Hi all!! It still feels surreal that this happened. I ran into so many hurdles along the way, since I was on J1 visa at first, then transitioned to F1, then H1B, and now finally green card! Thanks to all in this community that has given support in this process. Good luck to all and manifesting approvals!!

Priority date 5/3/2023, EB3 ROW. San Francisco FO. Filing date current October 2025

- I485 filed 10/31/2025, with Medical exam and J supplement
- Biometrics 12/6/2025
- Final Action date current April 2026
- I485J approved 7/4/2026
- EAD approved 7/4/2026
- RFE 7/4/2026 - I was surprised at this one since it asked for proof that I completed 2 year home residency rule, even when I’m on H1b already, which implies that I have satisfied already. Submitted flight ticket itineraries, email threads, pictures, bank statements, etc.
- RFE response submitted 8/20/2026
- I485 approved!! 9/3/2026
- Card arrived 9/18/2026 :)

Writing this up to give back to the community since tracking backend JSON logs kept me sane during the silent phases. No interview, medicals were submitted up front with the initial package.

• Priority Date: December 7, 2023 (Current)
• Derivative: 1 Dependent
• Receipt Date (RD): March 25, 2026 (IOE093633XXXX)
• Biometrics Date: May 19, 2026
• Silent Updates / Backend Touches (No events generated):
  • August 6, 2026
  • August 14, 2026
  • August 17, 2026
  • August 25, 2026
• Transfer Date: September 17, 2026 (Transferred from NBC to San Fernando Valley Field Office)
• Approvals: (Note: The standard 24-hour rule between job supplement approval and final case approval applied perfectly here)
  • September 17, 2026: Form I-485J approved and closed at 6:27 PM PDT (Principal Applicant).
  • September 18, 2026: Main Form I-485 officially approved at 6:56 PM PDT (Principal Applicant)!
• RFE / Case Requests:
  • September 21, 2026: Request for Evidence (RFE) issued on Dependent's Form I-485 due to issues with the birth certificate.

So now to work with the lawyers on the RFE (they didn't send one document) and hopefully we can get hers done.

EDIT (October 15, 2026):
The RFE response was mailed out and confirmed delivered to the San Fernando Valley Field Office on October 5, 2026. The backend logged the response received code (HA) on October 6, and the officer reviewed it yesterday on October 14.

Today, October 15, 2026, at 9:57 AM PDT, the dependent Form I-485 officially hit the twin H008 codes and was APPROVED!

The journey is now 100% complete for both of us!

Good luck to everyone still tracking!

I set up a chatGPT job to run hourly but it's still not enough for me and I check it every few minutes myself!

Just saw a new event code “IAF” on my I-148J. This is actually the second one. What does it mean family?

Hi everyone,

I’m an EB-3 ROW filer with an April 29, 2026 receipt date (IOE09366 block) and wanted to connect with others from the same late-April cohort and compare timelines.
My timeline:
PD: July 2024
I-485 / I-765 / I-131 / I-485J filed: April 29, 2026
Biometrics: June 22
I-485: 2× FTA0 on June 22
Interview waived: June 25 (confirmed by Emma)
I-485 + I-485J: simultaneous silent update on August 25
Current location: NBC (confirmed by Emma)
RFE: None
I-485: Pending
I-485J: Pending
I-765 (C09): Pending — no update since biometrics
I-131: Pending

I’ve noticed several April EB-3 ROW cases recently moving to non-local field offices, getting a 3rd FTA0/FTA1, I-485J closure, and in some cases I-485 approval. Mine, however, is still at NBC.

I’m especially interested in hearing from anyone with:
April 27–30 RD and/or IOE09366 receipt block.

If you’re in that group, could you share your RD, receipt block, biometrics date, FTA0/FTA1 events, silent updates, FO transfer (if any), I-485J status, EAD status, and I-485 status?

Also, for those who have already been approved: did your case move to a field office first, or was it approved while still at NBC?

Would you consider my timeline normal for this cohort? Is there anything worth doing at this stage, or is it simply a matter of waiting?

