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Dear VisaJourney forum users, I have been reading chats for days, and firstly, I would like to say I am impressed by the quality of the pieces of advice and shared experiences I have found on here. This is the BEST US Immigration forum I have found til this day :) I would like to receive your advice & guidance on the following topic please: My Case; I have been a US permanent resident since 2012. I first entered the U.S with a student visa (F1 if I remember well). After 4 years being a student I got sponsored by my ex wife in 2011, and got my Green Card this way. In April 2019 I went back to my native country (France) due to major personal & family issues. I did not file for a re-entry permit because my trip was temporary. I decided to extend my stay in France because my grandpa was dying from a brain tumor and was diagnosed with less than 12 months left to live, and I wanted to be there for the funerals and to be with my family. At the time my grand father passed away, I had been out of the country for about 10 - 11 months. This is when E. Macron, our President, declared the state of emergency and restricted the ins & outs of the country. Knowing I'd be in trouble to go back to the U.S later on, I filed a Returning Resident visa (SB-1). It took a very long time before I actually got an appointment with the U.S embassy based in Paris. My case got declared eligible, and after gathering all the requested pieces of evidence and taking the medical exams, I finally got an appointment for the second round of interview. Within less than 5 minutes the immigration officer denied my visa and gave me back my Green Card. I asked if I could make an appeal and/or go back to the U.S, and he told me it was not possible because of the denial. He said I failed proving of my intent of coming back before departing the U.S, so I assumed he meant I was accused of abandoning my permanent residency, which I of course contested. My petition for a Returning Resident visa (SB-1) was denied at the end of Feb. 2021. After the denial, I immediately started searching online to see if there would be a way for me to get back and challenge the verdict. I of course realized it is totally up to the CBP officer I'd have in front of me. Honestly I got scared because there is no guarantee I'd be let in, no matter what I do at a U.S port. of entry. In addition to the fear of rejection, the vaccine against the Covid-19 was mandatory to travel to Los Angeles and was mandatory to come back to France in case I'd be rejected at the POE. I finally got vaccined on Oct. 2021. QUESTIONS: 1) If I go back to L.A now, do you think I have a chance to enter the U.S even with a denied SB-1 visa on my records? 2) Do you think a CBP officer would let me in if I request a hearing before an immigration judge? 3) Do you think a CBP officer would let me in if I voluntarily sign a form I-407 in order to voluntarily abandon my permanent residency? 4) If I end up signing a form I-407, does it have any negative consequences later on if I ever petition for permanent residency again, and/or for naturalization purposes? 5) What would be the best strategy to do in my case? I thank you in advance for sharing your experience & knowledge with me. I already contacted 3 immigrations lawyers as soon as my SB-1 got denied, and none of them have been helpful. I can't wait to hear from you, kind regards, Anthony ~

We are departing to PI in the next two weeks. We book a ticket via CheapOair and really no specific instructions what to prepare for Border Entry. We are not vaccinated and not planning to unless it’s a very serious matter. (Please I’m not inviting a political debate) There is a post in twitter saying that from other country, before you enter back to the US, you are required to get vaccinated. This person from teitter is highly respectable and travels a lot. She calims its effective until Jan 2023. We will be in the Philippines for 9 weeks and will be back to US early February 2023. as far as the airlines, we have connecting flight to Japan and not sure what documents the airlines and Japan needed prior to COVID concerns. I have not been home for swhile and travelling with a toddler ina long haul flight will not be easy. Do I need a PCR test a week or 3days before departure? Where to get it? sorry to ask here but I am so confused eith different answers from the airlines ams google.

