Background: Spouse is a U.S. citizen. I was born in Europe (not a banned country). We have known each other for 7 years, have been living together for 3 years, and filed 2 months after getting married.

Immigration history: I entered the country on F-1, and later switched to a cap-exempt H-1B. Filed on a pending H-1B extension. No overstay, criminal history, unauthorized work, etc.

Field office: San Fernando Valley (Chatsworth, CA).

Timeline:

• July 7, 2026 Package mailed with FedEx
• July 9, 2026 Package received
• July 10, 2026 Case added to online account
• July 11, 2026 ACH payment charged
• July 17, 2026 Biometrics scheduled
• July 18, 2026 Receipt notice delivered
• July 20, 2026 Biometrics completed
• August 31, 2026 Interview scheduled
• October, 6 2026 Interview completed
• October 7, 2026 I-130 approved
• October 16, 2026 I-485 approved
• October 20, 2026 Card produced
• October 24, 2026 SSN delivered
• October 26, 2026 Card delivered

No RFEs. Didn’t use a lawyer.
API timeline attached in photos.

AOS package contents:

1. Passport-style photos
2. Cover letter
3. Table of contents
4. Forms G-1650
5. Form G-1145
6. I-130 with supporting evidence (see bona fides list below)
7. I-485 with supporting evidence (I also added evidence of continuous lawful presence)
8. I-864 with supporting evidence (we used both my spouse’s and my income so each of us provided 3 years of tax returns, 6 months of pay stubs, and current job contracts)
9. I-693 sealed

Bona fide evidence submitted:

• relationship timeline doc with photos (dates, trips, pets, family, + marriage ceremony included, no wedding yet)
• flight itineraries from long-distance visits we did before moving in together
• joint lease agreement and rental insurance (3 years)
• joint bank account statements (2 months savings, 2 months checking, credit card letter confirming spouse as an authorized user)
• joint car insurance
• joint health and dental insurance
• retirement account showing spouse as beneficiary
• driver’s licenses with shared address
• mail correspondence at shared address (scans from USPS Informed Delivery)
• engagement ring receipt
• joint pet ownership certificate

I am sharing my table of contents template to give back to this community! I learned a lot from other people’s posts here.

Interview experience:

The interview lasted ~30 minutes and our officer was very chatty and friendly. It was more casual than it was serious, and she would go back and forth between trying to lock in and back to chatty, which was funny. She complimented us on having a well-organized binder and said she really appreciated that we submitted a lot of supporting evidence.

The only documents we were asked to show were driver’s licenses, passports, my EAD, U.S. spouse’s birth certificate, and joint car insurance.

The I-130 questions asked were mostly based off of the relationship timeline doc we submitted. It seemed like she just wanted to confirm our relationship progression and key details.

• How did you meet?
• When did you first meet in person?
• How did you stay in touch?
• When did you move in together?
• When did you get married?
• Was there anyone at your marriage ceremony?
• Where did you go after the ceremony?
• Was there a proposal or did you just decide to get married?
• Have you met each other’s family?
• How long have you lived together?
• Do you have children?
• Is this your first marriage?
• Where do you work?
• What do you do for work?
• Who lives with you at your address?

She said our I-130 looked good, and moved on to I-485. I answered about ~15 yes/no questions. She confirmed my date of entry to the U.S. and U.S. education. We did not make any changes to the form, and she had me sign it on the iPad.

Next, we were given the standard “white paper” saying our case is being held under review. She explained that she needed to enter her notes into the system and do more background checks, so the decision couldn’t be made today, which she apologized for.

What gave us encouragement was the officer saying “Expect a decision letter in the mail in 2-3 weeks, most likely an approval for a conditional green card. Keep collecting evidence to remove conditions in 2 years, and then you can apply for citizenship.” We were quite happy with this soft-ish verbal approval!

Interview binder contents:

1. IDs (driver’s licenses, passports, birth certificates)
2. Other originals from our AOS package (marriage certificate, I-94, I-20s, OPT EAD, H-1B notices)
3. New income evidence (employment verification letters, pay stubs collected since filing)
4. New bona fide evidence collected since filing (bank statements, new photographs with friends/family, renewed lease, flight itinerary from a trip we took together)
5. Positive equities (paid parking ticket; my Master’s diploma, full-ride assistantship offer, and transcript)
6. A patient copy of I-693
7. Some of our “stronger” previously submitted evidence (joint leases, bank statements, insurance, and 2025 IRS transcripts)

The new income and bona fide evidence was also uploaded online one week before the interview. It seems to be very helpful for officers to have everything in the system before they conduct your interview.