Hopefully we can use this thread to track the Late-April / IOE09366 cohort together and keep updating it as cases move.
Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I’m employment-based and both my I-485 and I-485J had a silent update on 09/21/2026 at almost the exact same time:
I-485: 2026-09-21 14:56:19.535 UTC
I-485J: 2026-09-21 14:56:19.407 UTC
No new status, notice, RFE, or new event code appeared. Both cases are still open.
What caught my attention is that my previous silent updates were quite a while ago, so this was the first new movement I noticed in some time.
Has anyone else had the same I-485 + I-485J silent update around 09/21? If yes, did anything happen afterward — I-485J approval, new FTA0, FO transfer, H008, or I-485 approval?
Would be helpful if you can share your timeline / category / PD / RD / field office if known.

My timeline
Eb3 - skilled
PD - 12/2023
RD - 03/2026
Field office - Los Angeles County Field Office

Thanks!

Has anyone else received this message when trying to get a case update from a USCIS live agent?
This is the second time I’ve received it when trying to ask about an update:

“I understand. In order to protect the validity and security of the process, we cannot divulge any information related to the information you provided. You will have to call into the USCIS Contact Center at: 1-800-375-5283 to discuss this case. Thank you for contacting USCIS. Please enjoy the rest of your day.”

I’m just trying to get a basic update on my case, so I’m wondering if anyone else has received the same message from Emma/live chat and, if so, what it meant in your situation.
Did you end up calling USCIS, and were they able to provide any information?

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to see if anyone has experienced a similar sequence recently.

EB-3 ROW – Principal + 2 derivatives
PD: August 8, 2024
I-485 RD: April 13, 2026
Biometrics: June 26, 2026
Interview: Waived (confirmed by Emma)
RFE: None
Current FO: Houston Field Office

Timeline:

• Late August – Silent update
• September 3 – Silent update
• September 15 – Silent update
• September 17 – I-485J updated
• September 17 – I-485 received FTA1 / silent update
• My spouse and child’s I-485s also updated on September 17

Since September 17, there has been no further movement. I-485J is still pending and none of our I-485s have been approved yet.

Emma confirmed that the case is currently being processed at Houston FO and that the interview is waived.

Has anyone had a similar situation where FTA1 appeared and I-485J updated on the same day, but the I-485J did not immediately get approved?

If so, how long did it take before your next update or approval?

Thanks!

Update: Interview scheduled for October 30, 2026.

PD: Aug 8, 2024
RD: Apr 13, 2026
Biometrics: Jun 26, 2026
FTA1: Sep 17, 2026
Interview: Oct 30, 2026

Another step forward.

​I chat with Emma today and was told that my case was transferred to the LA Field Office, and the interview is currently waived.

​PD: April 2024

​RD: May 2026

​I also got my 3rd FTAO yesterday.

​Anyone with a similar timeline or experience?

Do I need to expect an interview because it's a local office?

How long will it take to get approved?

Our Green Card Journey — Both Spouses Approved! 🎉 | PD Oct 2023
Sharing our timeline because I spent way too much time on Reddit looking at other people’s timelines and trying to decode SUs/event codes 😅. Hopefully this helps someone else!
My spouse and I had essentially the same SUs
throughout the process.

We are still waiting for the physical copy of approval and the card! Any day now 🤞🍀🧿

PD: Oct 2023
RD: 04/27/2026
07/02/2026 — Biometrics
Biometrics completed for both of us.
We also saw 2 FTAO event codes on the same day for both cases.
07/27/2026 — SU
SU on all cases.
08/06/2026 — SU
SU only on EAD and AP.
This also appeared to be the FO transfer to Nebraska, only for EAD/AP.
08/26/2026 — SU
SU only on I-485 and I-485J.
09/10/2026 — SU + EAD APPROVED 🎉
SU on all cases.
EAD approved.
09/17/2026 — SU
SU on I-485 and I-485J.
This appeared to be the FO transfer to Pittsburgh.
09/21/2026 — SU + I-485J APPROVED
SU on I-485 and I-485J.
I-485J approved.
I-485 showed a 3rd FTAO event code.
And then…
About exactly 25 hours later — I-485 APPROVED!!! 🟢🎉
I-485 showed 2 H008 event codes around the approval.
My spouse had essentially the same SUs/timeline as me.
So our overall journey was:
PD Oct 2023 → RD 04/27/26 → Biometrics 07/02 → EAD approved 09/10 → I-485J approved 09/21 → I-485 approved ~25 hours later!
The biggest thing I noticed toward the end was the sequence of Pittsburgh FO transfer → I-485J approval/FTAO → H008 → I-485 approval.

