Filing for I-130 with Potomac Center.

[Dania Floroiu 0]

Hi all, 

 

My immigration story is a bit different. I (female, 22) married my husband, then boyfriend, on July 16th, 2018. We were only 20, but had been together for about a year and a half since our wedding. However, my immigration story started way before. I cam to the United States, illegally, on January 1st, 2003. I was only four years old at the time and came under a fake passport. Honestly its pretty miraculous because I got caught at O'Hare international airport, as did my parents whom were already here, and we were let go by immigration instead of being deported. Call it an act of God, we started the immigration process, as a family, the next day.

 

Nonetheless, in 2009, my family, excluding my brother who is currently 17 and a USC, got With-holding of removal. Basically, we did not get asylum, but the judge decided that there was a risk of us returning back to our nation and are therefore allowed to remain in the United States. It's been over 10 years since and my husband and I decided to wait a bit to start the immigration process, to see if we were ready. This month our I-130 was finally sent out, with an I-130a from our lawyers office. 

 

My immigration process is going to be a little different. I have to first file for an I-130, then once that is approved, I have to request a court date hearing in order to close my witholding status and start a new immigration process on the grounds of me being married to a USC. Once that is approved, which it hopefully will be, I will finally be able to file for my I-495. Essentially, I am taking all the steps, except adding one and doing them separately. 

 

My question mostly relates to how long wait times typically are for those who have filed and got sent to the Potomac center. 

 

Our I-130 was received on 02/12/2020. 

Our receipt number starts with IOE (I don't know if that changes anything). 

Our preference classification is 201 B INA Spouse of USC. 

 

We have opened up a USCIS account online. As of February 24, it tells me the following: 

In Process: Your benefit request has been accepted and is under review.

We're not necessarily in a rush as we are looking towards moving to a new apartment soon. I'm still in school completing my masters while my husband works full time. But I am so curious and so anxious! So,please let me know! Any tips, any surprises, what time I should be anticipating. I have heard that Potomac is 7.5 months to 10. I applied for a FOIA last year and I got it within six months, so I'm hoping this will be the case for my I-130! Thank you so much for your time.