Free US immigration self-help guides, example forms, community discussion, case tracking & estimated approval dates!

Hello everyone here. I was wondering if someone would please send me a link or could please tell me what the steps are to follow after getting the (Approval Notice Section: Husband or wife of U.S Citizen, 201(b) INA letter). My petition was approved and sent to the National Visa Center on August 7, 2025. I did not have a job back then, which is why it took me so long to start the process after getting the approval. However, now that I have a job, I can proceed with the next step. Can someone help me please? Thank you in advance.

Ok, my wife got her passport with the temp visa in it on Thursday, Nov. 6 2025. We then went to the Ciudad Juarez/El Paso border crossing and did the sign in/U-turn walkaround routine. Somehow, with great difficulty we managed to pay the $235 U.S. fee. We also set up the USPS Informed Delivery service to warn us when the green card will be mailed.

Now for a question for you clients/fellow-survivors LOL.

I want to double check when her green card will be mailed and also where they are in the process. I went a few times to this site: USCIS Case Status Online using our payment IOE number and got an archaic payment message from back on May 11 2024 when we paid for our file being opened. I also tried to login using her A-Number. Didn t work at all, couldn t get in.

Do we just sit and patiently wait or is there another place we can go which has more up to date info on the processing steps for her card? I believe the messages should be something like this:

"Card Was Ordered To Be Produced"

"Card Is Being Produced"

"Card Was Mailed To Me" (This status usually includes a USPS tracking number).

I hope to heck I am in the correct thread for this. This site is a great resource but it is a little big for my small brain, please forgive me if this is in the wrong thread.

We would also like to sincerely thank the staff at La Casa de Las Bugambilias in Ciudad Juarez. Without them we would still be fumbling around like a blind man in the dark! They listened to our moans and groans, and transported us to all the various appointments. They even included most of our meals (except weekends) during our 15 night stay. It was like having a dedicated team working for The Pursuit of The Holy Grail. Now don t get me wrong, it s not for everybody there, if you must stay at the Hilton or La Quinta and if you are an inveterate perfectionist then the very basic accommodations at La Casa de Las Bugambilias are not for you. Of course, we also love 5 stars! But keep your eyes on the prize, at a 5 star you are comfortable but will not have any Green Card services. Maybe a taxi at best and a good luck (in Juarez beware of unrecommended taxis). At the Casa de las Bugambilias they have a tradition that when you get your visa approval you ring the bell and a Mexican Fiesta Moment ensues! It is highly motivating and keeps you going during the more grueling and trying days. Services are 90% in Spanish but English speakers (my wife speaks almost no Spanish and mine is iffy) can be well served. Last note: Ciudad Warez is a fairly expensive city. Given the present political situation in the US, the town is jam packed with Green Card seekers therefore, prices are rising. At the Casa de Bugambilias most of the services are included in your basic room and you also avoid the taxi risks thanks to their in-house vans and drivers included with your room.

We hope this info will prove beneficial to anyone on this challenging quest and may you all get The Card!!!

Kudos to Visajourney you are a lifesaver in this Sea of Uncertainty!!!!!

Disclaimer: My wife and I are in no way connected financially or relationally to The Casa De Bugambilias. If we were, OMG!! In this visa boom we would be set for life. LOL

My father had a visa appointment in Dec under IR-1 category. But we got an automated email his interview had been cancelled and we need to reschedule in January of 2026. I have contacted them a few times through the portal but haven t received a clear answer. The following is the website where we are supposed to schedule both interviews. But the only option there is for OFC, which is biometric. But don t we have to schedule visa interview first so the OFC can schedule accordingly? How do I schedule for visa interview through this website? https://www.usvisascheduling.com/en-US/ofc-schedule/

Is it also true that OFC can be scheduled at any office but the visa interview must be at Mumbai?

Please help. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

We recently transferred our K-1 visa case to Juarez. We have not received any notification regarding this yet, but we did receive an email confirming the transfer.We recently received legal advice regarding our DS-160 application process. The website states that once we submit the application, we will be asked to schedule an interview and pay the fees on the ustravelsocs website. This process follows the completion of the ds160 form and receipt of confirmation.My fianc is concerned about the interview process. They are hesitant due to having seen different methods used in other cases. We want to ensure we are following the correct procedures. Should we contact the embassy to inquire about their preferred interview process? Or are we being given correct info by our attorney?

Hello,

I (US Citizen) recently got married to my spouse (Canadian citizen) and want to apply for him to immigrate using the I-130 visa. My concern is that getting the marriage certificate can take 8-12 weeks on top of the wait times for the I-130. Can we submit the application with the record of solemnization we received from the officiant on the wedding day to start the application and then add the marriage certificate once we get it? Has anyone done that pathway before and did it backfire?