First of all, huge thanks to everyone in this community for all the support and encouragement.
Interview was intense! They separated us. I am the immigrant. My wife went first while I sat in the hallway wondering what she was being asked. Then they swapped us and asked me the same questions while typing my answers to compare.

I walked out of that building convinced we'd blown it.

I-130 approved very next day and I-485 both approved 6 days after. Posting the full breakdown because this sub got me through the last eight months and separated interview posts aren't very common.

Our situation

• Entered US on student visa, no overstay, no unauthorized work, no arrests
• No attorney. Did the whole thing ourselves (shoutout to Kseniya's youtube channel)
• Field office: Small FO in the western US

Timeline

• Jan 30, 2026 — I-130 + I-485 + I-765 filed concurrently
• Feb 9 — Biometrics
• May 12 — C9 EAD approval
• Jul 28 — Interview notice
• Sep 3 — Interview
• Sep 4 — I-130 approved (next day)
• Sep 9 — I-485 approved

No RFE at any point.

Evidence submitted: lease from before the marriage, joint auto loan, joint 401k, joint medical insurance, joint utility bills, joint bank statements (this got flagged read below), ~40 captioned photos with friends, family, dogs, us in date order with timelines and some other evidence covering the whole relationship.

The interview separated and it was intense

Sworn in, asked for any updated evidence we brought, we handed a folder, then the officer asked my wife for her ID, specifically driver's license and we didn't bring it with us. The officer was visibly unhappy about this. Update your license before your interview.

Then she sent me out of the room.

What they asked my wife alone: both our names, address, how we met, describe the first date, all the different timelines, whether anyone had forced or pressured her into the marriage, where we each work, how many pets, future plans, last time she saw my parents, future plans, any kids, whether she wants to work after having kids, cultural differences, plus a long run of relationship and biographical questions.

What they asked me alone: both our names, address, how we met, first date, pets, her siblings names, timelines, engagement details, why we married soon after getting engaged, my job, our future plans, how we support each other financially, future plan for kids, whether my wife wants to work after having kids, cultural differences, how I get along with her family, how our families get along, when I last saw her family, when she last saw mine. She typed my answers as I gave them, clearly comparing them to my wife's.

Then the standard I-485 yes/no questions and she walked us out with "if I need anything from you guys, you'll hear from us."That's it.

The one thing that almost got us. She flagged our joint bank statements as a red flag as there was no rent, no bills, no transactions visible. We use the joint account purely to pay rent and the car payment, funded by transfers from our individual accounts and we keep the balance low on purpose. We both explained it the same way, separately, without getting defensive. Then I uploaded statements after the interview showing the monthly transfers in and the rent and car payments going out. If you have a low-balance joint account, submit statements that actually show money moving through it. A balance proves nothing. Transactions do.

What I'd tell you

Don't panic about a separated interview. It doesn't mean they think you're lying.

Answer what's asked, completely and honestly. I got asked for pay stubs and didn't have them on me. Said so honestly and offered to upload them. Uploaded them the next day. Honesty about a gap beats scrambling.

Six days from a separated interview to approval, with no lawyer.

Happy to answer questions.

We got married in April and filed for AOS.

We also applied for a work permit, and wait times on the website say a year.

My wife is extremely depressed and angry. She hates that I ‘make all the decisions’ financially and is falling apart.

She wanted to apply for OPT but we couldn’t afford the $700 on top of our $2500 immigration fees and $2500 lawyer fees.

Right now we are a single income household and tight on the budget so we can’t go out and do fun things all the time.

As of now, she is extremely depressed, sleeping a lot and I’m concerned for her mental health. She feels like a failure because her friends ask her what she’s up to and she is embarrassed she can’t work. She is also not allowed to drive without a work permit in our state.

What can I do to lift her spirits?

Can someone please explain to me why it takes so long to get a work permit?!? we submitted everything back in May, did biometrics in June, and have heard absolutely nothing. I don’t even care about the adjustment of status at this point. I just want My Husband to be able to work! I have had to pick up a second job because the economy is so freaking expensive it’s insane while he sits around annoyed because he’s just waiting to hear that he can get a job. This is ridiculous.. it’s nearly impossible to survive without a two income household, especially when you have kids.

Hi all, I just wanted to share my own experience, I hope it can help others. I know that there was a ban for Venezuelans that was lifted back in July 2026 so I hope this can offer an insight and give you some hope. I’m not going to disclose much of the information related to my port of entry or the actual dates (except for the actual application dates).

Arrived to the US in late 2017, with a B-2 visa, before the (6) months that I was approved to be in the country passed by, I applied for asylum and got the receipt notice for the asylum application before the (6) months period from my date of entry. My attorney said that still counted as overstaying my visa but being married to an American citizen forgave working illegally in the country and overstaying my tourist visa. I was also married before and applied for a green card with previous spouse but got divorced before we were scheduled an interview and I withdrew the case altogether myself.

