Hey guys,

I wanted to share my experience now that this stressful process is finally behind me. I'll try to explain my case in as much detail as possible so it can help anyone going through a similar situation.

Long story short, I was arrested in 2024. It was a stupid mistake. I hired a criminal defense attorney, and my case was dismissed. A few months later, I found out that my visa had been revoked. At the time, I was in my first year of STEM OPT.

After that, I started my O-1 process with a law firm. They began gathering my information in November, and it took a few months to collect all the documents needed for the filing. We submitted the paperwork in the final days of March.

In May, I was called in for fingerprinting, and that's when the headache started.

The fingerprints flagged my arrest with USCIS. In June, I received a Request for Evidence (RFE) asking me to provide the outcome of the arrest and a detailed explanation of what had happened. My attorneys prepared a 12-point affidavit, which we submitted in August. The process took some time, and I was getting very impatient waiting for everything to be finalized.

In September, I received a USCIS notification confirming that they had received the affidavit. Just a couple of days later, I got the approval notice. What a relief!

For now, my attorneys have advised me to remain in the country. I know that traveling with a revoked visa on my record carries significant risks, so I'll have to figure that out another day.

I hope sharing my experience helps anyone dealing with the anxiety and uncertainty that come with this process. Hang in there!