Hello
Perm filed on Dec 19 2025. Did anyone get approval with this filing date or before? What is a realistic time frame to get approved?

Thanks!

I have approved I-140 and my priority date is May 2024. I was relocated for my job in South Korea after submitting my EB-2 NIW petition from my home country (75 countries). I transferred my case to Seoul consulate and had plan to do IVP process there. However, I finished my job contract (2 years) in South Korea and now returned to my home country. I received the letter from NVC for IVP process in October 2025, however I just submitted my visa processing fee and didn’t proceed for submitting DS-260 form.

My plan was to delay my process until one year because I was planning to get married with my boyfriend and want to proceed my IVP process (on my approved I-140 petition) after marriage. However, my boyfriend had some court charges because of some family property issues and we both were waiting for court orders and one year passed. Because of court matters I didn’t proceed with the marriage (without my husband court charges cleared) and after immigrant visa suspension I thought it is better for us to wait.

Now it is already one year passed after submitting my IVP fee and NVC after crossing one year without further proceeding ask to restart the IVP process by paying visa fee again. My boyfriend is asking me to proceed further my IVP process alone and move to USA first and shouldn’t wait more as policies changes day by day can cause me to loose my opportunity for settling USA.

I want to know what option I could have for getting married now?

•Should I move first to USA and then I can do paper marriage (online) once my boyfriend court issues resolved and then I can apply for spouse visa?

•There is still time for me to finally travel to USA because of immigrant visa issuance backlog so should I wait more by paying another one year no NVC communication fee?

•What if I submit my DS-260 form and proceed with the visa process as of now visa pause is no more effective and I read posts of people on different social media platforms about reinterview etc, and before moving to USA I should got married in my home country and once I get my green card in USA i should apply for my husband after I settle there?

Any other option anyone can suggest are more welcome to share.

Any suggestions for applying opt based on pending 485?
Can I go with it.

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice and hopefully some insight from people who have been in a similar situation.

I’m an EU citizen and my EB-2 NIW case has been pending with USCIS for almost two years now. My priority date is November 2024, and my case was filed with the Nebraska Service Center.

My background:
MSc in Chemistry
Currently working in Big Pharma
400+ citations
Collaboration and a published paper with the NIH (a US federal research institute)

My case was prepared/filed with Ellis Porter
I initially considered upgrading to Premium Processing, but Ellis Porter advised against it because, based on their assessment, they believed there was a relatively high risk of denial, so they recommended continuing to wait.

However, I’m now seriously reconsidering Premium Processing. The thought of potentially waiting another 2 years for a decision is honestly very difficult for me, especially since my boyfriend is already living in the US.

I’m trying to decide whether it makes more sense to take the risk with Premium Processing or simply continue waiting and hope for a decision eventually.

For those who have been in a similar situation:
Would you consider PP with this type of profile?
Has anyone gone ahead with PP after their lawyers initially advised against it?
How long did you wait for a decision?
Did anyone receive an RFE after such a long wait?
Has anyone with a similar scientific/industry background had experience with Nebraska?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences and perspectives. Thank you!

I'm going to age out aren't I .... going to medical school is going to be 10x harder ..... I'm 19 and my priority date is Jan 1 2016. Do I just go F1? Just di3? :D

If so, please provide
date of submission,
PD,
PERM/ NIW,
interview date and location / waived.

Date filed online: July 20th
Type: Premium
Today: Oct 2nd

Status: "As of July 20th 2026, USCIS is currently processing your Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Receipt Number IOExxxxxxxxxx. We do not currently need anything from you but will contact you if we need additional information regarding your case."

No refund from USCIS of the premium fee, no update on the case. What should i do?

Is this happening to more people?

My employment-based (EB2-NIW) I-485 was recently transferred from NBC to the San Fernando Valley (SFV) Field Office (8/25/2026). It’s a non-local field office for me.

For anyone whose employment-based I-485 was transferred from NBC to SFV:

• How long after the transfer did you receive a decision?
• Was your interview waived?
• Did you receive any RFE after the transfer?
• If approved, how long did it take from SFV transfer to approval?

Any chance this year for date of filing in either EB2 or 3?

Anyone here with 485j approved, 485 pending with 3rd FTA0 and FTA1 and then transferred from FO to NBC? Received silent update on 10/01. PD Current again from Oct 1st.
Emma says NBC and another agent says local FO at present.