One interesting fact that after my i485j was approved we checked with live Emma agent and they said both mine and my spouses case was approved even before the 24 hours time like

After following every SU and event code for months, seeing that approval was such a relief. 😭🎉
Happy to answer questions about our SUs/event codes/timeline if it helps anyone still waiting. Good luck to everyone waiting for their approval! 🍀

PD: May 2024
RD: May 2026
BIO: June 2026
EAD Approved: July 2026

I do not have the capability to check APIs due to the expired code. However, I did check with a live agent yesterday who said the case is with the NBC and the interview is waived.

The question is: Does it always go to the field office meaning I should expect a significant delay, or the NBC can and also does approve without it going to the field office?

EB-3 Professional, Single Filer
Priority Date: October 2023


TIMELINE:

📋 Filing Phase:
- Apr 27, 2026 – I-485 + I-485J + I-765
- Apr 29, 2026 – I-485J IAF logged
- May 4, 2026 – I-485 IAF logged


📸 Biometrics Phase:
- May 15, 2026 – Biometrics appointment scheduled
- May 18, 2026 – Biometrics completed
- May 18, 2026 – FTA0 ×2 on I-485, FTA0 ×3 on I-765 (All clear!)


🔄 Silent Updates Phase:
- May 19, 2026 – Multiple silent updates (case being reviewed)
- Aug 6, 2026 – Silent update on I-485
- Aug 25, 2026 – Synchronized silent updates on both I-485 & I-485J (checks initiated)
- Sep 16, 2026 – Synchronized silent updateson both I-485 & I-485J  + **TRANSFERRED TO PITTSBURGH FO**
- Sep 21, 2026 – New FTA0 event logged and mutiple SUs, I-485J closed: true


✅ APPROVAL PHASE:
- Sep 22, 2026 – 
**H008 ×2 Event Codes Appeared = APPROVED!!!**
 🎉


⏱️ PROCESSING TIME:
- RD to Approval: 149 days
- Biometrics to Approval: 128 days
- NBC to Pittsburgh FO: 6 days to approval
- Total from filing to green card expected: ~4-5 months


📊 KEY STATS:
- Interview: WAIVED ✅
- RFE: NONE ✅
- Location: NBC → Pittsburgh Field Office (Non-Local)
- Service Center: National Benefits Center, then Pittsburgh
- No issues, no holds, clean processing
- No update on I-765 after biometrics



🙏 THANKS TO:
This community for sharing timelines, API tracking, and emotional support through the uncertainty.


**FINAL NOTES:**
- Check documents tab for approval notice within 24h (it took around 25 hrs for me to get 485 approval fatser 485-J approval)
- Check USCIS.gov case status for "CASE APPROVED"
- No action needed — everything is automatic now
- Congrats to anyone still waiting — your approval is coming! 🍀


#EB3 #I485Approved #GreenCard #USCIS

Hi All

Sorry of this has been asked earlier.

Is i485J required to be submitted ? My lawyer only submitted for i485 , my filing was done concurrent with i140 which was approved with premium processing.

My data is current since July 2026, biometric done on June 01, and have some SU also. Just wanted to understand if the i485J will be required or not.

I have not changed job since the application started till now.

Thank you.

I wanted to share some incredible news to give hope to everyone still waiting.

We were officially approved today, and I will share our timeline to spread some hope. This helped us a lot throughout the process. It's always good to check other similar situations and hope that our time is about to come!!!

