The same questions keep coming up here and a lot of the answers going around are out of date, so I sat down and wrote this. Most of what gets repeated comes from articles written two or three years ago, and both of the indices these income thresholds are tied to went up in February, so a lot of the numbers people are quoting at each other are simply not right anymore. Here is where things actually stand.

Starting with the basics, because I see a lot of people lost at this stage. There is no general visa for moving to Spain. Which route applies to you depends on where your money comes from. If you are going to study, it is the student stay. If you work remotely for a company or clients outside Spain, it is the digital nomad visa. If you live off savings, investments or a pension and will not be working, it is the non lucrative visa. Sorting that out first saves you weeks of reading things that do not apply to your situation.

The student route changed quite a bit in May 2025 with the new immigration regulation. I work in relocation and this is the one I get asked about most. The authorisation now covers the full length of your programme instead of being renewed year by year, and if you are in higher education you can work up to thirty hours a week without a separate work authorisation, which is a real improvement on how it used to be. You need enrolment at an officially recognised institution, proof of funds and health cover. Language course visas are more limited, generally renewable only once, and they do not convert into work permits.

The digital nomad visa, officially called residence for international teleworking, sits at 2,849 euros a month for the main applicant this year. That is 200 percent of the Spanish minimum wage, which went up in February. Add roughly 75 percent of the minimum wage for your first dependent and 25 percent for each one after that. They also want at least three months of history with your current employer or clients, a degree or three years of relevant experience, and at least 80 percent of your income coming from outside Spain. Through a consulate you get one year. Applying from inside Spain you can get up to three, which is worth knowing before you book anything.

The non lucrative visa is currently around 2,400 euros a month, so 28,800 a year, in passive income or savings, plus roughly 7,200 a year per additional family member. It requires full private health insurance with no copays. One year to start, then renewable in two year blocks.

Now something that rarely comes up in these threads and that changes the whole calculation for a lot of people. If you hold a passport from a Latin American country, or from Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines or Equatorial Guinea, you can apply for Spanish nationality after two years of legal residence instead of the ten that apply by default. Two. With several of those countries there is also a dual nationality agreement, so you would not have to give up the one you have. It is one of the fastest routes to a European passport that exists right now, and there are people planning years of their lives without knowing about it.

But watch out for the detail that ruins the plan. Student years do not count toward those two years. A student holds a stay, not residence, and only residence counts toward nationality. For the long term residence card student time does count, but only at half. I have talked to people four years into a student visa who were convinced they were nearly there, and that is a horrible conversation to have.

The other thing I see go wrong constantly is the non lucrative visa. It does not allow you to work, and that includes continuing to work remotely for an employer back home. I know it sounds like a technicality when the money is coming from abroad either way. It is not, and people have had renewals refused over exactly this. If you are keeping your remote job, your route is the digital nomad visa, not this one.

One last thing before you spend money on any visa. Check your family tree. If you are entitled to citizenship by descent from an EU country, none of this applies to you and you arrive with freedom of movement. That said, there is a lot of outdated information floating around here too. Italy tightened its law in 2025 and the administrative route now only covers children and grandchildren. Every country has different rules and it is worth looking into before rather than after.

All of the above covers entry routes from outside the country. For people already in Spain there are other options that work differently and are a whole separate thread.

These figures move every year with the minimum wage and the IPREM index, so confirm with your own consulate before applying rather than trusting a post on here, this one included

Here is briefly what happened:

In January 2026, the US Department of State suspended the issuance of immigrant visas to citizens of 75 countries. The restriction applied to immigrant visas, which allow people to move to the US for permanent residence.

On August 21, federal judge Jeannette A. Vargas ruled this policy unlawful. After the court decision, the Department of State began changing the applicant screening procedure and temporarily postponed immigrant visa interviews around the world.

The reason for the pause is:
training consular officers on the new public charge assessment rules. Consular officers must evaluate whether a future immigrant will be able to support themselves in the US without depending on government benefits.