I saw the embassy website posted that there is no requirement anymore to have a negative covid test to come to the US. This should apply to travel from any country. It will be nice to have one less thing to worry about. The statement says proof of vaccination is still required to travel to the US. https://ph.usembassy.gov/covid-19-and-travel-information/

Hi, I have my GreenCard Interview (K-1→AOS) next month and I'm confused about medical exam. Please help me! I took my medical exam overseas in Oct 2020 then filed I-485 in Jun 2021 so I don't think I need to get another medical exam, according to the form I-693 instruction. Also my DS3025 is completed. However, USCIS is now requiring COVID vaccine and this page below says K-visa applicants are not required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the immigration medical examination; however, the other components of these Technical Instructions do apply to all applicants.(←what does it mean!?) https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/panel-physicians/covid-19-technical-instructions.html And this page below says The applicant must complete the COVID-19 vaccine series and provide documentation of vaccination to the civil surgeon in person before completion of the medical examination. https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/civil-surgeons/covid-19-technical-instructions.html I called USCIS, and the guy said the normal vaccination card is fine, but I don't see any correct answers anywhere.... so I'm worried. Can I just bring my vaccination card (which is the normal covid vaccination card I got from pharmacy) ? Or I need to complete the Part 10. Vaccination Record of I-693 completed by a designated civil surgeon? Thank you for your time to help me. Vaccine Requirements According to Applicant Age (Print-only).pdf

Hi All, My fiance and I are seemingly frozen in place waiting for the NVC to complete minor processing tasks so we may move forward with scheduling her K1 interview with the US consulate in Bogota. Below is an email I'm preparing to distribute to immigration attorneys in my Orlando, FL area, and I'm hopeful that some of you may be able to answer some of the questions within based on recent experience with this phase of the process or professional legal expertise. If any of you have attorneys who are skilled and experienced with navigating NVC/Bogota Consulate problems and delays I sure would appreciate referrals. Thanks in advance! - Aaron ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm reaching out in search of legal advisement and assistance from a legal professional with a high degree of experience dealing with K1 Visa immigration specifically from Colombia to the US, and with specific experience navigating the present complications created by COVID-19 and the resultant backlog/delays within the NVC and consulate in Bogota. My fiance and my current situation is as follows: 5/21/20 - Received Date of I-129F - Petition for Fiance 1/14/21 - Notice Date of Approval (I-797 Notice of Action) 9/14/21 - Received Date of K1-FTP from NVC stating NVC will now forward approved I-129F petition to Consulate in Bogota, and the transfer process will be complete in a matter of weeks Since receiving the K1-FTP on 9/14/21 our process appears to have stalled. Our current legal representation has been thoroughly unresponsive and ineffective throughout our entire process (now more so than ever). Since the 1/14/21 Notice of Approval, they have stated only that we are waiting for the NVC to generate a case and invoice so we can process the Dept of State application and schedule her interview at the consulate in Bogota (despite the fact that we received a Case Number on the K1-FTP document). In addition to handling my fiance's change of status process once we are legally married in the US, we are seeking a legal representative capable of: -*At a minimum* providing an experience based approximation of wait time we can expect from our current stage of processing through day of interview with the Bogota consulate -Providing an experience based approximation of wait time for change of status once we are legally married in the US (and advising whether typical processing times have been extended to any degree) -Making inquiries with the NVC and/or US Consulate in Bogota concerning the status and progress of the processing of our case -Deploying any and all tactics able to expedite our K1 and change of status processes including but not limited to soliciting relevant government agencies or officials to intervene on our behalf Are these services within you or your firm's wheelhouse? If not, are you able to direct me to a more appropriate resource?

Hi all, A friend of mine received his VISA stamping after consular processing last March 2019. However, due to pandemic travels were restricted and they could not come here before the VISA expired. Now the embassy is open. They are trying to contact the consulate division and no response. They contacted the NVC and they passed the ball to the embassy. They have been trying to reach out to the consular division for the last 6 months. No response. Has anyone faced this situation? What was your next step? Any help is highly appreciated. Consulate - Colombo Sri Lanka Thank you!

My Fiancé finally received her Visa about a month ago. We are in desperate need to find a vaccination center in China that is able to stamp the official vaccine passport. We have had no luck calling the phone number 862162699006. This is the phone number listed online for the office available to handle “ health screening and vaccination for immigration to the United States” Does anyone have any information on getting an official (in vaccine passport) vaccine in China? Does anyone know if the vaccine is mandated to enter into the United States as of now? Any tips or advice is graciously appreciated!