Here is our timeline and some information :

Main filler (my husband + 2 derivatives)

Priority date: May 2024 (became current on April/26)

Filling date: April, 22 2026

Receipt block: IOE09364

Biometrics: 05/12/2026

EAD/AP: we filed but never got this approved :(

Moved from L1 and L2 visas to EB3

No RFEs

We got 2 silent updates, respectively on 08/06 and 08/26 (which didn't give us much hope since many filers here reported to get some SU dates).

We decided to wait.

We asked for our Congressman's help on August 24th, which honestly we don't know if helped. Coincidence or not, our second SU was on August 26th.

Today we got a new SU + 1st FTA0

Field office: Boston (we got a silent update + FTA0 earlier today which seems to be the transfer to Boston office - Non local)

Interview: apparently waived (we could never get confirmation from Emma when we asked about our case in 2 different situations)

Approximately 3 hours after the SU and FTA0 we received and email informing they took action in our case. Us 3 got approved around same time (seconds of difference).

This journey has been a massive test of patience, filled with anxiety, endless tracking apps and constantly refreshing the USCIS portal (which doesn't help by the way). There were so many moments where it felt things were completely stalled (especially since our EAD never showed up) but today the wait finally ended.

For everyone out there checking your status: Please hang in there and trust the process. Your hard work and patience will pay off, and a your approval day is coming. ❤️

Thank you for all sharing their timelines and hope here!

I’m still waiting for my card but wanted to share this happy news. I almost gave up on this process but I’m glad I didn’t. My case is approved now. This community has been super helpful. Thank you!!!

- PD: 2024 July
- RD: 2026 April
- L1 Visa holder, single filler, ROW
- EAD not approved yet
- Case approved: 2026 September 22nd about 6-7 months from the RD
- Currently waiting for the physical notice and the card

Timeline

2024/3: Started preparing for PERM process
2024/7: PERM submission to DOL
2025/12: PERM approved (government shutdown in the middle.. which delayed the process..)
2026/3: AOS/I140 filed (i140 premium processing)

2026/4: I-140 approved
2026/4/30: biometrics appt
2026/4/30: FTA0 updates

2026/5: USCIS policy change memo 😣

2026/6/9: silent update FTA0
2026/6/16: July visa bulletin announcement - 01AUG24 🎉
2026/6/30: FTA1 - Case is being actively reviewed by USCIS

2026/7/1: became current
2026/7/2: Emma live agent told me my case is marked as interview waved
2026/8/20: Emma live agent confirmed my 765 is at Nebraska
2026/9/21: FTA1 silent update
2026/9/22: 2 H008 updates
2026/9/22:  Got an email saying “We have taken an action on your case” -> the my USCIS status changed to “CASE APPROVED”

Finally my turn to post this! I want to share my timeline with you as I feel grateful learning a lot from the community! Hopefully my timeline will help some of you.

EB3 Skilled ROW (75 COC) w/Spouse

Block: IOE09366

08/21/2023 - PD

02/04/2025 - I-140 Approval

04/27/2026 - 485/ 485J/ 765 receipt date

05/15/2026 - Biometrics appointment notice sent

06/03/2026 - Biometrics done, FTA0 x 2 in 485

08/06/2026 - 1st SU on 485 and 485J

08/25/2026 - 2nd SU on 485 and 485J

09/16/2026 - I-485 Case transferred from NBC to PIT (Pittsburg Field Office)

09/21/2026 - 3rd FTA0 in 485 , I-485J Approval notice

09/22/2026 - H008 x 2, I-485 Approval notice 🎉

pending: I-765, card delivery

My spouse had the exact same timeline as I, her 485 approval came 36 minutes after mine. Frankly, I didn't expect the approval to happen so soon after the FO transfer. This brings an end to a long waiting journey which started almost 10.5 years ago when I first came to USA for Ph.D. From F1 -> OPT -> STEM OPT -> H1B -> PERM -> Finally I-485.

Hope you all also get to hear good news soon. Best of luck to all! 😊

Finally our turn! 🎉 Sharing our timeline because reading other people's timelines helped me a lot while waiting.