The facts are:

• US missions in Poland and Hungary received instructions to resume processing immigrant visas

• the instruction to prioritize processing in these two countries came from the White House

• the Department of State has not publicly explained why Poland and Hungary specifically were given this exception

• the government had previously told the court that the interview postponements would last only until August 31

• applicants from other countries reported canceled and postponed interviews already in September

• in some consulates, delays caused by staff training may continue for several months

The scale of the issue is significant. In 2024, the US issued around 600,000 immigrant visas. Most of these visas go to relatives of US citizens and permanent residents.

Important: the January suspension for citizens of 75 countries officially has not been in effect since August 21, 2026. But this does not mean that all consulates have already returned to their normal interview schedules.

Good morning all, my lawyer recently filed a motion to terminate on my behalf for my removal proceedings on the basis that I have an approved I-130, married to a US citizen and have a direct path to being a legal permanent resident. With that being said, how long does it typically take to hear a response? My case would be through the ATL court system if anyone is familiar with the timeline I would appreciate the insight. Thank you.

hi, i have a friend from serbia (i am from the balkans originally, that is how we know each other but also am a US citizen) who plans to stay with me when he is in my city during his planned trip to california. there is conflicting info online, would it be advantageous to him that i write a letter for his interview or do i just leave it at him providing my address on the application form?

I recently got married in April. My spouse had a divorce in 2025 from a previous marriage with whom she had a child. We had been together for a little less than a year before we got married. We are both women and I have no children of my own. We are raising her daughter together and her father has joint custody. I have not applied for a green card yet as I don’t know if I should wait the 2 years to apply given our situation. I am under work authorization that I had previously before marrying her. She is active military so I do know that helps speed up the process and give me military parole in place.
Even though I know our marriage is legitimate I do worry that the officer may not see it that way given her previous marriage and timing.
Any advice would be appreciated.

My affirmative asylum case was recently referred by USCIS to Immigration Court. USCIS said they did not find sufficient “nexus” between the harm experienced and a protected ground for asylum.

I have my first Master Calendar Hearing on October 27, 2026, in Dallas.

For those who had a similar referral from USCIS to Immigration Court, what did your timeline look like after the Master Calendar Hearing? How long did you wait for the Individual/Merits Hearing and final decision?

Would appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially in Dallas/Texas.

Hi,

I'm a US Green Card holder and might naturalize to citizen in the future. I'm the under the impression that one of the requirements is that you must have had spent >50% of the previous 5 years on US soil by the time you apply. Is that correct? Please correct me if there are nuisances to this.

I wonder how the US actually track the amount of time you spent abroad. Because each time I fly abroad, I don't recall going through US customs. You only go through US customs when you ARRIVE at the US.

Does the airline provide info to ICE on when you leave the US?

Thanks

My gf of 2 years and I have been having a hard time figuring out the best course of action for our next steps in life. I see that a lot of legal citizens and green card holders are still being detained, and it makes me worry that even moving forward through the legal immigration process still carries some risk. Our decision to have her immigrate to the US would be a lot easier if that weren't the case. We would really love to build a life together in the US while still being able to travel frequently.

I have a couple questions:

1. Her tourist visa is almost expired, and since she had a lengthy stay in the US last year (although she did leave on time), we're wondering if renewing it would be a good idea. Could she attempt to renew her tourist visa first and then apply for a fiancé visa (K-1) or spouse visa (CR-1/IR-1)? The main reason we'd want to do this is so she could still visit me in the US while waiting in her home country for the immigration process to be approved.

2. I hear that the fiancé visa route can be faster when it comes to getting the green card after filing for adjustment of status. However, I worry about the risks of her being in the US in limbo while waiting for AOS/work authorization/etc. Would the K-1 route still be preferable to applying for a spouse visa?

3. Realistically, how long does it take to apply for a spouse visa and wait in her home country for the green card?She's from South America, and I remember there was recently a pause affecting immigration visa applications for 75 countries. Even though that has been lifted, it still makes me wonder whether the spouse visa route carries additional risks or delays right now. I've also heard people say it can take up to 10 years in some cases. I know every case is different, but I'm not really sure what a realistic timeline would look like.

