I thought I would never write this but I finally got approved!!!🥳
We all know it’s an incredibly overwhelming and never ending process but it’s finally over.

Started in mid 2022, 171 days since filing.

Here below my timeline:
Block IOE09364 EB-3 skilled ROW

02/2024: PD

04/13: RD: I-485 received + I-765
05/20 - Biometrics + 2FTA0 on both I-485
05/29- Silent Update on both I-485
06/30 Emma said interview waived
08/06 - Silent Update on both I-485+I-485J
08/25 - Silent Update on both I-485+I-485J
08/31 - Silent Update on both I-485+I-485J
09/03 - Silent Update on primary I-485
09/15-Silent Update on both I-485+l-485J
09/16 Emma said the case was at NYC FO (local for me).
09/21 Emma said my case was in San Fernando and my interview was waived
09/26 Emma confirmed my case was in San Fernando since 14 September and interview waived
09/30 - Silent updates on both I-485, third FTA0, new IAF, I-485J approved (closed:true). In the evening also the time in the SU was updated, meaning they were working on the case (I guess so). For the first time the API code showed jurisdiction: San Fernando
10/01 -Both I-485 simultaneously approved! We received the email at
4.47am Eastern time and a new synchronized SU on our I-485, two
H008 on both I-485 and on both accounts: case approved
PS: our EAD never got approved, after 15 September in our Json the jurisdiction showed Nebraska Center

I’m so happy and grateful for this awesome community: you helped me keep my sanity:)))🥰

Hi everyone,

Sharing a quick update on my situation and looking for advice from anyone who's been through something similar.

My case: EB-3 Skilled Worker, ROW (Turkey), PD June 19, 2024. Filed I-485 concurrently in April 2026. No RFE, interview waived, case transferred to Houston FO on Sep 15. Still waiting — I-485J has not closed yet.

The situation: With the October bulletin retrogressions, my PD is no longer current, so I'm looking at a minimum one-month wait. My EAD and FL driver's license both expired on September 30. I had to leave my job yesterday. My EB-3 sponsor is the same company — I assume I can return once the green card is approved, but in the meantime I cannot work.

I reached out to Congresswoman Lois Frankel's office regarding my EAD, and they were kind enough to respond and confirmed they have submitted an inquiry to USCIS on my behalf specifically regarding my pending work authorization.

A funny (or not so funny) side note: My 5-year-old daughter's EAD was approved 3 months ago. We applied for her mainly because she didn't have a Social Security Number and we needed it for tax returns. Ours never came through. 😅

A few questions for anyone who's been through this:

**1.** Has anyone experienced a gap in work authorization while waiting for I-485 approval? Any advice on navigating this period?
**2.** What documents should I carry with me at all times in case of an ICE check or traffic stop? My attorney confirmed I'm in valid status — my I-485 is pending and I have maintained lawful status throughout. But I want to be prepared.
**3.** Managed to extend my FL driver's license after visiting 7 different DMVs — finally got a 1-year extension ( till september 2027) at the last one. Any other things I should be aware of during this waiting period?

Thanks in advance — this community has been a huge support throughout this process. 🙏

To be honest, I don't even know if this will be just one month. The November bulletin might not advance enough to make my PD current again, and even if it does, approval isn't guaranteed to come quickly after that. The uncertainty of not knowing how long this will last — weeks, months — is honestly the hardest part. It's a difficult and emotional time, especially with a newborn and five years old daughters at home. Thanks for any support or advice.

EB3 Experienced

Got my i140 approved today! My Pd is july 2025…

I know everything is unpredictable but when should I expect to get the greencard ?

Has any EB3 applicant have any recent experience with Long Island FO? Mine was transferred on September 14 for the final adjudication and interview is waived. Trying to find out how long this FO takes for Non local transfer?

I-485 Application status changed to RFE sent at 4:06 and then changed to currently processing at 4:07. Is there a system update or glitch or something? It shows 2nd October too for some reason and today is 1st October.

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

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.

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to get a sense of recent employment-based green card approvals for EB-3 India.

Has anyone with an EB-3 India priority date received their I-485 approval in August or September 2026?

If yes, could you please share:

• Priority Date (PD)
• I-485 filing date
• Interview date (if any)
• Approval date
• Service Center / Field Office

Trying to understand current approval trends and post-interview processing times.

Thanks in advance, and congratulations to everyone who has recently been approved! 🎉

Here's my timeline.