Hi Everyone! I am a US Citizen. I want to petition my senior parents from the Philippines to live here in the US. -What’s the step by step process -Documents needed -How fast can they get here -Vaccination requirements etc Any other information will be very helpful to me to get started. Thank you so much in advance to those who respond. God Bless

Hi all, Is COVID-19 an actual requirement for K1 visa applicants before arrival to the US? Has anyone actually been allowed through without getting the COVID-19 vaccination? Or has anyone been denied entry? I'm really curious to know the deal here since it’s not straightforward.

My wife and I were given our interview date for Bogota on Oct 15th. One of the 2 doctors available told us she needs to receive both doses of the covid vaccine before they will do the medical exam. Their is no way to get two doses currently before the 15th since you need 3 weeks between shots. Does anyone have any advice or experience here?

I'm thinking of visiting my spouse who in a US citizen living in the US. I live in the UK and have a valid ESTA. We submitted the i-130 and i-130a forms earlier this year and they are being processed. From what I can see, I would be able to fly directly from the UK to the US on an ESTA in spite of the travel restrictions because I am a close family member. Am I correct and what should I make sure to do before flying? Does anyone have any experience of this or anything similar? Thanks in advance and all the best.

Hi everyone I filed for VISA beginning of 2018 was DQ'd on September 2020 file currently at NVC waiting for ANKARA US embassy to reopen which it will takes forever denied expedite request twice The stress was unreal to the point I left my studies ( Radiology student at RIT) I went insane and couldn't handle the stress and depression anymore so I booked a flight two weeks ago to go back to Iraq and live with my wife until they schedule her an Interview appointment I just can't leave her alone anymore, not in this country ruined by Iranian militia. We're mentally and emotionally better now since we're together but too afraid of the situation ( too dangers living here) my question is, will that effect the process of her VISA? since I, the petitioner living outside of U.S ? I'll stay here with her until they grand her VISA to go back together, will that be a problem? Thank you all.

Hey Guys, The situation in India is worsening day by day and my spouse(USC) is pregnant here in India with me. Given the situation here and her condition she is planning to go back to the States. I want to travel with her so I can take care of her but my interview date has not be scheduled yet by the Consulate here in India. Due to the rise in cases the consulate is closed for 2 month or could be more if the situation goes worse. So I wanted to know if there is a way I can accompany my wife to the States. Any kind of advice or suggestion would be amazing. Thank you in advance and stay safe. I have read the below thread But my case is kinda different. **Traveling on tourist visa whilst waiting for I-130**

Just read this and just want to give you guys a head-up: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/exclusive-biden-set-ban-most-travel-us-india-limit-covid-19-spread-2021-04-30/

Hi I recently became a US citizen and I've been planning to bring my mother to the US to live with me through immigration, however obviously situation changed due to Covid and my mother been suffering from Dementia for a while and its getting worse. She has no one to take care of her. I checked the I-130 processing time and its really long so I can't just leave her there while I am waiting for the application to be processed. I decided to apply for a visit visa to bring her however the embassy is closed. I tried emailing them to get an emergency appointment, but they didn't even reply to my email. I am stuck and I don't know what to do. I guess I am asking for an advise, or if you have a similar situation and did something to resolve it. Do you think also if I email the senator, I would get help. Sorry for the numerous questions but I am really lost and desperate. Thank You Malak

Has anyone had any experience recently with 'visiting' their spouse in the US, travelling from the UK? If so what do the airlines need to see? International travel is only permitted from the UK if you have a legally permitted reason https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home?priority-taxon=774cee22-d896-44c1-a611-e3109cce8eae#international-travel The law sets out the reasons: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/regulation/6/made My situation: I have taken a career break as I want to travel to see my US spouse in April 2021 to live with him for the max period permitted (on ESTA this is 3 months). But with the lockdown rules I don't know whether this would be considered a 'visit' as I do not yet have the right to live there (currently in the process of getting visa). I wondered therefore if this would be deemed a good enough reason - technically I am moving there with him, albeit I will be leaving after 3 months if I dont get a response back from immigration. thanks