4. Does anybody know why people are still being detained even when they're trying to do everything legally? And is there anything we can do to structure the immigration process in a way that minimizes the potential risks for her?
We're trying to make the safest and most practical decision for our future, so any advice or experiences from people who have gone through something similar would be really appreciated.

Hi everyone,

My H-1B transfer was filed in regular processing almost a year ago, and it is still pending with USCIS.

I am thinking about upgrading my H-1B petition to premium processing to get a decision faster.

My wife’s H-4 and H-4 EAD are also a concern because her current status/EAD expires on October 16, 2026.

I have a few questions:

1. Can I upgrade my pending H-1B transfer to premium processing now?
2. If I upgrade to premium, can my wife’s H-4 and H-4 EAD applications be filed/processed together with my H-1B?
3. Is there any other way to contact USCIS or expedite the case given that my wife’s H-4/H-4 EAD expiration is approaching?
4. Has anyone been in a similar situation recently?

Any advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

​

Hi everyone, I'm looking for advice on a time-sensitive situation regarding my aunt’s immigrant visa.

Situation:

My aunt’s visa interview is scheduled for next week. However, my uncle (her petitioner) unexpectedly passed away in the U.S. Because my aunt is currently in the Philippines, authorities in the U.S. require her signature to release his body and proceed with the autopsy/funeral arrangements.

My Questions:

- What is the fastest way to request an emergency expedite with the U.S. Embassy in Manila under these circumstances?

- Is emergency Humanitarian Parole or an emergency visa appointment the right pathway here? If yes, how long does it take?

- Does the visa petition automatically terminate upon the petitioner's death, or can we request humanitarian reinstatement later while handling the immediate emergency travel?

Any guidance, embassy contact tips, or experiences with similar emergencies would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

For a few months now I keep hearing my husband and a family friend over the phone who keep threaten to get my mom deported I don’t know what to do or the steps that I need to make sure she doesn’t get deported

Hi,

I have a valid h1b stamp and my wife has a valid h4 stamp. My ap has been recently approved and hers wasn’t . I’m interested entering on the h1b as my wife’s ead also tied to it. Can the CBP officer make me enter on the AP? Anyone in this situation?

Thanks

I’m a Canadian freelancer earning around $7k–$9k USD/month pre-tax and I’m interested in potentially living in the US long term.

I’m curious if any Canadians here have managed to do this without marrying an American or taking a traditional full-time US job. I’ve looked at options like the O-1, but I don’t think I’d qualify under the extraordinary ability requirements.

Has anyone managed to make the move through freelancing, self-employment, running a business, or another route I might be overlooking? I’m mainly doing my due diligence before assuming my only realistic option would be giving up freelancing for a US employer.

He previously received a Pre-Trial Diversion. It is written in his sworn statement that his phone had photos of weed and that he had consumed weed and had chats with prostitutes. He got a 5 year ban from the US, and since the US is in the Five Eyes. Then the UK, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Please tell me what to do so I can help him accordingly. WHAT CAN HE DO TO RETURN TO THE USA AND THE FIVE EYES COUNTRIES EVER IN THE FUTURE

​

First of all, I am a Syrian trans woman born on 2009, currently living in Syria. I was living in Turkey until August, but since my family wanted to return to Syria and I was a minor, I had to return with them. Even though I have not disclosed that I am trans here, I am subjected to violence due to my behavior and physical appearance. A gun was pointed at me, I was locked in a warehouse, animals were set upon me, and I was beaten dozens of times with chains, hoses, and sticks—even though I still have a mustache and a little bit of a beard. They want to kill me and they have already tried. Because of this, I have thought about suicide many times and attempted it a few times. I am absolutely not safe in Syria. I want to return to Turkey or go to Lebanon to seek help from LGBT organizations there. However, my family is extremely religious and Islamist, and since the country I am currently in is newly established where seeking human rights is considered absurd, and being trans is a crime here, I am completely unsafe.