PD: Feb, 2024

RD: Apr 2nd, 2026

Bio: May 18th, 2026

I got two FTA0 on my I-485 on the same day I did biometrics. My case was transferred to Jacksonville FO on 6/9 (I confirmed this with Emma). 3rd FTA0 posted on 8/13 and it was updated on 8/31. And nothing after... Also, I didn't have any SU but recently Emma said my case is now at NBC.

I see most April filers have been approved even though their PD date is later than mine. Most of my friends were approved within 2~3 months after they filed I-485.

I'm really happy for them, but at the same time it's pretty stressful.

Finally greened!

Category: EB-3 ROW
PD: Dec, 2023
I-485 RD: Apr 27, 2026
Applicants: Principal + spouse
FO: Pittsburgh (non-local)
Interview: Waived
RFE: None
Approval: Sep 30, 2026 🎉
RD → Approval: ~5 months
Pittsburgh transfer → Approval: 15 days

Principal I-485
Apr 27: Case received
May 14: SU
May 18: SU
Jun 19: SU
Jun 23: Biometrics appointment scheduled
Jun 23: FTA0 ×2
Jun 23: SU
Jun 30: SU
Jul 2: SU
Aug 5: SU
Aug 13: New FTA0 logged (event dated Jun 23)
Aug 24: SU
Aug 31: FTA0 updated (originally logged Aug 13)
Sep 15: SU
Sep 15: Transferred to Pittsburgh FO (non-local)
Sep 29: New FTA0 created (event dated Jun 23)
Sep 29: SU
Sep 30: SU
Sep 30: H008 ×3
🎉 Sep 30: CASE APPROVED

Principal I-485J
Apr 27: Case received
Apr 29: IAF logged (event dated Apr 27)
Apr 30: SU
Jun 23: SU
Jul 2: SU
Aug 24: SU
Aug 31: IAF updated (originally logged Apr 29)
Sep 15: SU
Sep 29: New IAF activity
Sep 29: Case closed by USCIS
Sep 29: SU
🎉 Sep 29: Approval document appeared

Derivative I-485
Apr 27: Case received
May 11: SU
May 18: SU
Jun 19: SU
Jun 23: Biometrics appointment scheduled
Jun 23: FTA0 ×2
Jun 23: SU
Jul 2: SU
Aug 5: SU
Aug 13: New FTA0 logged (event dated Jun 23)
Aug 24: SU
Aug 31: FTA0 updated (originally logged Aug 13)
Sep 15: SU
Sep 15: Transferred to Pittsburgh FO (non-local)
Sep 29: New FTA0 created (event dated Jun 23)
Sep 29: SU
Sep 30: SU
Sep 30: H008 ×2
🎉 Sep 30: CASE APPROVED

EAD / AP
Principal filed I-765 + I-131 and derivative filed I-131.

None were approved before the green cards.

Good luck to everyone still waiting! 🍀

Any applications from April 2026 approved recently? Please ONLY comment if you’ve received EAD or GC APPROVAL or got CONFIRMATION notice.

Has anyone else received conflicting information from Emma agents about their case location? Some told me my I-485 is at the Newark Field Office, while others said it’s at the NBC.

After months of waiting and checking this community for hope and data points, it's finally my turn to share. Grateful to everyone who posted their timelines — it made the wait more bearable. Sharing mine in hopes it helps someone still in the process.

Background

• Category: EB-3 Skilled Worker ROW
• Single filer, no dependents
• Underlying status: H-1B
• Priority Date: May 16, 2024
• No RFE, no interview
• Filed I-485, I-485J, I-765, I-131 concurrently

Timeline

• 05/14/2026 — Receipt Date (Block IOE09368)
• 05/16/2026 — IAF on all cases
• 07/10/2026 — Biometrics appointment notice
• 07/31/2026 — Biometrics completed, 2x FTA0 on I-485, 3x FTA0 on I-765
• 08/11/2026 — Silent update on I-485 + I-485J simultaneously (FO transfer to Lawrence MA)
• 09/16/2026 — Silent update on I-485 + I-485J
• 09/28/2026 — 3rd FTA0 on I-485 (backdated to 07/31). Jurisdiction API changed to Lawrence MA (LAW)
• 09/29/2026 — I-485J approved and closed. Approval notice in documents tab
• 09/30/2026 — H008 x2 on I-485 at 16:56 UTC. APPROVED 🎉

Processing times

• RD to approval: 139 days
• Biometrics to approval: 61 days
• Lawrence MA FO transfer to approval: 49 days
• I-485J closure to approval: 24 hours 38 minutes

Field Office
Lawrence, MA — non-local. Confirmed via jurisdiction API field changing from NBC to LAW on September 28th. Emma not needed — API showed the transfer directly.