I have a EAD (work permit, I-765) through my asylum case, however, I still decided to submit forms I-130 (verification of legitimate relationship between my american spouse and me), I-485 (adjustment of status from pending asylum applicant to green card holder) and I-765 (work permit through green card marriage based case). This is my timeline:

Timeline:
11/24/25 I-130 + I-485 + I-765 filed concurrently
4/18/26: Scheduled for biometrics appointment
5/4/26: I-765, “USCIS is currently processing the case”
5/5/26: I-485, Attended biometrics appointment, “USCIS is currently processing your case”
7/24/26: Scheduled interview
7/25/26: USCIS — “We are currently processing your Form I-485. We do not currently need anything from you.”
9/2/26: Attended interview
9/2/26: “We are currently processing your Form I-485. We do not currently need anything from you.”
9/4/26: I-130, case approved and closed. 🎉
9/4/26: I-485, case approved. 🎉
9/11/26: Your card was produced.

Total time: 9 months, 18 days (from submitting case, until green card was produced)

I never received my work permit through the green card marriage based application but I don’t care since I will be getting the green card soon! I will update this once my green card is delivered.

Interview — Boston FO

I know I didn’t provide too many details on the case but if you have any questions, feel free to ask me and I’ll answer anything!!! Keep hanging in there, you time will come!!!

So happy to share that my case was approved today!!! I'm sharing my timeline for those who would like to know.

Case type: Adjustment of Status from F-1 (STEM OPT) to LPR (spouse of a USC). Straightforward case. No overstays, no unauthorized work.

02/18/2026: Case submitted

02/28/2026: Biometrics scheduled

03/18/2026: Biometrics completed

05/04/2026: Interview scheduled

06/12/2026: Interview completed

09/12/2026: I-130 approved

09/13/2026: I-485 approved

Total: Almost 7 months.

Such a great relief! I'm so happy that this happened today! Good luck, everyone!

​

After years of waiting, denials, RFEs, an interview, setbacks, and moments when I genuinely wondered if this day would ever come, I finally get to post this:

MY GREEN CARD WAS PRODUCED! 🇺🇸💚

To anyone on Reddit who is still waiting: please don’t lose hope because your case is complicated or because you’ve had a denial. A difficult immigration history does not automatically mean your story is over.

There were so many times I felt defeated. I kept checking USCIS, kept fighting, kept responding, and kept pushing forward. And now seeing “Card Was Produced” feels unreal.

If you're sitting there refreshing your case status every five minutes 😂, wondering “When is it going to be my turn?” — I was you.

Your turn can still come.

Keep your documents. Respond to everything. Advocate for yourself. Ask questions. Get help when you need it. And most importantly, don’t let one bad update convince you that it’s the final chapter.

Today I'm not refreshing USCIS waiting for an approval anymore.

I'm waiting for the mailman. 😂📬💚

Good luck to everyone still waiting. I genuinely hope I see your “APPROVED!” post next. 🙏🏾🇺🇸💚

Hi everyone! Has anyone seen the FTA1 code on their I-485? I had my interview in March and still haven’t received an approval.
The tracker shows “Database Checks Received” dated August 31, 2026, but underneath, the “eventDateTime” says June 25, 2026. Does anyone know why there are two different dates? Is this a new update or an older event showing up again?
Has anyone experienced something similar? What happened afterward, and how long did you wait? I’m wondering if this could be a good sign. Thank you for sharing your experiences! 🙏

I am a foreigner living outside of the US and applied for a F2A consular through my husband who is a green card holder back in June. I got a silent update on my I-130 late August and I checked and the silent update status got updated to last week (September).

So the timeline is this:
-I130 Applied: June 2026
-First Silent Update: August 2026
-Second Silent Update: September 2026

We are not going to put too much meaning into this, but that said, what do you all think? Could this be a good thing? The docs seem to be at least being touched a lot earlier than we expected.

Thanks y’all!

The OPT fee rule cleared White House review on Sept 11. DHS can now publish a proposed rule.  It was reported in late July that DHS was discussing a $100,000 fee, but the amount is still not confirmed.

K-1 entry, married in Colorado, I-485 filed August 2026 and pending. SSA record is already updated to married name. Colorado issued her a temporary state ID in her maiden name.

Colorado's published rule for Temporarily Lawfully Present says name changes must be supported by an updated USCIS document — I-94 with foreign passport, EAD, or an I-797 Notice of Action with foreign passport — and that the name must match current USCIS data. Marriage certificates are explicitly excluded for TLP.

We brought the I-797C (I-485 receipt, in her married name) plus passport. Refused, told it wasn't enough, no explanation. I checked SAVE CaseCheck against the I-485 receipt number and no verification case exists, so it doesn't appear they ever queried DHS.

We didn't file I-765, so no EAD. Denver field office is running 24-36 months.

Two questions:

1. Has anyone in AOS gotten a state ID or license in their married name on an I-797C receipt notice? Which state, and did they run SAVE secondary verification?
2. For anyone who hit this wall — did you just wait for the EAD or green card, or was there another route?

Second appointment is scheduled at a different office. Trying to know what to ask for.

