Gary Rich

Thank you, Brother. This journey has been a long one… and honestly, it’s taken a lot out of me. My only question now is whether my wife and daughter will get a 3-year or 5-year green card — but at this point, I’m just grateful we’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The stress has been real. Unless you’ve been through it, it’s hard to explain the emotional weight this process puts on you. If I could tell anyone one thing, it would be this: don’t ever put yourself in a position where you end up in removal proceedings. Even if your case is strong, even if you have faith you’ll win, the toll it takes on you and your family is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. But through it all, God’s been good. And I’m just thankful we’re still standing. 🙏🏽💪🏽

Good morning VJ Folks, I wanted to give everyone an update on our case. Yesterday, my wife and daughter had their court date at 1:00 p.m. The hearing was done via Zoom — and to my surprise, there were about 15 other people with hearings scheduled at the same time! I honestly thought it would just be us. The judge started by calling the other cases first, and wow… some of them were pretty serious — involving criminal records or overstays for various reasons. When the judge finally called our case, our lawyer spoke and explained everything. As the judge reviewed our file, he glanced over at the DHS lawyers like he was thinking, “What are these people even doing here?” Then he asked my wife and daughter to state their names. After that, he looked right at the DHS side and said (and you could tell he was irritated), “This little girl should be in school right now — why do you even have her here?” He then looked down at his calendar and said, “Alright, your case is adjourned until December 15th, 2025 — these people don’t need to be here today.” Keep in mind, some of the other people’s cases were pushed out all the way to 2026 or even 2027! Afterward, our lawyer confirmed that December 15th will be our final hearing, and that everything should go smoothly from here since my wife and daughter have already completed their biometrics and everything else. So, in a nutshell, our case should be finalized on December 15th, 2025! 🙏

It's only going to get worse!!

A new policy from the Trump administration could leave thousands of immigrants scrambling to keep their jobs while they await renewals of their work permits. Previously, many immigrants were able to extend their work permits automatically upon submission of a renewal application. Now, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is doing away with that policy, and forcing people to wait until a renewal request is approved before any extension. ( Read More ) https://www.huffpost.com/entry/work-permits-trump-homeland-security_n_69041248e4b00c26f070f792?origin=home-whats-happening-unit

Good Afternoon, I’m not sure of your timeline, but when my wife and daughter arrived on K-1 and K-2 visas, we timed it so that the school year was just ending. This gave us all summer to find the right school for our child. Since it’s November now, it might make sense to wait until summer for her arrival to avoid rushing school enrollment, or to have her arrive a bit later.

Here’s a small update from USCIS — my wife’s and daughter’s cases have been re-consolidated, which actually saves us about $1,500. However, the hearing has been pushed back to 11/5/2025 Still good news..

And that’s the strangest part—my wife and I talk about it all the time. This whole mess began last November, when the new administration took office.

You have no idea, in the amount of stress that USCIS is causing.. a total mess

I disagree. USCIS already charges some of the highest application fees in the federal system — and yet inefficiencies persist. The issue isn’t just a lack of funding; it’s how the existing funds are managed. More money without structural reform could just feed bureaucracy. Instead of more funding, USCIS needs accountability, modernization, and transparency to make sure the resources they already have are used effectively.

( my quote ) I agree with you. Right now, going to court is a gamble you simply cannot afford. The courts are completely backed up, and you will almost certainly end up spending far more money than you ever expected. It’s a slippery slope under this administration. My wife and I are already paying the price for the tiniest mistake — thankfully ours was minor, but it still cost us dearly. If your case reaches the courthouse, the costs will explode, especially if it moves into any removal proceedings. This system is stacked against ordinary people, and every misstep comes with steep consequences.

I agree with you. Right now, going to court is a gamble you simply cannot afford. The courts are completely backed up, and you will almost certainly end up spending far more money than you ever expected. It’s a slippery slope under this administration. My wife and I are already paying the price for the tiniest mistake — thankfully ours was minor, but it still cost us dearly. If your case reaches the courthouse, the costs will explode, especially if it moves into any removal proceedings. This system is stacked against ordinary people, and every misstep comes with steep consequences.

This is what is taking place right now

Good Afternoon, I just wanted to share a quick update. My wife and daughter had to refile their I-485 applications. USCIS has received the package, and so far, everything looks fine. My daughter has a master hearing scheduled in October. What happened is that the court separated their cases, but our attorney is working to have them combined again. The reasoning is simple: if the daughter is approved, then the mother should be as well. That said, the attorney has told us this is a very weak case against us. USCIS has already approved all of our other applications without any issues, and it’s not as though we committed fraud or anything of that nature. I’ll continue to keep you updated as new information becomes available.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ap-us-trump-deportations-us-visas-deportable-violations_n_68a76d66e4b03a473eb1c9e8#comments

( This Administration is cracking down... I just got this email from USCIS, website. Please be careful when submitting any documents or other materials. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is restoring robust screening and vetting processes to detect aliens seeking to defraud or abuse the immigration system, including aliens who make false claims to U.S. citizenship. We are also actively increasing public awareness among aliens and the public about the consequences of committing immigration fraud. Aliens who use false information or deceitful practices to unfairly obtain immigration advantages will face serious consequences. We are updating USCIS Policy Manual Volume 8, Part K, Chapter 2, to clarify the application of Matter of Zhang, 27 I&N Dec. 569 (BIA 2019), to the false claim ground of inadmissibility. This guidance is effective immediately and applies to requests pending or filed on or after the publication date. The clarified policy guidance: Specifies that the decision in Matter of Zhang supersedes all prior DHS policy and guidance that provided a defense to the false claim to U.S. citizenship ground of inadmissibility under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 212(a)(6)(C)(ii) based on an alien’s knowledge or legal capacity; and Explains how we consider age, knowledge, and mental capacity when determining whether an alien had the subjective intent to achieve a purpose or benefit under the INA or any other federal or state law. The guidance contained in the Policy Manual is controlling and supersedes any prior guidance on the topic. For more information, see the Policy Alert. https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-8-part-k-chapter-2