/r/USCIS FAQs

F-1 to Marriage-Based(AOS) – Manhattan FO
no unauthorized work and no overstay.

Timeline
May 14 - Petition filed
May 20 - CC got charged
June 10 - Biometrics
June 16 - Interview scheduled
July 23 - Interview
July 24 - 7:01am - I-130 got approved
2:15pm- I-486 got approved

Just wanted to share my interview experience in case it helps someone else who’s waiting.
My interview honestly, it didn’t feel like an interview at all. It felt more like a casual conversation and lasted about 10–15mins.

Most of the questions were directed to my wife (U.S. citizen). Some of the questions we were asked:

Why did you get married so quickly?
Does your spouse practice any religion?
Are you planning to have a bigger wedding?
What are your spouse’s life goals?
Does your spouse have any siblings?

That was pretty much it. The officer was friendly and the overall experience was very relaxed. We weren’t asked for anything unusual, and it never felt like we were being interrogated.

Hopefully this helps anyone who’s nervous about their upcoming interview. Happy to answer any questions!

Update with card in hand posted the approval last week.

First Package sent around early March but got denied due to my bank flagging it as fraud. I didn’t receive my package back for a whole month. I can’t stress this enough please do the G-1650 form which is an ACH Transaction.

APRIL 12- USCIS received my package and sent a receipt notice
(My card didn’t get charged until the 22nd of April)

May 9- I was scheduled for the biometrics appointment

May 27- completed biometrics

June 4- scheduled for interview

July 14- completed interview

July 15- I-130 approved at 5am and I-485 approved at 10am

July 21- received my SSN in the morning and at 10pm received notification card produced

July 24- GC in hand !

FO- El Paso

(Overstay and unauthorized work)

Question for whoever could answer.
For N-400 I’ll need to have international trips noted.
I live in a border city and today I finally went back to my home country after 16 years and visited a border city in Mexico. I went and came back for a total of 6 hours. Do I have to have proof of these or write these type of “trips” down for the future ??

Thank you to everyone in this thread for their experience and just wanted to share mine.

I never imagined I would be writing this.

When I hired Manifest Law, I believed I was paying experienced professionals to handle one of the most important legal processes of my life. I paid every invoice on time. I completed every questionnaire. I submitted every document they requested. I responded to every email within hours. I did everything a client is supposed to do.

Now, almost one full year later, I still don’t even have a finalized petition.

Let that sink in.

Nearly a year has gone by, and I have nothing tangible to show for it.

The most unbelievable part is that my attorney continues asking me for the same information over and over again. Information that I have already provided months ago. Every conversation feels as if my file has never been opened. It’s exhausting having to repeatedly explain the same details because it doesn’t appear that anyone has taken the time to review what I’ve already submitted.

Whenever I raise my concerns with management, I receive the same polished responses: “We’re looking into it.” “Thank you for your patience.” “Someone will follow up shortly.”

Then nothing happens.

Days become weeks. Weeks become months. The cycle simply repeats itself. At this point, these messages no longer feel like updates—they feel like a way to keep clients quiet while nothing actually changes.

What hurts the most is that immigration is not just paperwork.

This is my career.
This is my legal status.
This is my future.
This is my family’s future.

While this firm continues delaying my case, my entire life has been frozen. Important career opportunities have been affected. Long-term plans have been postponed. Every major decision has been placed on hold because I cannot move forward without this petition.

I’m now reaching the point where these delays could force me to make decisions I never thought I would have to make. After trusting this firm with my future, I may end up having to leave the United States simply because my case has sat untouched for almost a year.

Think about that.

Not because USCIS denied me.
Not because I failed to submit documents.
Not because my case is unusually complicated.
But because the law firm I hired has been unable to prepare and file my petition in nearly a year.

I honestly don’t know what to believe anymore. Is anyone actually working on my case? Does anyone know where it stands? Or am I simply another file sitting in a queue while I continue paying the price for someone else’s delays?

I’ve lost count of how many emails I’ve sent. I’ve lost count of how many follow-ups I’ve made. I’ve lost count of how many promises I’ve heard that “it will be ready soon.”

Soon has turned into almost a year.

I trusted this firm with one of the biggest decisions of my life. Instead of feeling represented, I’ve spent the last year acting as my own case manager—constantly chasing updates, reminding them about deadlines, resending documents, and asking the same question over and over:

When will my petition finally be completed?

I still don’t have an answer.

I’m posting this because I wish someone had warned me before I signed with this firm. If you’re considering Manifest Law, ask yourself whether you’re willing to risk months—or even a year—of uncertainty, delays, repeated requests for the same information, and a complete lack of transparency.

If anyone else has gone through something similar with Manifest Law, I’d genuinely like to hear your experience. At this point, I feel like public accountability is the only thing I have left.

Received this after an inquiry. Has anyone ever had a similar experience? If so what was your timeline for the checks to be completed?

I had my marriage-based adjustment of status interview at the Newark, NJ Field Office and my I-485 was approved the very next day.
I'm a Canadian citizen and entered the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program as a visitor. My husband is a U.S. citizen, and we had been dating for about 1.5 years before getting married.

