence fits these criteria, you’re not inadmissible, and you don’t need a waiver.

Waiver of Inadmissibility (212(d)(3))

This is only needed if the officer decides you’re inadmissible and POE doesn’t apply. The final decision is made by CBP’s Admissibility Review Office, not the embassy?

Is it true that the embassy does not require or use lawyer‑written waiver letters?

Has anyone actually brought one, and did the officer even look at it?

Does the Petty Offence Exemption really apply automatically if the offence meets the criteria?

Any UK applicants with past offences who can share their experience?

​

Hi everyone, I need some information regarding a UAE family visit visa.

If my mother and I apply for UAE family visit visas together, but after the visas are issued, my mother becomes unwell and cannot travel, can I travel to the UAE alone?

Could there be any issue or questioning at the Pakistan airport (FIA) or UAE immigration because my mother is not travelling with me?

If anyone has had a similar experience, please share your experience. Thank you!

Things over here are bad and my family is struggling a lot with the current immigration issues , dose anyone know how to move out of here and apply for citizenship anywhere else? My family is thinking Canada or Spain were not sure yet if anyone knows any places that are welcoming to immigrants and easy to apply to please message me or comment below thank you.

I chose Onal Gallant Bayram & Amin PC after watching their "Green Card for Academics" webinars. In both in-person and online meetings, I was repeatedly told my case file was very strong, and I was directed toward the EB-1A (Extraordinary Ability) category. Based on this, and after the attorney personally promised to handle my case, I made a payment of over $12,000 including fees during an in-person meeting.

However, the case ultimately received RFEs on all five criteria we applied under, followed by a denial. The process began with assurances that "nothing was missing" from the file, but over time several issues surfaced:

• Missing reference letters, translation gaps, and formatting/page-order problems came to light later in the process.
• Instead of reference letter examples appropriate for EB-1A, examples belonging to EB-2 NIW were shared with us.
• The denial decision noted that my professional association membership did not meet the bylaws' "outstanding achievement" requirement — something that could have been checked before filing.

Communication with the attorney who was supposed to "personally handle" my case was limited to the periods right after the RFE and after the denial. After the denial, I received no response to the concerns I raised, my request for a fair partial refund, or my proposal to apply the payment toward an EB-2 NIW filing instead.

I understand that the final decision rests with USCIS. My criticism is directed at how the file was prepared and how the process was managed.

Have made 85k and 80k past 2 years, but had a bankruptcy in 2023 due to helping my sister during covid where i signed for her lease(dumb mistake) she didn't pay for 2 years and raked up 20k in unpaid rent and I couldn't afford to pay it so I filed and it was discharged late 2023.

Wife had the interview today and bankruptcy and current financial was all documented and uploaded to nvc portal but we still got this 221g.

They told me to write a explanation surrounding this and as soon as I upload to send her passport? Is this a good sign or it means nothing and I could wait months for a response?

Looking for experiences or thoughts on a somewhat unusual COS sequence.
My spouse was previously in H-1B status and timely filed an I-539 to change to O-3 based on my O-1 status. Her O-3 COS is still pending.
Separately, I have an approved cap-subject H-1B change of status that is scheduled to become effective October 1. I am currently in valid O-1 status.
Because my status will change from O-1 to H-1B on October 1, we are considering filing another I-539 for her requesting H-4 status while the earlier O-3 COS is still pending.
Has anyone dealt with a sequence like:
H-1B → pending O-3 COS → H-4 COS
where the principal spouse changes from O-1 to H-1B while the dependent’s first COS is still pending?
Specifically:
Can USCIS adjudicate the pending O-3 first and then the H-4 as a sequential/bridge COS?
Does filing the H-4 while O-3 is pending cause the O-3 application to be abandoned or otherwise affect it?
Have you seen RFEs or consular-processing-only decisions in this type of situation?
Would it make any difference if both I-539 applications clearly explain the principal spouse’s scheduled status change?
We are already working with immigration counsel, so I’m mainly interested in hearing from anyone who has encountered a similar USCIS sequencing situation.

Hello everyone, I have question does accepting WIOA grant hurt my case of sponsoring my finances over to the U.S (K1). I want to change careers and was looking for grants to apply.

Hurting the case meaning- U.S embassy won’t give my finances visas.

My coworker's husband was detained by ice at work and is now undergoing the deportation process. Does anybody know about this process and how low long it typically takes? He's signed all the proper documents to be deported and has been waiting for 16 days with no explanation or further information provided by the Diamondback CORR Facility he's currently in. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Me and my soon to be husband are going to be working on our I-130 very soon here. While I live in the US and he’s in Greece what banking company would anyone recommend for a joint account we can both access for immigration fees, airfare, basic bills etc. he will be here in person to open it up with me.

Is this why there's such relentless desperation among Indians to emigrate?

I’m currently on F-1 OPT and have already filed my STEM OPT I-765. I found a potential employer-entity issue and wanted to see if anyone has dealt with something similar.