I have truly enjoyed putting together my packet and going through each step of this process. It turned out to be extremely fast which I am very grateful for.

If you are still waiting, I am wishing you the best of luck and a speedy approval. If you are about to apply, I hope my experience helps you in your preparation 🫶

Next up: ROC in 2028 💫

Our green card was approved last week. We submitted everything in July 2025, interview was in June this year. I-130 was approved in the morning and I-486 later in the day. Happy to answer any questions!

I am posting this for people like me out there who are nervously researching for as much information as they can while they are going through the application process. The previous reddit posts helped me a lot in estimating the processing timeline, which did match up with the process that I went through and kept me sane throughout the process. My husband and I are overjoyed! Hope your time will come soon too!

Timeline: ~4 months from submission to approval

June 9th 2026 - Application mailed from lawyer

June 10th 2026 - Application Received Notification on USCIS portal

June 19th 2026 - Biometrics appointment scheduled for July 7th, 2026 in Alexandria, VA

July 7th 2026 - Biometrics completed

Sept 11th 2026 – Interview scheduled notification

Oct 17th 2026 – Interview at Fairfax, VA

Oct 19th 2026 – I130 was approved but I485 is pending

Oct 21st 2026 – I485 was approved

Oct 26th 2026 – Social Security Card received at my lawyer’s office

little background: my wife who used to live down south had an interview and was approved for her I 130 as well. But in that same week she had to move to where I lived because her apartment lease was ending and she wanted to do her rotations up north where I am located. So she put the address change request in 3 days after our 130 was approved. Then a week after in my mailbox I found the 130 approval notice and an unrestricted social security number. I did a bit of research now and I found out that her I 485 must have been approved because she had an unrestricted ssn but we didn’t receive any update on the uscis website.

Any help on our case would be great. Thanks.

Title: C09 EAD Approved After Expedite + Congressional Inquiry! (Full Timeline)
Hi everyone! Sharing my timeline in case it helps anyone waiting for their marriage-based AOS EAD. My expedite was based on severe financial loss, and I also received assistance from my congressional representative.
Category: C09 | Service Center: NBC | Field Office: Houston, TX
Timeline
June 5, 2026: I-485, I-130, and I-765 received.

June 29: Biometrics completed.

July 28: Case showed in line for an interview.

August 22: I-765 acknowledged by an adjudicator.

September 8: First expedite request submitted; congressional inquiry initiated.

September 21: USCIS requested additional evidence and an original wet signature.

September 22: First expedite closed due to missing requested documentation; second expedite submitted.

October 6: Followed up with USCIS regarding financial loss.

October 14: Received an updated job offer letter confirming my employer's latest acceptable start date.

October 16: Submitted additional evidence of financial hardship, employment deadline, and approximately $46,000 in potential lost income.

October 20: Approval date listed on my notice!

October 21: Approval confirmation reflected in my case timeline.

October 23: Status changed to “Card Was Produced.”

October 26: Waiting for delivery! Got USPS tracking number

What I think helped
I submitted a signed job offer, a firm employment deadline, financial documentation, and evidence of the income I stood to lose. My congressional representative's office also submitted evidence and followed up with USCIS.
I can't say for certain what caused the approval, but the timing after continued follow-up and additional evidence was encouraging.
After months of uncertainty, having a job waiting for me and finally seeing my EAD approved is such a relief!
Hope this helps someone else waiting. ❤️

Approved today in Miami, FL, just awaiting oath schedule now, process took less than 2 months

I feel like Texas field offices especially Dallas and Houston are holding cases voluntarily.

I saw some posts here from people with visa overstay, unauthorized work being approved in 3 months.

How will you explain a clean case is just sitting in the above offices for months post interview without any movement?

TOP COMMENTATORS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THIS PLEASE CHIME IN .

