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Trending Immigration DiscussionsTopic Popularity Poster #1 When can i file sponsor paperwork? - CindyJas
#2 H1B and diversity lottery interview - bnation_86
#3 F-1 Visa & US Citizen â 90-Day Rule, Court Marriage Timing, AOS, and Joint Sponsorship Questions - SakshiP
#4 traveling with greencard
Work and Travel Discussion- visavisavisavisav
#5 Question about the process after sending in the i485, i131 and i765 and USCIS notifications etc
Green Card Discussion- confusedpetal
Community SpotlightAbandoned AOS and now regret it
Mariammaria posted a topic in Adjustment of Status Case Filing and Progress Reports,
Please be nice, I know I made a mistake... But got my K1 approved and arrived in the US June 25, 2024 and applied for AOS February 25, 2025 -- then left the US (abandoned my AOS). Will I be banned for re-entry to the US -- even under a spouse visa?-
- 32 replies
US Citizen with Foreign Fiancé: When and How to Get Married?
gandalf1989 posted a topic in IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures,
I'm currently living and working in the United States. My fiancé currently lives in Japan. We have been dating for about 6 months, and we have met in person several times, but we are not yet married.
My fiancé will be visiting me in the United States on a tourist visa some time in March or April and staying for about 3 months. I want to file for a fiance/spouse visa asap -- what's next?-
- 15 replies
N400: Admitted to Weed during Green Card (was it a crime I was not arrested for?)
Left Over posted a topic in US Citizenship General Discussion,
To start, marijuana is illegal in my country of origin. When I was applying for my green card I admitted to trying marijuana when I was in my 20's (I'm 49 now). I got my green card and have lived in the US for 5 years. I'm in the process of applying for citizenship. What answer should I give to the question: "Have you EVER committed, agreed to commit, asked someone else to commit, helped commit, or tried to commit a crime or offense for which you were NOT arrested? Yes or No" given that I admitted to past marijuana use during the GC process?-
- 29 replies
Fiancée threatened with deportation by customs agent after arriving at airport for false accusations. How concerned should we be?
deletedUser21321 posted a topic in K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports,
Firstly, I want to get some things clear because I know everyone will say this otherwise:
We are seeing an immigration attorney for consultation soon. We've already printed out several documents to prove that my fiancée is not coming here with the intent to live here for the future until they get the K-1 Visa... Now, Heres the actual story...- 53 replies
Fiance or Marriage Visa in 2025 ? Pros and cons?
KandB posted a topic in What Visa Do I Need - Family Based Immigration,
I'm 23F 🇨🇿, my partner is 29M 🇺🇲
We want to get our visa going sometime this year and want to be together as soon as possible but we are still unsure which visa would serve us better. I'd like to get married in my home country but on the other side i wouldn't mind getting married paperwise in the US and waiting for my work permit and etc if it would allow us to be together faster and then save up for and have our dream wedding in my home country.
What do you think ? All of this is so overwhelming and confusing and we just want to do the right thing.
I asked the same question on reddit, so many people recommended me to go with fiance visa, two suggested marriage visa. I need more input and advice from experienced people. Thank you
Ps: is it possible to have dual citizenship so i don't lose one from my home country? How does that work ?- 31 replies
Recent Immigration DiscussionsHouston Location Interview 8:54 pm today
mjiang
Read 20 Times
1 RepliesHi all!
I am a citizen applying for my parents. Our interview is on 5/19, and it says: You should bring an interpreter if you are not fluent in English.
It does not specify if I, the petitioner, can be the interpreter or not. Has anyone done the same interview in this location? I also have a cousin who can help, will she be counted as a family member, and can she not translate? Thanks!
NVC letter 4:39 pm today
Sonam T Lhamo
Read 78 Times
4 RepliesI got an email from NVC stating that they have got my case.
What should I do now? Will they inform me what to do next?
Question about the process after sending in the i485, i131 and i765 and USCIS notifications etc 3:54 pm today
confusedpetal
Read 84 Times
5 Replieshi all,
I am just a bit concerned about the process and lack of communication/confirmation.