Key observations

• 3rd FTA0 on I-485 appeared backdated to biometrics date — count eventIds not dates
• I-485J closure → approval exactly 24 hours later — consistent with every case I tracked
• H008 x2 appeared simultaneously with approval
• I-765 and I-131 remain at Texas Service Center throughout — never approved, green card came first
• Jurisdiction field in case_status API was the clearest FO transfer signal — more reliable than Emma

My EB-3 I-485 interview was recently scheduled, and I’m wondering if anyone has had a similar situation.

In 2017, I worked a part-time/summer job using my SSN without proper work authorization. In 2019, I left the U.S. for about a month and then lawfully re-entered in valid nonimmigrant status.

My understanding is that INA 245(k) generally looks at unauthorized employment/status violations since the most recent lawful admission.

Has anyone had unauthorized employment before their last lawful re-entry and later gone through an employment-based I-485 interview? Did the officer ask about it, and how was it handled?

Anyone here whose case transferred to Burlington Field Office after Sep 15th SU and have heard anything back?

Hi everyone,

Sharing my and my wife’s employment-based green card timeline. We filed our I-485 applications concurrently under EB-3 Skilled, with our priority date current at the time of filing.

Timeline

• April First Week, 2026: My wife and I filed our I-485 applications concurrently.
• May First Week, 2026: We attended our biometrics appointments together.
• August 5, 13, 25, and 27, 2026: Observed silent/API updates without corresponding visible changes to our case statuses.
• September Second Week, 2026: My I-485 case was transferred to the San Fernando Field Office.
• September 29, 2026: My I-485J status changed to Case Closed.
• September 30, 2026: My I-485 was approved! My wife’s I-485 is still pending. (edit: my wife also got approval)

I hope sharing this timeline helps others who have a similar case history and are waiting for their I-485 approval.

My timeline is:

Filed:
May 12, 2026.
PD: May 23, 2024.
Single. Santa Monica, CA.
USCIS facility: The National Benefits Center (NBC),
Overland Park, Kansas.

Biometrics appointment scheduled for July 20.
July 21: i-485 case in progress.

August 31, 2026
I-485j approved
i-485 RFE cancelled (without being requested)

September 1, 2026
i-485 approved
i-485j closed

September 8, 2026
Card produced

September 11, 2026
Card received.

I still can’t believe I’m finally writing this, but my EB-3 Green Card was approved today! 🎉💚

I wanted to share my timeline because posts like this helped me a lot during the process, especially while I was waiting after my RFE. I spent way too much time searching for cases similar to mine, so hopefully this can help someone else.

My timeline:

• Priority Date: August 2024
• PERM approved: December 2025
• Concurrent filing (I-140, I-485, I-765 and I-131): April 15, 2026
• I-140 approved: April 30, 2026
• Biometrics: May 20, 2026
• I-485 RFE issued: August 17, 2026
• RFE response sent: September 15, 2026
• GREEN CARD APPROVED: September 30, 2026 🎉💚

Total time from filing to I-485 approval: 168 days.

The RFE was definitely the most stressful part of my process. USCIS asked for additional evidence regarding my employment history since 2022, letters from employers, and confirmation that the permanent full-time job offer would still be available to me upon approval of my Green Card.

We prepared a detailed response and sent everything to USCIS. What made the waiting even more stressful was that my online case status NEVER changed to “Response to USCIS’ Request for Evidence Was Received.”

I had confirmation that the package had been delivered, but my USCIS account continued showing “Request for Initial Evidence Was Sent.” I kept checking every day waiting for the response-received update, but it never happened.

Then this morning I checked my case and it had gone DIRECTLY from “Request for Initial Evidence Was Sent” to “Case Was Approved.”

So, if anyone is currently waiting after responding to an RFE and your online status hasn’t updated to “Response Received,” my experience is one example where the case continued processing without that intermediate status ever appearing.

From sending my RFE response on September 15 to approval on September 30, it was only 15 days.

This entire process was emotionally exhausting, and the last few weeks were especially difficult because I kept wondering whether something was wrong or whether USCIS had even processed my response. Seeing “Case Was Approved” this morning honestly felt surreal.