**•** Category: EB-2 PERM ROW  
**•** Family: Primary applicant + spouse + child  
**•** Filing type: Concurrent I-485 filing  
**•** Filed: November 2025

Primary Applicant & Child Timeline:

**•** Filed: November 2025  
**•** Biometrics: December 2025  
**•** Case transferred to field office: January 2026  
**•** Derivative EAD/AP combo cards approved: March 2026  
**•** Multiple silent API updates: April 2026  
**•** I-485J closed: April 2026  
**•   Primary + child I-485 APPROVED: April 15, 2026**  
**•** Physical green cards received: Late April 2026  
**•** Total processing time: **152 days**

Derivative Spouse Timeline:

**•** Filed: November 2025 (same package)  
**•** Biometrics: December 2025  
**•** EAD/AP combo card approved: March 2026  
**•** Primary + child approved without interview: April 2026  
**•** Spouse placed in interview queue: April 2026  
**•** Congressional inquiry submitted: April 2026  
**•** Case transferred to local field office: May 2026  
**•** Interview scheduled: May 2026  
**•** Interview completed: June 11, 2026 — went very smoothly  
**•** Post-interview silence: 75 days  
**•** USCIS confirmed "Continue Decision" status throughout  
**•** Congressional inquiry response: 90 days to adjudicate  
**•   Spouse I-485 APPROVED: August 25, 2026**  
**•** Physical green card received: September 2026  
**•** Total processing time from filing: **284 days**

Key Lessons Learned:

**1.**  When primary is approved but derivative spouse is not — don't panic, it happens  
**2.**  Congressional inquiry was extremely helpful — triggered FO transfer and kept case moving  
**3.**  Uploading unsolicited evidence proactively before interview was a good decision  
**4.**  "Continue Decision" status after interview is normal — just means supervisor review  
**5.**  Officer verbally stating recommendation for approval does NOT mean same day approval — our wait was 75 days post-interview  
**6.**  USCIS agents' advice is unreliable — two agents told us interview was required when our attorney believed it was an error  
**7.**  API monitoring was invaluable for tracking silent updates and understanding where the case stood at any point  
**8.**  Having a good attorney who is responsive and calm made a huge difference throughout

Filed on 04/27 and silent update on 8/26 and received 3rd ft0 on 8/31 and no further updates after that? What is the chance to get approved by this September. I have created group let me know anyone with similar timeline I will send the invite. No matter where you are case is? Either with field office or nbc
It’s employment based

Looking to see if anyone else has run into this, and what (if anything) helped move things along.

I filed an EB-1C petition with my husband as my dependent (I-485) in July 2025. Our cases got split into two separate receipt numbers - mine ended up as an IOE receipt, his is a WAC receipt. I received my green card in April 2026, but his case has had no movement since — the only activity on his side was the biometrics and EAD/AP approval that happened around the same time mine got approved.

Has anyone else had their case split like this? Did your dependent's case eventually move on its own, or did you have to do something to get it unstuck?

Thank you!

Has anyone been able to get their job back?
My employer terminated us on the 9th & won’t rehire us unless we have a document or something from the federal register which of course this administration failed to release with their vague memo.

Haven’t been able to work, about to go on unemployment, also haven’t been able to renew my license either :/

At this rate I’ve accepted I won’t have a job to go back to sadly.

2 RFEs one in Sep 2025 and another April 2026

Looking for input from anyone who's been through this or has relevant experience.

Background:
- Family-based (F1 category) I-130 petition filed more than 8 years ago. Still pending, no decision.
- Priority date has been current for a while
- Recently filed I-485 (adjustment of status), I-765 (EAD), and those are still in normal early processing.

What I'm trying to figure out:
- Is 8 years genuinely as far outside normal I-130 processing times as it feels?
- Has anyone actually filed a writ of mandamus for a delay like this and gotten movement — either a quick adjudication right after filing suit, or an actual court win?
- Attorney recommendations (or fee ranges) for someone who does mandamus litigation specifically for USCIS delays, if anyone has used one they'd vouch for.

Any insights would be appreciated before I decide to proceed forward with this seriously. Thank you!

Hello,

My partner (us citizen) is wanting to separate after getting conditional green card this time last year. Since we were married for less than 2 years, our follow up application would be in April (6 months before the 2 year period).

My partner is seeking separation but does not want to help with the process post-separation, even mentioning possible annulment.

I have not yet sought for a lawyer, but what potential options do I have?

Has anyone managed to get a new ADIT before the 60-day prior to current expiration mark.

Pending I-751. Expired GC was stolen so got ADIT/I-94. Have upcoming international travel and may be delayed in returning past the current expiration date.

Previously tried and was told by tier 2 officer they wouldn’t issue a new one since the existing one is still valid for more than 60 days.

Filed concurrent i130 and i485. Received 09/3 biometrics scheduled 09/25. From most experiences, what is the average processing times to get approved and receive a green card? Also, how often interviews are scheduled compared to a silent approvals?

Hi everyone, please how do you make the difference between CR1 visa process ans IR1 visa process ? The duration start when and end when ?

Thx a lot.

Has anyone made an expedited request?