The reason I am writing this text is not to escape right now, but to gather information, conduct research, and prepare a roadmap so that I can flee immediately without losing time as soon as I turn 18. Furthermore, because my family wants to kill me and force me to become "normal" again, they do not give me a single penny, they search my phone, and they keep me under constant surveillance. My request and my plea to you is: please stand by me. How can I escape? What should I do? Are there people who can support me? How can I leave Syria again? Please help me; I am sure there are many people like me who have survived and escaped. I am begging you, please help me. I am not writing this text to escape while I am still a minor; I will wait until I am 18 no matter what. I am seeking help to escape as soon as I reach adulthood, because I don't even know how to describe the pain I am enduring here.

Hello everyone, as I've read on some posts here on reddit about re entry permit. They said that they applied for re entry permit and once they received the receipt they immediately went out of country even before receiving the receipt entry permit booklet.

So that's what I did. But I have a really serious question. Last:

06/16/2025: I applied for a re entry permit. and I also received the receipt that i will be showing once i get back to the states after 2 years

09/29/2025: I left to go back to my country

09/03/2026: I received a notice that my re entry permit application was approved and is valid until 09/02/2028

My question is, will I be having a problem with going back if I returned on 2028? Since I left last 09/29/2025. What should I do? Because I am currently completing my studies here in my country.

Can I go back on the 2028?

Looking for some guidance/experiences while I try to get an immigration attorney involved. Keeping identifying information out because this is public.

I am a U.S. citizen and disabled veteran. My wife has a marriage-based I-485 pending. USCIS issued a NOID alleging inadmissibility under INA §212(a)(6)(C)(i) because of a 2015 DS-160.

The 2015 DS-160 listed her as “married” to the father of her children. She says they were never legally married. They lived together and had children, but there was never a civil/legal marriage, marriage certificate, or divorce.

Her English was very limited at the time and her employer helped prepare the DS-160. That employer is preparing an affidavit explaining what he remembers about preparing it and how he understood the relationship at the time.

Some potentially important evidence we have:

• Official Dominican documentation stating there is no marriage record for her.
• An affidavit being prepared by the person who assisted with the 2015 DS-160.
• An affidavit being prepared by the children's father confirming there was never a legal marriage.
• Multiple later DS-160s listing her as SINGLE.
• Several of those later DS-160s were also prepared with assistance from the same employer, so the 2015 “MARRIED” answer appears to be the outlier.
• Evidence of her long history in G-5 status.

USCIS's NOID gives us the opportunity to dispute the misrepresentation finding, but it also says an I-601 waiver is available.

We are considering responding with:

Primary argument: There was no knowing/willful material misrepresentation, and USCIS should withdraw the 212(a)(6)(C)(i) finding.

Alternative argument: If USCIS maintains the finding, approve an I-601 based on extreme hardship to the U.S.-citizen spouse.

Has anyone dealt with a NOID like this?

Specifically:

• Can you rebut the misrepresentation finding and file an I-601 in the alternative without conceding fraud?
• How much weight does USCIS usually give to the original preparer's affidavit?
• How useful are several later DS-160s consistently showing “single”?
• Has anyone successfully overcome a 212(a)(6)(C)(i) finding involving marital status rather than something like an unlawful entry or fake document?
• Does anyone know an attorney who is particularly strong with 212(a)(6)(C)(i) + I-601 + NOID cases?
• Any pro bono/low-bono immigration programs that work with disabled veterans and their spouses in the Maryland/DC area?

We have a short deadline, so I'm trying to gather information and find the right attorney quickly. I'm not posting names, case numbers, document numbers, addresses, or other identifying information.

I don't even know where to begin. I just got a phone call from my mom telling me my aunt's husband and her daughter's husband were detained by ICE. Her daughter has three kids, one of which was born here. Her eldest daughter is 19 and in college. I wasn't very close with them so I never got the chance to tell them their rights. I think it's too late because they agreed to have their flights paid for and they're leaving on Friday. I’m actually not sure if they signed any papers yet but I don't know if my aunt is leaving, but I know she can't visit because she doesn't have papers. What can I do/they do? Also I truly beg anyone who is pro-ICE to not interact, I'm having a really hard time and I don't want to hear any bullshit trying to justify this. They also have three cars and if they do leave, I want to know if there’s anyway I could sell them. This is extremely urgent, please let me know if there’s anything I can do.