Merry Christmas members, A new USA travel advisory has been issued. With less than 72 hours until I'm due to leave the UK, the UK's foreign travel advice to the USA has just updated (08:51) https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa Delta/Virgin Atlantic have so far failed to provide any guidance regarding my travel itinerary. I'm in the process of exploring Heathrow Airport (Terminal) testing, via covidtesting.collinsonassistance.com Also, in comparing the GOV/Virgin Atlantic information, it seems that the PCR test is the only test accepted by both the US government and carrier. The issue with the terminal testing is that it is pre-security, and they seem to only offer/operate standard business hours, which won't sufficiently accommodate my AM departure time. As such, I'll be travelling to Heathrow to test tomorrow (26th), or Sunday (27th). My only outings in 2020, since my university went remote in February, have been visa based (medical&interview), so I've not yet been(or needed to be) tested. As always, grateful for any input/guidance. 🎄 ______________________________________________________________ I will update this thread with the Collinson Assistance / Heathrow (Terminal) testing process, once I am booked & tested, in the hopes it will be helpful to other members imminently travelling.

Hi everybody and hope you are having a safe new year. I need advice please. My wife is a Chinese citizen. We applied for CR1 and received NOA1 back in Aug 2020. My wife had a pre-existing B2, which we risked for her to come to the US at end of Oct 2020. Fortunately she was allowed through with an I-94 valid until April 2021. We are happily staying secluded in Louisiana together. Thank you for all the advice on that BTW! We had return tickets for her return at the end of Feb 2021. A month ago, American airlines cancelled our flight. When we tried to rebook, we were told all flights until May 1 is either booked solid or cancelled. We called back every other day and nothings changed. There are some weird travel agencies we tried to book with, but the requirement to board Chinese airlines to China requires submitting negative COVID tests to the Chinese consulate in Houston. However, the Chinese consulate in Houston has been closed for months and they are not answering any calls. Basically, we believe that my wife will be stuck here past the April deadline. We consulted around, including from USCIS, and received many suggestions. This is where we need some advice. From what we gathered, here are our 2 possible options that seem to make the most sense. Option 1: Apply for I-539 visa extension, which is suppose to extend validity date by up to 6 more months. Even if the I-94 expires during the I-539 pending process, we were told my wife would be safe from any problems. Option 2: Apply for I-485 change of status. Similar to the I-539, the expiration date for her I-94 will not be a concern during the I-485 pending status. We would also be concurrently submitting a I-131 so that she can travel outside the US if necessary. I also want to share that my wife doesn't have a job that is forcing her to return to China and she is financially stable in China as well. We are trying to avoid any delays to our spouse visa/GC process but we gotta do something now. I would appreciate any advice or insight anyone can provide. Thank you.

Hi. I received an email on Thu with a new appointment date for May. Our original interview date was last year but got cancelled due to Covid. The problem I have is that the email was written by a human and just gave us the date and that instructions would soon follow. However, we still have not received the "official" interview letter which one is required to have in hand on the interview day. Has anyone ever rescheduled or know of someone who has rescheduled and how they were able to get the new IL letter sent to them? I need to get that IL ASAP but because all of this is unusual because of the Covid cancelations and manual reschedul8ng, I am very concern I may not get an official IL sent to me again.

Articles have been released on many news platforms today claiming that the USA could be added to the United Kingdoms "red travel list". https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/united-states-spain-quarantine-flights-hotel-red-list-b920250.html Essentially what this would mean is that anyone travelling from the USA into the UK would be required to quarantine for up to 11 days in a government listed hotel and pay £1750 for this or risk facing up to 10 years in prison. I made plans to travel and visit my husband in the USA during May this year but now I am very worried and came here to ask what everyone else is thinking about this, especially those of us living in the UK. Admittedly, I am extremely concerned about whether a decision will be made to add the USA to the red travel list. Apparently, a decision will be made this week.