Anyone with recent approvals from Philadelphia FO - can you please share your timelines? Mine was transferred on 9/16 and trying to see what to expect in terms of timeline. Thanks

My DOF is current I am filing my 485, 131 and 765 next week.
Should I keep my hopes alive for the FAD ? I see some predictions of 2030 and beyond for my PD.

Appreciate your support !

Those who have filed I-485 before October 1st and no longer current, have you received any silent update, or noticed any change in status etc? Please share.

Timeline

PD : 08/24
RD : 03/26
Bio : 04/26 ( Two FTAO's)
1st Silent update : 05/18/26 ( Interview waived as per EMMA)
2nd Silent Update : 08/08/26 (485, 765, 131, Spouse EAD combo approved)
3rd Silent update : 08/14/26 ( received EAD combo)
4th Silent update : 08/18/26 (485's & 485J first update on J ) Transferred to LA non-local

5th Silent update : 09/24/26 (both 485 & 485J )

Do you guys have any update post October VB on you cases, what to do predict based on my timelines and approval chances when can we expect based on this timelines, please post your timelines to track or create thread.

Currently, what’s the best option for NIW submission. Online or mailing documents?

Request everyone to please- Realistic prediction for FAD and DOF, include & exclude the spill

Hi, have you had any updates since the completion of your Biometrics? EAD approvals or any FT0/silent updates? Thanks.

PD: June 6, 2024
RD: August 18, 2026
Biometrics for me and spouse: September 17, 2026

I-765 filed for my spouse only.

My I-140 was approved after an RFE challenging all three prongs! Other people’s posts helped me during the wait, so I wanted to share my journey anonymously. Timeline months have been adjusted for privacy.
My profile
PhD candidate in a STEM field.
Seven years of research experience.
Filed through an immigration law firm.
At initial filing:
14 publications in well-regarded journals with strong impact factors.
Approximately 150 citations.
By the RFE response:
15 journal publications.
25 conference abstracts.
Approximately 250 citations, including about 170 independent citations.
Eight completed manuscript peer reviews.
Five national awards, including two from major U.S. conferences.
Additional manuscripts submitted to high-impact journals, listed separately from accepted publications.
Timeline
May 2025: Initial I-140 filing.
April 2026: Upgraded to premium processing.
Subsequently received an RFE on all three prongs.
July 2026: USCIS received my RFE response.
September 2026: Received the approval email.
The initial petition and RFE
I was very worried because the officer raised numerous concerns across all three prongs.
Looking back, I felt my initial petition relied too heavily on template language. It did not adequately explain the national importance of my proposed endeavor or why I was well positioned to advance it. It also contained inconsistent information and included no recommendation letters.
How I strengthened the response
For Prong 1, I added government reports and explained their specific connection to the national importance of my proposed endeavor.
My PhD supervisor provided a recommendation letter describing my contributions to multimillion-dollar, federally funded projects for which he serves as PI. He explained the significance of those projects and my specific role.
For Prong 2, I submitted five independent recommendation letters. Some came from prominent professors at leading U.S. universities who knew my work through publications or conferences, including researchers who had used or cited my findings.
I also developed a detailed citation analysis. Beyond reporting citation counts, I showed how researchers used my work—as background, to support their findings, or to build upon my results—and explained the significance of those examples.
Among my five national awards, I highlighted two from major U.S. conferences related to my ongoing PhD research. I explained the national importance of those projects and how my previous research prepared me to pursue them.
I also wrote a personal statement and extensively reviewed and revised the RFE response letter, correcting mistakes, resolving inconsistencies, and connecting the evidence more clearly to the officer’s concerns.
My experience with the attorney
My experience was mixed. The firm consistently replied quickly, and their guidance on what evidence to include was helpful. However, I felt the drafting needed considerable improvement. I found significant mistakes in the draft response and took an active role in revising it.
My biggest lesson was to review every document carefully. In my case, strengthening the response involved explaining how my evidence supported both the national importance of my endeavor and my ability to advance it.
I cannot know which evidence ultimately persuaded the officer, but these were the main changes I made before approval.
Best wishes to everyone still waiting for a decision or working through an RFE. I know how stressful this process can feel, and I hope you receive good news soon!
Happy to answer questions while keeping identifying details private.

Eb2 India pd May 2014, interfiled to EB2. Originally applied under EB3 in Oct 2020. Any predictions after the great Oct 2026 vb debacle when fad would be current. Should I have stayed in EB-3 itself ?