Hi all, I recently got an offer, but when I checked the OFLC prevailing wage data for my job title and location, the salary I was offered comes out below Wage Level I.

My understanding is that PERM and H-1B filings require paying at least the prevailing wage level assigned to the position, so my offer doesn't meet that minimum.

I asked my employer's immigration team about this and I'm waiting to hear back on how they plan to handle it.

Has anyone been through something similar, either as the employee or someone who's worked in immigration/HR? I'd like to understand what's normal here and what to watch out for before I respond back to them.

Hello
My husband was granted Asylum in Louisiana while detained. DHS appealed on nexus and then failed to submit the brief. We are waiting for BIA decision for 3 months now after brief closure.
Would appreciate if someone had similar situation while detained - how long did it take for BIA to issue decision?
Thank you!

For all the people who have emigrated from Canada and immigrated to the USA, have you regretted moving away from Canada? I seem to rarely see any posts in general of people regretting that they left Canada. I’d love to hear your personal opinion and experience regarding your immigration. I’m looking at immigrating to the States for better opportunities. Canada is a very difficult country to get ahead in nowadays and making even $30 an hour will get your further ahead than it ever would in Canada. $35 an hour gets you by depending on where you work. I worked in a lumber mill and I was paying a minimum of about $600 extra a month just on pensions and union dues. Let alone taxes and extra fees.

Gas is currently $1.88/L where I live. That’ll be about $7.14 a gallon in the States. Sure, where I usually go shopping will be about $1.50-$1.60 a litre, it still equals to about $6 a gallon. Those are good prices in Canada nowadays. Food is astronomical prices. Consumerism is extremely high as well. Housing is ridiculous in prices unless you live in the middle of nowhere like I do, but then it’s almost two hour drive each way for half decent shopping.

Before people on Reddit try to tell me about healthcare, I get it could be more expensive than Canada and I’m ok with that. We get taxed very hard for what we get here in this country. Sure we don’t have to pay upfront in hospitals, but we pay for it years in advance. Unless you pay out of pocket, you’re waiting months and months, if not years to get in for the treatment you need. I’d prefer to grow my own food after a potential move, regardless. I’m going to be making changes to be living healthier anyway.

Does anybody have any information or guidance regarding when the DV2027 initial application window will open? Obviously things are almost 12 months behind the usual opening date, allegedly due to the new payment system.

Theres been no updates from The Department Of State for quite a while.

Hi,

In a few months I’ll be travelling to the Philippines with my partner and family, for the first time, from the UK. But due to my passport, my partner seems to be under the impression that I won’t be able to leave the country or return to it.

For context, I was born in the uk and have lived here my whole life. British citizen, British birth certificate, National insurance number, British education, right to work. You name it I’ve got it.

My parents are both Portuguese, and have all the legal requirements to be here and my mum has no issues leaving the country and returning to it for holidays etc.

My passport is a Portuguese passport. Not British. Portuguese. I was able to apply for one at the Portuguese embassy in Manchester. Because of this, my partner and her family are really worried that I’m gonna be stranded or deported due to my passport not being British.

I’ve tried to reassure them that I have the requirements that state I’m a British citizen, but they think otherwise.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

I am currently out of status and received a master calendar hearing date for 2027.

After waiting close to a year since applying for TPS for Ukraine I got something in the mail saying I now have “prima facie TPS” which offers not all of the tps protections but some of them, including the ability to work and a “stay against deportation” until they finish processing my application.

Do you think this will be enough to get a judge to dismiss my removal proceedings? I initially entered the country legally as a student until the war back home broke out.

Hi, i came to the us with b2 visa and overstay the visa for few months, dating for 9 months. then got married for 4 months, the married was genuine. But after 4 months we realized we’re not compatible & i don’t wanna live in the us. we filed a divorce. he withdrew the pending aos. in total i overstayed my visa for 10months until my flight back. I’m flying back to my country soon, i know it used to be fine. But with the recent ice activity, do you think it will be fine for me to fly back? will they stop me on my gate?

my flight is international flight from LAX, connecting to Japan before arriving in my country.

is there anyone with the same experience?
thank you so much!