I am going to Spain on a student type D visa in a few weeks. I'll be there for 6 mo ths but I won't be considered a resident of Spain. Anyone know how I can get the vaccine while I'm there?

Hi all, My family is scheduled to fly from Memphis, Tn to Bucharest, Romania with a few hour layover in Amsterdam. Netherlands requires a PCR test taken within 72 hours of flight l, and the issue I'm concerned the most with, is that our flight is on a Monday. Has anyone taken a PCR test on a friday and got the results for a monday, or even Sunday flight? We are in Memphis, so if somewhere like Walgreens or CVS can do it over the weekend before monday that would be great, otherwise I. Going to have to attempt an expensive clinic 4 hours away in nashville.

TL;DR Timeline for Los Angeles,CA at the bottom of the post. My husband (Nigerian) and I (female U.S. Citizen) met in mid-2019, and began dating in Los Angeles, while he was in the US for the 4th time on a Business Visitor Visa (B1). After a whirlwind romance, and basically being inseparable, we married at a Chapel (in a mall) in Las Vegas in late November 2019. We used https://simplecitizen.com/, instead of a lawyer, to file our initial Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status Petition (I-485), Petition For Alien Relative (I-130), Application for Travel Document (I-131), and Application for Employment Authorization (I-765) in Los Angeles, CA on February 3rd, 2020 (we filed on paper, not electronically, and sent it using UPS to receive tracking). Simple Citizen was an inexpensive and very thorough alternative to a traditional filing with a lawyer. They also easily included our information about using a joint sponsor. They had all of our documents quickly prepared and we experienced no requests for information or delays from USCIS. The Chicago lockbox received our petition on February 5th and we received our receipt numbers via text on February 13th (the physical receipt followed soon after). My husband went in for his biometrics on March 3rd, 2020; a few weeks before the COVID closures began (were also reused for a later biometrics notice that was canceled due to COVID from USCIS). The Case Tracker App updated to “Ready to be Scheduled for an Interview” sometime in April 2020. My husband was approved for his Employment Authorization Document (EAD I-765)/Advance Parole (AP I-131) Combo Card, 5 months after filing on June 29th and received it on July 22nd. We also moved to another apartment in LA during the petition process and promptly informed them of our new address by filling out form AR-11 online. USCIS confirmed our new address through email about a week later. Our interview was scheduled for February 3rd, 2021 (informed it was scheduled via Case Tracker on December 24, 2020 and notice received January 4th, 2021) at the USCIS Field Office in Los Angeles (300 N Los Angeles St rm 7631, Los Angeles, CA 90012). We woke up bright and early at 4:30 AM and left for the Field Office at 6:00 AM. A few days prior, we chose business casual attire to wear. My husband wore a plaid burgundy button-down shirt, black dress pants, his wedding band, and black dress shoes. I wore a pretty blue and gray floral sleeveless blouse, black dress pants, and black flats. I also wore short, dangly silver earrings, my wedding ring, a silver bracelet, and I brought a black blazer just in case I got cold. I didn’t wear any makeup because I never wear it anyway. We had a straightforward and enjoyable interview that was scheduled for 7:15 am (one of the first ones of the day). We received the interview notice about a month prior to the scheduled appointment, but I was notified that it was scheduled 42 days before the actual appointment through the case tracker app. I couldn’t see the actual interview date in the app or on the USCIS system. Case Tracker App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/case-tracker-for-uscis/id921827126 We parked in the garage (221 N Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90012) across from the Field Office but it was early in the day, parking was not hard at all. When we left the interview and returned to our car the garage was almost completely full, so plan accordingly for parking. We arrived about 20 or 30 minutes late to the interview office due to the long line to enter USCIS Los Angeles in DTLA. We arrived at 6:40 am in the parking garage and had some trouble finding the correct building because we mistakenly went all around the courthouse looking for USCIS, so that delayed us some. This happened because we foolishly followed behind a different couple and lost track of where they walked. This caused us to go to the courthouse instead. Luckily, we still had our phones, which are allowed as long as they are turned off during the interview, and found our way using google maps. Once we found the Field Office the line to enter the building from the right was super long and slow-moving (this was the only line we could see at the time). Later, after already waiting in the slow line, we learned that there was another line on the left, if looking directly at the building, which was faster according to a man we thought was an Officer. I later learned that he was just a good samaritan who wanted to help people with early appointments get in on time (he was in the fast line and had been to this Field Office numerous times). We tested this theory by splitting up to see who would get near the front of the line first and periodically speaking on the phone to keep each other updated on our progress. I also called my mom to distract myself from the growing anxiety about being late (which could lead to a canceled interview/denied petition which then could lead to the deportation of my husband or restarting the whole tedious Petition process-as you could see I was getting frantic). Luckily I was able to stay calm. Soon, my husband called and said he was near the front and I came back to the slow line. As I walked back to join my husband in the other line an Officer in the front of the building also confirmed that the other line was faster (the Officer wanted to know why I was leaving the fast line). The slow line/fast line theory seemed true based on my experience but I went back to join my husband in the slow line because he mistakenly thought he was closer than me. Thankfully, we had absolutely no problems as a result of being late (we both were worried while waiting outside in the