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Chat GPT is not the place to go to for immigration advice! Only use official sources. Yes, you need grounds to be given permission to file DCF, and only certain circumstances qualify. ChatGPT is correct as a job offer isn’t necessarily required, but what it doesn’t explain is that unless you come under one of the other circumstances, then a job offer (with a need for your wife to start urgently) would be your only option - "Examples of exceptional circumstances include: Military emergencies – A U.S. service member, who is abroad but who does not fall under the military blanket authorization for U.S. service members stationed abroad on military bases, becomes aware of a new deployment or transfer with little notice. This exception generally applies in cases where the U.S. service member is provided with exceptionally less notice than normally expected. Medical emergencies – A petitioner or beneficiary is facing an urgent medical emergency that requires immediate travel. Threats to personal safety – A petitioner or beneficiary is facing an imminent threat to personal safety. For example, a petitioner and beneficiary may have been forced to flee their country of residence due to civil strife or natural disaster and are in precarious circumstances in a different country outside of the United States. Close to aging out – A beneficiary is within a few months of aging out of eligibility. Petitioner has recently naturalized – A petitioner and family member(s) have traveled for the immigrant visa interview, but the petitioner has naturalized and the family member(s) requires a new petition based on the petitioner’s citizenship. Adoption of a child – A petitioner has adopted a child abroad and has an imminent need to depart the country. This type of case should only be considered if the petitioner has a full and final adoption decree on behalf of the child and the adoptive parent(s) has had legal custody of and jointly resided with the child for at least 2 years. Short notice of position relocation – A U.S. citizen petitioner, living and working abroad, has received a job offer in or reassignment to the United States with little notice for the required start date." https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-6-part-b-chapter-3 If you want to move in 2026, then personally I’d just file the I-130 asap, as waiting to see if your wife will find a job offer that meets the criteria would be a risk. Best of luck.

Again, what status are you adjusting from? Is he a US citizen? What's the I-601 for? Your letter looks fine to me.

You can't enter the US as a visitor with the intent to stay, that's immigration fraud. She'll need the job offer to qualify for DCF, so not sure what you mean about changing method afterwards? It sounds like your wife will qualify financially, but she will need to regularise her tax affairs prior to petitioning you. As for when the AofS is required, the whole process for a 'normal' spousal immigrant visa is set out here - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-1-submit-a-petition.html If you do DCF, she'll need it all together at the start.

Ah, ok. It was the I-130 bit we were missing! So you've had the I-130 approved? Who is petitioning you? And what status are you adjusting from (i.e. did you enter on a visitor visa, on an employment based visa, etc)? We don't need to see screenshots. If you've submitted everything for the I-120B then hopefully that will work.

The comment was telling you it had already been moved to the AOS forum. The query is how you're applying for I-601, what status you're adjusting from, and what else you've filed along with the I-485? It just doesn't sound as though you're eligible for what you've filed for, so I suspect we're missing some vital info.

Note that your other duplicate thread has been removed, please keep all info to this thread only and don't start new threads on the same subject. What status are you trying to adjust from? Your posts are rather confusing. What else have you filed with the I-485 i.e. I-130? Have you had an interview? What other fee payment did you include? Can you give us a complete timeline and when you sent when?

Follow the instructions on the I-130 carefully, and the link above which sets the whole process out step by step. And I’m sure you’re aware but just mentioning it in case - each parent needs their own application/case, so you’ll be filing two I-130’s. Good luck.

Yes, they don't have to switch to F1 category, and in fact many choose not to as F2B is often quicker. They can 'opt out' of the conversion. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/national-visa-center/immigrant-visas-processing-general-faqs.html#ivp6 As long as you've informed NVC of your change of status then that's fine - I'd suggest they take proof that you did just in case. Good luck.

So you have a green card, what's your citizenship? If you decide to apply for US citizenship then the onus will be on you to prove you've spent the requisite time in the US, not on USCIS to prove you haven't.