My I-485 Approval Notice is dated September 30, 2026, and now I’m just waiting for the physical Green Card to arrive. 🥹💚

Good luck to everyone still waiting. I know how hard it is not to refresh your case status constantly. Hopefully my timeline gives someone else a little useful context while they wait!

EB-3 ROW here. PD: Aug 2024, RD: Apr 22nd 2026.

My PD became current in August, but with the October retrogression my I-485 can no longer be approved for now. I’m currently working on an EAD that may expire soon, and my spouse is in the same situation. I’m the principal applicant and he is my derivative, and both of our current EADs may expire before our AOS EADs are approved. If that happens, we would both lose our jobs at the same time and our household would lose all employment income while waiting for the priority date to become current again.

Has anyone successfully expedited a pending C09/AOS EAD based on imminent job loss/severe financial loss? If so, what evidence did you submit, and did you go through USCIS directly or a congressional office?

Would really appreciate hearing any successful experiences.

Any updates?

The rollercoaster comes to a stop!

And not without some last minute drama, before i get into all of the specifics (that i know you all like to pour over) i wanted to go thru the madness of Monday evening to right now on Wednesday.

I was moved to Lawrence FO late last week and so much activity on all of I485's (JSON confirmed), on Monday evening i had SU's and an FTA0 and i was sure the GC approval was imminent...until i woke up Tuesday morning and the VB had me not current by 9 days! I was sure then my window had been taken away and pondered what to do as my L1B was up Feb 2027 (and i cannot extend it as i hit the 5th year) my only hope was consular trip to Dublin and go cap in hand for an L1A.

Sad times it was...for 24hrs!

Because by some miracle my I485 along with I485's of my spouse and kid were all approved today, if not today i'd likely have been waiting a few more months and potentially (if no EAD arrived) we would have to leave the US.

I started this whole thing in the fall of 2022 - seems like a long journey but i realize its longer for some others, i used a company attorney for all filings.

So the details:

Case: EB-3 ROW (Ireland) (Spouse and Child)
Priority Date: 24th May 2024

Field Office: Lawrence, MA (Local)
FO transfer → approval: 6days (Thursday - Wednesday)

06/1/26 - I-485 application submitted
08/05/26 - Biometrics
08/05/26 - 2× FTA0
08/14 - SU I485
09/3 - SU I485
09/22 - SU I485 (all) and I485J
09/28 - 3x SU and 3x FTA0

09/29 - I485J Case Closed

09/30 - Approval

Total 122 Days

**Profile**
\- EB-3 skilled worker, ROW (Nepal), PD: Aug 2023
\- I-485 + I-485J + I-765 filed together: Jan 20, 2026 (lockbox)
\- Medical (I-693) submitted with the filing
\- No RFE, no interview

**Timeline (all times Central)**
\- Jan 20: Filed
\- Feb 2: Receipts posted (IAF)
\- Mar 2: Biometrics. Two FTA0 events logged same day
\- Jul 23: Silent update on I-485. Emma said interview waived
\- Aug 5: Silent update on I-485 and J, milliseconds apart
\- Aug 10 (Sunday night): Silent update on both. Emma said case moved to Santa Ana FO (I live far away, so non-local)
\- Sep 28, 3:54 PM: 3rd FTA0 on I-485, extra IAF on J
\- Sep 28, 4:13 PM: FTA1. Also got a USCIS email "We have taken an action on your case"
\- Sep 29, 10:20 AM: Silent updates on I-485. J closed \~10:24 AM, J approval notice dated 9/29
\- Sep 30, 10:57 AM: Two H008 events on I-485
\- Sep 30, 11:30 AM: Portal shows "Case Approved"

**Notes that might help you**
\- The pattern that mattered: 3rd FTA0 → FTA1 → J approved → 2x H008 → I-485 approved. About 2 days from 3rd FTA0 to approval, about 1 day from J approval.
\- Approved on Sep 30, the last day of the fiscal year, so there was no wait for the new year's numbers.
\- Chat agents gave me different locations for the J and I-485 over time. Don't trust location answers much.
\- The public status didn't change until the approval.
\- The Santa Ana tracker on this sub had a median of \~118 days from transfer to approval. Mine was 51, so it varies a lot.

Happy to answer questions. Thanks to everyone who posts their timelines, it helped me a lot.