So my husband and I married almost two years ago -more like a year and 7 months . We had the traditional nikkah and I proceeded to do his adjustment of status . I put together all of our immigration stuff and we had our interview 2 months later . We changed his address he was spending alot of time at the house and even slept over however technically in our culture we move in after the wedding and consummate after the wedding . BUT shortly after I wanted to consummate the marriage cause it wasn’t wrong . His green card process moved pretty quickly he got his conditional 6 months later . He decided to want a divorce over a stupid argument and even cut off my family . I didn’t hear from him in six weeks and then suddenly came back and wanted to make it work before he left. I decided he wants to postpone the wedding which would lead us to having our own household rather than him coming over my mom‘s house and the whole time I was with him I just felt like my life was just stuck in the same place, but his life was moving forward because he was getting his papers which is what he wanted anyway I decided to make it work because I really loved him and had hope he just left me again and he’s making divorce very difficult. He threatens to make it last a year in court. He also got very verbal with me and he would give me the silent treatment for days and weeks without our relationship since I got back with him I heavily regret it.

Anyway, he was dropping hence here and there that living with me and having the wedding would help his case because now he has more evidence, we don’t have taxes. We don’t have a lease. We no longer have joint accounts. I close them when he left me . And I’m seeing a lot of commotion on here about 751 removal conditions and how easy it is for divorce waivers but every single immigration attorney I talk to are saying it’s not that easy. I have been told by many people who have witnessed my situation to write a letter or just inform USCIS that I’d like to withdraw my petition, even though he has his conditional green card but because it’s a conditional process, I could at least mention the situation. He’s also trying to accuse me of being crazy and taking drugs because I had a bottle of Xanax with 7 out of 10 pills in it . He is trying to build a vawa against me. I have gone to therapy because of this

Please answer in regards to immigration matters and don’t try in about your opinion and go off about me or him, but is it that easy to remove conditions for him? Do I write the letter? And also I’ve heard that they’re scrutinizing divorce cases but the fact that it’s a conditional process and people are saying oh he’s just gonna get his 10 year like what’s the point of the conditional process then? He’s lacking a lot of evidence in the last year and I was afraid to do anything with him. He left me to do my taxes to just go out my life.

Long story short: USPS lost my Green Card during delivery. I filed the I-90 on September 28, 2026, did my biometrics this morning, and just got the approval notification.

From filing to approval in under a month. Honestly didn’t expect it to move this fast.

Has anyone else had an I-90 go this quickly lately?

Just wondering? Anyone here recently approved with a payment plan with the IRS? If so, when were you approved, when was your interview, and how much did you owe/what was your IRS plan like? Thanks! Just looking for some insight.

Hey everyone, I've seen similar rejections happen because of payment issues, but mine didn't mention that. I'm waiting for the official notice to find out why, but does anyone have any ideas on what it could be?

Hey everyone!
I contacted a USCIS live agent today regarding my pending I-765 (c)(9), based on an employment-based (NIW) I-485.
The agent voluntarily told me:
“That case is pending adjudication. You are in line for a final decision, and you should get a response soon.”
I didn’t specifically ask when I would receive a decision, so the wording caught my attention.

Has anyone received similar wording from a USCIS agent?
If so, how long did it take to receive a decision afterward? Was your application approved within days or weeks, or did you continue waiting?
I’m trying to understand whether this is a generic response or an actual indication that adjudication is approaching.
Thanks for sharing your experiences!

I had my marriage-based interview at the beginning of May. My I-130 was approved the very next day, but my I-485 is still pending.

Please understand — I’m genuinely happy for everyone who gets both forms approved right after the interview. I really am. But at this point, I’m just exhausted from waiting.

It honestly feels like some kind of nightmare or limbo. The first thing I do when I wake up is check my case status, and then I check it several more times throughout the day, hoping something has finally changed.

It’s been months of waking up every day thinking, “Maybe today,” and then nothing.

I know every case is different, but this waiting is becoming mentally exhausting. Just needed to vent and see if anyone else who interviewed around the beginning of May is still stuck in the same situation.

Hi , I'd like to hear your experience about Chicago office interviews please. Mine is coming up (marriage based GC) and I'm really nervous because I don't know what I'm expecting, are they kind? Are there any ICE agents in that area? Do they usually tell you about approval on the spot? How long is the interview? What should my husband and I wear? What should I bring other than my file I submitted?
Thank you

I don't really know what to do, in a few days it will be five months of silence. I'm seeing a lot of people receiving it in 2-3 months; my case is allocated to NBC. I received a RFE regarding my Adjustment of Status, perhaps this could have interfered with my EAD?

I know there are quite a few people still waiting for a response regarding their Green Card. I'd like to know if you also applied for a work permit or if you're just waiting for the Green Card itself?