Yep, we booked ours 6 or 7 weeks before our interview, but we only had one week window to have the medical done in, as our children were about to start their GCSE's and A Levels, so we had back to back exams for a couple of months! So we had no other option really. And we knew we'd be moving straight away, we moved 10 days after we had the visas delivered. So it worked for us but as you say, everybody needs to work out based on their own circumstances and see what works with their timings.

Just bear in mind that your visa is only valid for 6 months from the date of medical - so if you have it done several weeks before you'll be limiting your timescale for moving to the US. That's why most people get it done closer to the interview.

Yes, Lagos is one of the consulates with a big backlog - have a look at the link I gave above, currently ~15 month wait for the IL.

You should get given Montreal if that's where you live/work/pay taxes. But keep an eye on the wait times for an interview too - it's not too long ago that it was well over a year before you got an IL for Montreal. It has reduced but is still quite lengthy so if it goes back up at any point, you may decide travelling to Vietnam would be better. Good luck.

IMO, definitely not needed for the visa part of the process unless you have complicated circumstances. Just follow the step by step guide very carefully and you should be fine. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-1-submit-a-petition/step-2-begin-nvc-processing.html Be prepared to be put in to AP if you're from Nigeria. And please do fill your timeline in when you've got a few minutes spare, thanks. Best of luck.

OK, at least another year until her IL then unfortunately.

That would come under the 'minor exception', rather than the 'petty offence exception' which the OP was hoping for. https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM030203.html#M302_3_2_B_7

Is that a new thing? When we did our medicals/interviews (2023) only those with any criminal convictions needed SAR?

I added the link above after posting. That sounds like it was specific to your circumstances, rather than the maximum that could have been imposed under the law? You'd need to find the relevant law that shows it would have been a max 6 month sentence if that is the case using the criminal code linked to above - maybe your crime was classified differently to theft?

I don't think you were incorrectly refused I'm afraid. Can you share why you think it comes under the petty exemption? AFAIK, theft with a value of $5k or less has up to a 2 year maximum sentence under the Canadian criminal code so you are inadmissible and would need a waiver. https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-334.html Best of luck.

I was asking @Neriah, I wasn't sure if she was a Kingston applicant to or somewhere else, which could make as much as a year or mores difference. If you've asked for the cases to be linked, they should be scheduled together.

Is your consulate Kingston too? As said above, the wait for an IL really varies depending on the location. Some (London, Hong Kong, Paris, etc) are quick and only a month or two, others (Islamabad, Lagos, Montreal) are much longer and 1-2 years.

Yep. My FIL had exactly the same as Biden, he was only diagnosed at a very late stage with prostate cancer, by which point it had spread to his bones. He'd been complaining of a pain in his hip for about a month prior to him seeing the doctor and being diagnosed, but other than that was completely symptom free. He died within 6 weeks. And my mother has just been diagnosed with cancer for the 3rd time, uterine this time (previously breast and angiosarcoma). Because of her previous cancers she is scanned every 6 months. Her last scan in November was completely clear, her April scan wasn't. Cancer doesn't follow the rules, as anybody that's ever dealt with it knows only too well. I'm so sorry about your parents, I wish you and them the best.

What does your CEAC status say? And what is your Priority Date?

We applied for 20+ houses and were refused for every one. Nothing to do with our visa situation (we had green cards), but it was because the rental market is so hot here that landlords can pick and choose between applicants and they simply weren't going to consider people who were outside the US and had no credit score there. And that was despite it being a full expat assignment corporate let so a major US company were going to be signing the lease and committing to pay it! Even when we offered way over the asking price we were refused. Once you're in the US it should be much easier, so I'd just be prepared to do temporary accommodation to start with. We were in a hotel initially. I'd also suggest you look at local FB groups, that's where we found our house in the end. I put a post up explaining our situation and our landlord reached out and said they were considering renting their house at about the time we were moving. We still had to apply properly for it when it went on the market, but by then she and I had exchanged lots of messages, and they ended up picking us out of all the applicants. Good luck.

The timeline on your profile, not just a post - see the link above from MalloryCat. Thanks.