line. I was probably more worried though). As you can see the anxiety of being late is no fun. I would recommend you arrive really early to be on the safe side. While going through the metal detectors and having our belongings x-rayed; I asked the Officer what was the fastest way to the USCIS Field Office. He let us know the way and once we got to the office, on the 8th floor, we were called into the interview soon after being checked in. In the interview room, we were sworn in and then started the interview. The Officer (who was a very kind and chatty Latinx woman) wanted to see our passports and original birth certificates, our certified marriage certificate, my husband's EAD and DMV real ID application, my California driver’s license, and evidence of our relationship. Some of the questions she asked were: how we met, describe our first few dates, when we met each other’s parents, when we got married, questions about our siblings, what my husband does for work, what I do for work, when my husband entered the U.S. and on what visa, and when we moved in together. We were able to answer these questions together or she directed them to my husband. In all, she directed most of the questions at my husband and asked us our respective verification questions (SSN, mailing address, residential address, phone number, our parent’s names, and date of birth). I barely had to say anything the entire interview and all of the questions directed at us were easy as pie. We also brought a photo album and the Officer looked through it. I definitely over-prepared for the interview with all the documents and evidence (I started prepping as soon as we got the interview notice on January 4th, 2021). We also brought our joint sponsor’s tax returns and W-2’s from 2018 and 2019, employment letters from 2020 and 2021, and his last 2 month’s pay stubs. The Officer didn’t ask for any of those documents, which made up the bulk of all the things I printed (around 1200 pages). For some of the printing, Staples print services came in handy and I used CVS to print the pictures. The only thing the Officer asked us about our sponsor was how we knew him (he is a friend of my husband; they met through a previous contracting job). I also re-printed our entire Adjustment of Status application, but better to be too prepared than under right? The Officer looked at/kept roughly 100 pages of the stuff I brought. The Officer kept the evidence of our relationship (bank statements, health insurance, trips, our pandemic puppy’s AKC and ICA registration which showed both of our last names, leases for the 2 apartments we rented in our time together, SoCal Gas and LADWP utility bills for the past 3 months, renters insurance for both apartments, couples therapy bill and video call screenshots, and about 30 photos of us with descriptions and dates on the back of them. We also provided pictures of our 2 apartments. The Officer said she wanted to copy our passports, my husband’s EAD and DMV Real ID application, and my driver’s license. Then she came back with our approval letter! We are so happy and had a really simple Adjustment of status overall! The main issue was delays due to COVID closures but everyone has been dealing with that. Overall the waiting process has been, coincidentally, exactly a year (we sent in the petition on February 3rd, 2020 and we were approved Feb 3rd, 2021)! My husband sent in his medical exam (I-693) with our original petition in 2020 so that most likely allowed us to be approved during the interview. We are getting the conditional Green Card so we will apply for the 10-year green card (I-751 Petition) 3 months before the 2 year Green Card expires in November 2022. my thoughts to you is not to worry (easier said than done, I was worrying basically the entire process). As long as you are in a real, loving marriage everything will be fine. Just be sure to have all the documents, evidence, and original (non-expired) identification (follow the interview notice carefully). Don't be afraid to over-prepare (start preparing as soon as or before you get the interview notice so that you won’t get overwhelmed) and don't try to rehearse your answers, as that may send red flags. Also, take a ton of pictures of you and your spouse with family, friends, pets, in your home, on trips, and doing activities and print them (you can’t use any digital methods to show the pictures). Be sure to keep the pictures sorted so that you can use them in an album, with dates and descriptions. I got my album from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003WSUYOY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_itW1xSYVBpCqo) Wait patiently for the slow process to progress and eventually the interview notice will appear (make sure you have a secure location to receive the notices, we have a PO Box at UPS). Using https://www.visajourney.com/ was an especially helpful and reliable way to see when you may have petition milestones as everyone updates their timelines depending on the type of petition they are filing. Be sure to update your timeline on visajourney too so that you can help others. The subreddits r/USCIS and r/immigration were also good resources to read about other people's experiences and keep up with the latest immigration news. In the interview, just act natural and look at it like a conversation/sharing the journey of your relationship/marriage with the Officer. I hope this post helped to ease some of your anxiety about this process and I wish you all the best! TL;DR Timeline for Los Angeles,CA: Married in Las Vegas: 11/22/19 Sent in Petition via UPS (I-485, I-130, I-131, I-765 and included Medical Exam I-693): 2/3/20 Petition Received at Chicago Lockbox (notified via Case Tracker App): 2/5/20 Receipt Numbers Texted to Us : 2/13/20 Receipt Numbers Received by Mail: 2/20/20 Biometrics Appointment Notice Received: 2/25/20 Biometrics (also reused for later biometrics notice that was canceled due to COVID): 3/3/20 Case Tracker App Updated to "Ready to be Scheduled for an Interview": Sometime in April 2020 EAD (I-765)/AP Combo Card (I-131) Approved, notified via Case tracker App: 6/29/20 EAD/AP Combo Card Received: 7/22/20 Case Tracker App Updated to Interview Scheduled: 12/24/20 Interview Date Notice Received in Mail: 1/4/21 Interview/Approval of I-485 (approved in interview, coincidentally, exactly a year later): 2/3/21 Conditional Green Card Received: I will update when it arrives