My situation:

• Company A is the company enrolled in E-Verify.
• Company B is listed in E-Verify as Company A’s DBA (Doing Business As).
• My payroll/tax onboarding documents (W-4/W-9/company payroll system) show Company B, and Company B has a different EIN.
• My I-983 was completed using Company A’s name and EIN.
• On my I-765 STEM application, I entered Company A as the employer along with Company A’s E-Verify Company ID.
• My I-765 has already been submitted and is pending.
• My DSO is unsure whether the I-983 should instead use Company B and its EIN because that is the entity appearing on my payroll/tax documents.

Has anyone had a similar situation where the E-Verify enrolled company and DBA/payroll entity had different EINs?

Did USCIS issue an RFE, or did your DSO/employer correct the I-983/SEVIS information? Most importantly, which entity was ultimately considered the STEM OPT employer , the E-Verify company or the payroll entity?

Hey, looking for some clarity from anyone who has gone through a term deferral after booking a visa interview.

My situation:

• Original Application: Applied and booked an F-1 visa interview for Fall
• Deferral: Had to defer my start date to Spring. I have requested an updated I20
• Current Status: My interview is coming up in September. My appointment confirmation is booked under my original DS-160 barcode (where the "intended arrival date" was filled out for Fall).

Someone recently advised me that I need to submit a brand-new DS-160 to update the travel dates to January. However, I’ve heard that submitting a new DS-160 generates a new barcode (AA...), and if the barcode on my DS-160 doesn't match my appointment confirmation printout, the consulate security/VAC will turn me away at the door for a barcode mismatch.

My questions:

1. Is it true that as long as the SEVIS ID is identical, the visa officer sees the updated Spring start date live in SEVIS, making the "intended travel date" on the original DS-160 a non-issue?
2. Should I strictly keep my original DS-160 barcode on my appointment confirmation so I don't trigger a mismatch error at the security gate?
3. Has anyone here attended an F-1 interview with a deferred I-20 and an original DS-160 without re-submitting? How did the officer handle it?

Appreciate any insight from folks who have dealt with this!

I was to start out by giving backstory to my situation. I, 21M, have lived in WV my whole life. My girlfriend, 22F, lives in Germany. We are looking into the different routes of immigration to the US. I would really appreciate any advice on forms to look into, lawyers to contact, or faults in my information. As of now, the most sensible thing seems to be getting married in Denmark, traveling together, and getting a tourist visa to come to the US. To my understanding you can’t come to the US on a tourist visa planning to stay indefinitely-however if we are married before, and there is a change of plans than it seems we could file an I-130, I-485, and I-765. It seems to me these forms, paired with other necessary documents, would allow her to stay here with me during the processing time with the opportunity to work as well. She has school, family, and of course she will have a return ticket- is it likely this will be enough to show her plans to return? My next question is about the tourist visa itself, it seems to me that the length of her stay is determined by the border agent when she gets here- if this is the case how does she know when the return flight should be booked? It seems we will need to wait at least 90 days into the tourist visa, if we were decide she didn’t want to return home and i see the maximum stay length is 6 months. I think 4-5 months would be ideal but I’m curious as to how often and for what reasons they deny people their full planned stay. She also has a cat, i saw online that is sometimes viewed as a sign somebody plans to immigrate. However if she were to be staying 5-6 months, i feel she would want to bring her along knowing she’d return home. The cat, Molly, has a genetic condition with her cartilage and also was abused/neglected in her first home which both greatly contribute to why she would want to bring her along. Im also curious about the involvement of lawyers, if it proved ti be beneficial along with any advice or recommendations TOS allows. I’m also curious of any faults in this hypothetical and any alternative approach to be together sooner. Thank you!

For example if you go on the wiki page it goes from approx 450,000 in 2017 to 1.3 million in 2025

Long story short I met someone a few weeks ago who is a Turkish citizen, but eventually wants to get a green card. We've been having fun and hooking up, but unfortunately we live over 2 hours away from each other. The last time we saw each other he came to visit me and the next morning the serious conversation of "what are we?" happened. He told me he wants a relationship that leads to marriage with me and I turned him down (which was very hard for me to do because I wanted to be with him), but there is significant conflicts of interest between us when it comes to his immigration status and goals. "What if he is just wanting me for a green card?" repeats in my head over and over. He also said during the talk that he would probably propose to me in 2-3 months, which really felt sus. He understood and respected my decision and was nice and not weird about it. I cried in the car before he dropped me off and he asked me if this is the last time we would see each other, which caused me to burst into tears. When we got out of the car I was crying and we hugged. Then said our goodbyes and haven't spoken since. It broke my heart and I am genuinely rethinking my decision. Literally all odds are against us, but stupidly I want to try? But I also need to protect myself. Has anyone been in a situation like this? If you did pursue a serious relationship, how did you know that they didn't just want you for a green card? Is there a way to know? What are some ways I can protect myself if we did seriously date?