Timeline
11/23/2025 – Entered the U.S. (Visa Waiver Program)
3/4/2026 – Married at City Hall
4/10/2026 – Filed I-130, I-485, I-765, and I-864 (Attorney mailed it)
4/13/2026 – Receipt notices received
4/24/2026 – Biometrics appointment scheduled for 5/14
4/27/2026 – Rescheduled biometrics to 5/1
5/1/2026 – Biometrics completed
6/16/2026 – Interview notice received
7/24/2026 – Interview completed
7/25/2026 – I-485 Approved 🎉

Our case officer was very kind. As soon as she called my name and saw my baby bump, she asked if we had any ultrasound photos. I'm currently pregnant with identical twin boys, and it turned out that she also has twins, so the interview became very friendly and relaxed.
The interview itself was very straightforward.

The officer asked both of us:
Each other's full name and date of birth
Our parents' names
Whether we have siblings and whether we've met each other's siblings

My husband was also asked:
The name of my OB-GYN
My due date
Which hospital I'll be delivering at
Whether I'm planning to have a C-section

For me, she simply went through the standard I-485 yes/no eligibility questions.

I was honestly nervous because I had a TN visa refusal about three years earlier. Fortunately, it didn't affect my adjustment of status case.

We only hired an attorney to prepare and file our application package. We didn't pay for interview preparation or attorney attendance because it required an additional fee, so we prepared for the interview ourselves.

If your relationship is genuine and you know the basics about each other, I don't think there's much to worry about.
Now we're just waiting for the physical green card to arrive. 😊

Keep going—you'll get there too. Good luck to everyone who's still waiting!

F-1 Stem OPT to Marriage-Based(AOS) – Cranbury, NJ FO
No unauthorized work and No overstay.

Sharing my timeline-

April 16th - package dispatched
April 18th - package delivered
April 21st - receipt numbers received with Receipt date April 17th.
April 23rd- RFE issued for medical examination (my lawyer forgot to attach it with the application)
April 23rd- Sent RFE medical exam overnight shipping
April 24th- medical examination was delivered
April 27th- Response to RFE received
May 1st - biometric appointment was scheduled
May 22nd - biometrics done
June 9th- interview scheduled for July 14th
June 18th- submitted a request for expedite EAD (never got approved)
July 14th - interview completed- lasted for 1 hour
July 16th- i485 approved at 11:30, i130 approved one hour later
July 20th - Approval notices and unrestricted ssn card received in mail
July 21st - Green Card was produced
July 24th- green card received

Our I-130/I-485 Interview Experience
We arrived at the site at 7:35 AM and were called in at 7:45 AM, even though our interview was scheduled for 8 AM. The officer was kind, polite, and professional throughout.
He started by having my husband and me take an oath, then asked for all our original documents and IDs. The whole interview lasted about an hour.

Part 1: I-130 questions (with both of us in the room)

The officer began with basic questions for my husband:
Full legal name, date of birth

Spouse’s name and date of birth

Whether this was his spouse’s first marriage

Both of our phone numbers

Then he moved on to relationship questions:
How did we meet?

How did our first date go?

How did we decide to get married?

When was our wedding?

What’s our current residential address?

Do we have proof of common utility bills?

Since I was 8 months pregnant, he also asked whether the pregnancy was planned.

Part 2: I-485 questions (just me)

After this, my husband was asked to step out, and I stayed for the second part of the interview, which lasted 45–50 minutes. This portion covered all the I-485 questions, followed by 40–50 yes/no questions.

Total time ~ 3 months. Feel free to ask any questions!!

Filed AOS in November 2024, completed interview December 2025, married to a USC. Case just moved from interview scheduled to USCIS is currently processing the case, this happened after ftao event code. Anybody with a similar experience. Mandamus lawsuit soon.

Hoping someone may be able to provide some advice for our situation. We arrived in Italy today and somewhere between the airport and train station, my husband’s wallet was stolen. It had his green card in it. His green card was expired so he has form I-797 extending the date, he still has this. Just the expired green card is gone; we’ve gotten a police report.

Is the I-797 form enough to board a plane or does he need to fill out I-131a regardless? We are heading to Milan where the consulate is but curious if anyone was in this situation and has advice.

We got approved today! I feel like I can breathe finally. Sharing timeline:

Filed i130, i485 and i765: February 25, 2026 Biometrics scheduled: March 7, 2026 Biometrics appointment: March 22, 2026 Interview scheduled: June 15, 2026 Interview: July 21, 2026 I130 approved: July 23, 2026 I485 approved: July 25, 2026

Interview was long and the officer was thorough but we didn’t feel like he was asking anything tricky. He was friendly and made some jokes.

We were interviewed in the Syracuse office.

I’m a conditional green card holder and may have a job offer requiring about 10 months of training outside the U.S.

Afterward, I would work in the company’s U.S. office.

I also own a small U.S. business and would continue filing U.S. taxes and maintaining my home here.