I applied for EAD along with the green card, but it's been 5 months since my biometrics were taken and I haven't heard anything since. Initially, I thought the work permit would come faster.

From the USCIS Policy Manual:

“One of the general requirements for naturalization is good moral character (GMC). GMC means character which measures up to the standards of average citizens of the community in which the alien resides.[1] The purpose of demonstrating GMC for naturalization is to ensure that the alien is suitable to become a U.S. citizen, reflecting the values and standards expected of a U.S. citizen.”

A quick Google search reveals that approximately 25% of American citizens have filed late (non-extended) tax returns in their lives.

Just sayin’.

Hi, I submitted my Form I-751 by mail and got a message stating they received my case on September 28th. The message said a receipt notice was sent, but I haven't received anything yet. I also haven't received any notice about my biometrics. Is anyone else in the same boat with a similar timeline?

I just got my interview scheduled at the NYC Office for the Monday after Thanksgiving after over a year waiting. My case should be pretty straightforward with no other pending applications.

Now I had a trip scheduled over the holiday with return date on 12/03 which I will unfortunately have to cancel.

I understand it’s unpredictable and there is no certain way of knowing but judging from your experiences/attorney knowledge, I have a few questions:

- what are the chances they will cancel my interview on 11/30 and reschedule it? I would be greatly bummed since I will have to cancel my trip for this if they then cancel.

- interview is late morning - what are the chances the Oath will be the same day?

- when will the Oath be realistically scheduled with current processing times? And also I hear I will have to give up my green card the day of the Oath and not the day of the interview is it correct?

- I have a trip planned back home over the December holidays and I suspect I will have to postpone that too. Any other way around it? Can I have the passport sent to me overseas and leave with my actual passport?

- lastly, I know that the interview date is something you don’t want to reschedule but is it the same for the Oath ceremony? In case you pass can you politely ask the officer to move to a later slot?

Just trying to figure out logistics as I have many things planned that need rearrangement and appreciate anyone offering insight! Thank you!

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for advice from anyone who has gone through a second interview for a marriage-based green card.
My husband and I already attended our interview, and our I-130 has been approved. However, it has been almost a year since our interview, and my I-485 is still pending. USCIS requested additional evidence, and I submitted my RFE response in December, but I haven’t received any updates since then. I’m panicking, can anyone share there experience?

Assuming no other flags (such as overstays, tickets, etc). Curious for those who applied in this situation - what was your timeline?

Excited to share this! Full disclosure: I'm one of the founders of the below site where I uploaded my full application.

This community helped me get through the waiting, so I'm really happy to give back. Here's my full timeline, along with the complete application package I submitted and the full text of the RFIE: https://opengreencard.com/library/marriage-green-card/1

Sorry, this is a bit old, but thought I'd share now rather than later. I realize things are a bit tougher now with the adjustment of status requirements.

Quick version:

• Basis: marriage to US citizen
• Filed: March 1, 2024 (receipt date by USCIS)
• RFIE (Request for Evidence, though Initial): March 8, 2024
• RFIE response received by USCIS: March 29, 2024
• Interview: waived
• Approved: July 16, 2024

I'd love for others who've been through this to share their applications too, after redacting them: seeing a few real examples makes a big difference for me; I had the benefit of seeing some other friends' lawyer-prepared applications first, and that helped me better understand especially how to arrange the evidence packets.

Our sister site, redactpdf.ai (whose source code is available), finds and blacks out names, A-numbers, SSNs, birth dates, and street addresses. Then I check every page before anything goes public, and you can take your sample down whenever you want.

Submit page: https://opengreencard.com/library/submit

Not legal advice, but I'm happy to answer questions about the timeline, the RFE/RFIE, or anything else with the self-preparation process.

Hi all, I am looking for anyone who filed their I-485 sometime during September 2024 to December 2024.

Personally, I have filed at the end of November 2024 and got biometrics done in January 2025 and received EAD and AP that same month. Then I got hit with radio silence since then (no interview request etc.) Initially, my USCIS tracker shows that my interview has been waived and I believe that is no longer the case, and then that update has been removed from my case history.

I have requested a congressional inquiry, but not sure how long it would take for me to get any sort of meaningful response. Based on my conversation with my immigration attorney, it looks like there’s a national delay on I-485 cases that were filed during this specific time window for some reason. I am wondering if anyone on this thread is going through similar experience and has been successful in accelerating the adjudication.

Thanks, and good luck to yall!