We sent all the forms (I485, i131+expedite request and i765; all in one big letter but in different envelopes marked what they are) with a detailed cover letter for all of these, also included G-1450 to pay for all of these and e-notification form G-1145..
it's been 3 weeks since UPS has delivered the letter and I didn't get any notification of USCIS receiving or what not. What is the usual wait time for that? Do they even send the notification of "received" files or not? I assumed by sending G-1145 they would let us know. Because when we sent the I-129F during covid and unusual long wait times, they literally let us know about the files received within a few days...
Is it because there are some delays within the USCIS or they might have just discarded the letter etc? I don't know what to think
Should we re-send all the forms separately instead?
F-1 Visa & US Citizen – 90-Day Rule, Court Marriage Timing, AOS, and Joint Sponsorship Questions 2:55 pm today
SakshiP
Read 127 Times
5 RepliesHello everyone,
I d appreciate some help navigating our situation. We've spoken to multiple immigration attorneys but have received conflicting advice, so I m hoping to get insights from people who ve been through similar situations or have direct experience with USCIS.
Our background:
- I m a 25-year-old U.S. citizen. I was recently laid off and am currently living with my parents.
- My fianc is 23 years old and here on an F-1 student visa, currently studying and scheduled to graduate in January 2026.
- We ve been together for about two years and got engaged about a year ago.
- In January 2024, we traveled to India (our home country) and had a religious wedding ceremony with our families. However, we did not legally register the marriage in India our plan has always been to register the marriage in the U.S. through a court ceremony.
- He last re-entered the U.S. on his F-1 visa in February 2025, and is actively continuing his studies.
We are now preparing to move forward with marriage-based Adjustment of Status (AOS) but are receiving conflicting guidance:
- One attorney advised us to wait at least 90 days after his most recent entry (around June 2025) to get married and/or file AOS, to avoid raising questions about immigrant intent.
- Another attorney said the 90-day rule shouldn't apply in our case since he entered with the bona fide intent to continue studying, and our relationship was already long-established.
Other details:
- We are currently living with my parents (due to my layoff and his student status).
- Since I am unemployed, my parents would need to be joint sponsors on the Affidavit of Support.
- I do have two younger brothers living home as well so total of 6 living in the same house.
- My parents making around 62k combined. Will this be enough from poverty guidelines perspective?
Our main questions:
- Since we have not legally married yet, is it safe to go ahead and do the court marriage now, or is it better to wait until after the 90-day window?
- If we marry now but delay filing AOS until after 90 days, would that help avoid concerns, or could marrying itself trigger scrutiny?
- How big of an issue is the 90-day rule in our situation?
- Can my parents serve as joint sponsors, and will that raise any issues?
- Are there any concerns about the fact that we had a religious wedding but didn t register it in India?
- What do we need to disclose or be cautious about to avoid misrepresentation issues or delays?
- Any red flags in our situation we should be proactive about addressing?
We truly want to do everything by the book and avoid complications. Any insights, experience, or guidance would be incredibly appreciated.
Thank you so much!
H1B and diversity lottery interview 11:33 am today
bnation_86
Read 120 Times
7 RepliesI would like to seek your expert guidance regarding my current U.S. immigration situation.
I have been selected in the FY2025 H-1B visa lottery, and my petition has already been filed with USCIS by my sponsoring agency. I am currently outside the United States and scheduled to begin employment under H-1B status on October 1, 2025, pending approval and visa stamping.
However, just yesterday, I checked my Diversity Visa (DV) 2026 portal and was notified that I have been randomly selected for further processing under the DV program for fiscal year 2026 (Oct 1, 2025 Sept 30, 2026).
Given the time-sensitive and exclusive nature of both immigration processes, I would appreciate your advice on:
How to proceed without jeopardizing either path;
Whether to prioritize DV consular processing or continue with the H-1B process as planned;
The feasibility and risk of adjusting status from H-1B to permanent resident if I choose to enter the U.S. under H-1B before my DV case is processed.
I want to ensure that I follow the most strategic and legally sound route without invalidating either opportunity.
Thank you for your time and insights.