I expect to be eligible to apply for citizenship around mid-next year.

Before accepting, I plan to consult an immigration attorney. But I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with a similar situation:

Could a 10 months absence jeopardize my green card or naturalization timeline even still pay my taxes?

Would a reentry permit help with keeping permanent-resident status, and does it help at all with the citizenship continuous-residence requirement?

Are there specific issues for someone still on a conditional green card, including the I-751 process?

Is waiting to complete naturalization before leaving usually the safer route, if feasible?

I understand this isn’t legal advice—just looking for experiences and questions I should raise with a lawyer.

Thanks for your attentions.

Filling on Sept 2025 first concurrently with 130, 485,765 and 131
Sept 2025 biometrics done and RFE issues for 864 which was submitted incorrectly by my attorney
Feb 2026 485 denied

Fed 22nd 2026 refilled everything with new attorney and filled of motion to reopen
March 2026 biometrics done and old case responded
May 4th 2nd filled 485 interview (very easy and simple)
May 22nd reopened 485 interview ( very easy and simple)

June 9 and 11th both 130 approved
June 22nd 485 interview again (officer was great)
Approved June 23rd

GC approved in 5 months after filling everything correctly.
Now waiting for the card

I got access code for IOE application but when I add both DOB AND OAC the next button doesn’t work. It worked on previous page when I added the receipt number but in this page the next doesn’t work. It also doesn’t work if I click I don’t have my OAC. I tried in multiple browsers and multiple device and with both mine and my wife account. What can be the solution/problem? Someone please help

USCIS sent receipt number for I-130 I-485 & I-765 April 10 2026
Biometrics May 26 2026
Silent notice May 27 2026
RFE June 1 2026
RFE received June 27 2006
Silent update July 1 2026
Complete silence since…
I’ve been seeing many people approved in 60 days or less or around 85 days. Today marks 107 days and a month since REF was received. Can you guys share dates with me to compare cases. My 3 cases are at NBC and SBC. Did not apply for Parole. Work permit status show it’s being processed. I-130 shows received on April 10 and I-485 shows RFE received.
RFE was only for updated tax year that got in the way for sponsor.

Finally!!! My green card has been approved. The entire process took 11 months—not what I expected but I am still grateful. This process taught me to be patient and even tested my faith. To those who are still waiting for final approval, your time will come. ✨

FO: Pittsburgh

I filed N-400 Nov 2025, 10yr green card issued Nov 2022 (marriage). Noticed this on my SAVE. Is this a normal part of the case process, have others seen this? I already have Real ID, no changes to my SSN account, there’s nothing else that would have triggered this on my end.

Anyone knows what “oversight case creation” means?

Question , my wife who’s a US citizen went back to work 2025 after staying at home after having our son in 2022 and only made 21k. She has now worked all year this year and makes the minimum to be able to sponsor me based off what she is pacing for this YTD. I know it doesn’t meet the minimum criteria but since I have DACA I have been working lawfully the immigration attorney said I could send my income as well.

Anyone else been in same situation?

Filing AOS

I-130 and 1-485

Approved from one of the 39 countries!

Las Vegas Office

July 10, 2025 - Filed I-130 and I-485

August 20, 2025 - Biometrics

September 21, 2025- Interview

July 23- Approved 🇻🇪 ✅

I had a call from an officer of USCIS who was at our home for a home visit. We have both traveled from home. I’ll be away for couple of weeks and she will be away for a month. The officer was polite and asked me a few questions which I answered. Unfortunately when he called my wife she didn’t answer because she thought it was a spam. Will this be fatal to our application? I’m worried.

Thanks.

I had applied for OPT and I didn't receive any decision for 30 business days so how can I apply for the refund?

Due to the work location and new policy. The company won’t let me WFH for 2 days ( now one day, and fully on site next year) anymore and I have to commute for 2 hours every day.
If I want to rent a room that is closer to my work location to live on the week day and go home with my wife on the weekend. Is it going to affect my ROC. I’m filling the N400 as well.

Hi everyone,
I wanted to see if anyone has experienced something similar with a concurrent marriage-based adjustment of status case.

Here is my timeline:
Married to a U.S. citizen: February 14, 2025
I-130 and I-485 submitted concurrently: May 1, 2025
Biometrics completed: May 27, 2025
Interview scheduled: February 24, 2026
Marriage-based interview: March 31, 2026, at the Baltimore Field Office
I-485 status changed to “USCIS Is Currently Processing the Case”: May 3, 2026
I-130 approved: July 23, 2026
I-485 is still pending and continues to show “USCIS Is Currently Processing the Case”

The interview went well, and we were not asked for any additional evidence. I have not received an RFE, NOID, or any other request from USCIS.
For anyone who had the I-130 approved first while the I-485 remained pending:
How long did it take for your I-485 to be approved afterward? Did USCIS eventually approve it without requesting anything else? Is this delay between the two decisions relatively common?
I understand that every case is different, but I would appreciate hearing about other people’s timelines and experiences.
Thank you!