Hello, I am flying from Germany to US for my interview as we are station overseas, plan travel is 3 days before my interview date. I am just wondering if anybody knows here if the Las Vegas field office is asking about the covid restriction before you get into the building? They sent me a letter for my interview but they didn't mention about self quarantine if you travelled outside the US within 14 days. We don't have any relative / friends that lives in Vegas for us to quarantine ourselves if that's really mandatory. I am just wishing that it's not a problem to get into the building as long as I don't have any signs and symptoms of Covid or never had a contact with a person who got Covid. Please advise!

Hello, My husband and I flew to Mexico to visit my family. He is American and I’m Mexican with an advance parole that I will be using for the first time so I have a couple of questions... I’m really nervous about my way back to the United States so I brought with me some paperwork that can help me if something happens but I have some questions... Can my husband stay with me in the visitors line going through customs (at the American border) even though he is American? He wants to stay with and make sure I’ll be ok. My passport has my maiden name since Mexico doesn’t change names when you get married but we filed my paperwork and advance parole with my married name and that’s making me nervous because they don’t match. I’m bringing my marriage certificate that says my maiden and married name. Would that be enough or do I have reasons to be worry? Also, any advices in what to do going through customs or paperwork that I might need besides my advance parole? Thank you so much for taking the time to reading and helping me. I want to have a good time visiting my family but I’m getting really nervous about my come back to the u.s.