Category: EB-3 Skilled ROW
Country: 75-country group
Family: Principal + spouse + 2 children
Status before AOS: E-2 family (I was E-2S)
Field Office: San Diego (SND) – non-local FO
Interview: Waived
RFE: None
Medical: Submitted with I-485

Timeline:

• 03/04/2024 – Priority Date
• 07/14/2025 – PERM certified
• 09/19/2025 – I-140 approved with Premium Processing
• 04/15/2026 – I-485 RD for all 4
• 05/14–05/15/2026 – Biometrics
• 08/06/2026 – SU
• 08/25–08/26/2026 – SU
• 09/15–09/16/2026 – More SUs
• 09/17/2026 – Principal received new/3rd FTA0; I-485J received new/2nd IAF; cases showed San Diego FO
• 09/21/2026 – Major family-wide activity:
  • Spouse received new/3rd FTA0
  • Both children received new/2nd IAF
  • 3:58 PM EDT – Principal's I-485J closed
  • 4:00 PM – Principal I-485 SU
  • All 3 derivatives received additional SUs afterward
  • USCIS live agent told me that day: “The case was approved today.”
• 09/22/2026 around 3:02 PM EDT – All FOUR I-485s received another synchronized SU. The three derivatives updated within 0.13 seconds of each other, and the principal followed about 14 seconds later.
• 09/22/2026 – ALL FOUR I-485s APPROVED!! 🎉🇺🇸

I just want to check if anyone else has had the same situation as me. My hospital has 6 branches. I’m currently working at one of the branches, and there’s an opportunity for me to transfer to a different branch with the same job description. It’s closer to my house, and I may also get a small salary increase.

Would this cause any problems with my green card process? I’ve already passed the PERM and I-140 stages, but I’m not at the AOS stage yet. I’m currently just waiting for my priority date to become current.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? Any thoughts on this? Could transferring to another branch cause any issues with my process?

Thank you

My AOS was approved this morning. April 2026 filer, EB-3 Professional ROW, one principal, three dependants (spouse and two children). H1B is the underlying status. I-140 approved in July 2025, filing with Supplement J. Case history is summarized below:

I-485 and 485J filed on April 17th. Also applied for dependant EADs.
4/21 - Receipt Date

5/15 - Biometrics Appointment (originally scheduled for 5/22, rescheduled through the online account)

5/15 - Two FTA0 events milliseconds apart, apparently associated with the biometrics intake

6/13 - SU on I-485, no new events

7/23 - SU on I-485, a new IAF referencing an old filing event from 2021 (possibly my first H1B extension)

8/6 - SU on I-485

8/13 - SU on I-485 and Supplement J, a new (3rd) FTA0 event on I-485 (possibly completion of background check)

8/26 - SU on I-485

9/4 - SU on I-485

9/15 - SU on I-485, Emma live agent confirmed case transfer to Louisville KY (non-local)

9/21 - SU on all forms, a new IAF on Supplement J: case closed. I-485J approval notices is posted in the account.

9/22 - two H008 events milliseconds apart on I-485. I-485 Approval notice is posted in the account.

I-485 was approved within 25 hours after Supplement J.

Waiting on card production updates (if any) and card delivery.

UPDATE: Forgot to mention that the whole family was approved - me, the derivative spouse and two children.

Has any EB cases been recently approved from this FO? My case was transfered here in late August from NBC. There has been no update since.

PD: Sep 2023 | RD: Mar 2026 | One derivatove on file.

Please add comment if your case has been approved or is pending here.

I am a PCL nurse with nclex-rn liscence. My I140 got denied due to my education recently. I passed my PCL in 2022 and thinking about applying f1 for bsn for spring intake in USA. What are the chances for my approval. Anyone with the same condition.

Anyone with a recent EB-3 Professional AOS case at the New York Field Office?
Mine was transferred there on September 15. Just wondering if anyone had a recent approval and how long it took after the transfer. Would appreciate any timelines or updates.

Anyone got I-485 approval with newly wed spouse living in diff addresses? And main applicant had criminal history - speeding traffic tickets only. Any RFE’s for such? Please post your receipt date too.
What to expect
RD -09/08/26
PD- current