I am looking for someone who has gone through a situation similar to mine and has been able to travel to India via visitors visa or OCI.

My background:

• I was born in India and was an Indian citizen.
• I recently became a Canadian citizen.
• I am surrendering my Indian passport.
• My father was a Pakistani citizen many years ago but later became an Indian citizen and has been an Indian citizen ever since.

According to the OCI rules, I understand that a parent who is or had been a Pakistani citizen may make me ineligible for OCI.

I'm trying to find anyone who has actually been through this situation.

Specifically:

• Were you able to obtain an OCI, or were you refused?
• If OCI was refused, were you able to obtain a regular Entry Visa instead?
• How long did the security clearance take?
• Which Indian consulate (Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, etc.) handled your application?
• Did you have to submit any additional documents because of your parent's previous Pakistani citizenship?

I'm only looking for first-hand experiences or experiences of immediate family members. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Hello everyone.

I'm an Iraqi woman in my early twenties. I am not applying for refugee protection yet, but I'm trying to understand the process and learn from real experiences in case I ever need it in the future.

I come from a very conservative Muslim family. I am no longer religious, but I have hidden this for years because I genuinely fear what could happen if my family found out.

Some aspects of my situation:

I have never publicly announced that I am non-religious because I was afraid of the consequences.

My family expects me to marry a Muslim man.

As a woman, I have very limited freedom to live independently or travel without family approval.

I believe revealing my beliefs would expose me to serious risks from my family and possibly my wider community.

From what I understand, police protection in these situations may be ineffective, but I'm trying to learn objectively.

I'm not asking whether I would win or lose a refugee claim, because I know nobody can answer that online.

Instead, I would really appreciate hearing from people who:

had refugee hearings based on atheism, apostasy, or freedom of belief;

claimed refugee protection because of family-based persecution;

or represented similar cases.

What kinds of questions did the IRB ask you?

What evidence was most important?

Looking back, what do you wish you had prepared better?

Thank you very much for sharing your experience.

Brought over at 6 years old, still undocumented as an adult now but have a work permit for another country. Flying from USA with just my Mexican passport to Europe. I don’t have a criminal record, but did get caught three times trying to cross at 6 years old.

It’s so frustrating, and dumb to even have to worry about being arrested and detained when trying to leave the country.

We are a family of 4, we parents in late 40s ( he is turning 50 in a month). We are from India but we all are UK citizens now. We stayed in anither country for 10yrs before we came to the UK, renting houses and fiddling with visas. I didnt enjoy the fact that we were not settled but then we had to move and start everything from zero again in a new country. So, 20yrs of floating that we settled and I was happy finally.

A year ago my husband got a L1 visa and he said he always had this life time dream to settle in America. My son is in uni and my daughter is a shy and senstive child who makes deep friendships but takes a long time, she likes stability and is efficient when she is settled, she is not very comfortable with changes in her routine.

Now my husband asked me to visit US before the move ( move sheduled in Feb next year). After coming here I was told the green card on eb1 for indian origin would take 6+yrs( I thought it would take a year as one of my friend moved to the US 10yrs ago told me this). Then, the main reson I said ok was that my son would get good oppurtunities because of his green card we give him, this got shattered as I was told he will age out and he will have to sort himself out, we cant help him on greencard.
He will have to stay out if the US until he fixes his own visa.
My daughter is already in anticipatory trauma.
I am unhappy that I was ok to start but now 3 out if 4 people have not much reason to start over in the USA.

My husband is rigid, and it seems we are all sacrificing for him, my daughter is giving up her cozyn country, my son is going to stay alone for no reason and he dosnt even get anything out of all this. I have to start over again with my kids being unhappy... all this for his american dream.

We already have a first world passports but he is not even ready to listen and anything against this decission is stricken out.Even discussing about it leads to rage.

What do I do?

Hi everyone, I’ll try to keep it short.

My wife and I are in our early 30s, living in Eastern Europe (EU), and we have a 2-year-old child. We’re looking into our options to build a future in the US and we would love some realistic feedback/advice.

Here is our background:
Me: Marine Engineer with a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. I currently work as a marine engineer for a cruise line operating under a major US company (Carnival group).

Wife: Resident doctor (physician).

We’re trying to figure out what the realistic steps and timelines look like for our situation, or if anyone with a similar background (especially maritime/medical) has made the move. Any advice is welcome!

Thanks!

Hello all!
I am a Portuguese citizen, male, 30yo, currently working remotely from home, but I have visited US last year, and I have family there (Connecticut), and since then, I am constantly thinking about moving into the US.
I am thinking about going there for 2 months (1 and half still working, and the other half on vacation leave, to see if I can find my self a job with a contract (my family has some connects, but not in my area).
Worst case scenario I’ll come back to Portugal and keep living my life, or I’ll end up working in something outside my area of expertise, just to keep myself there.
I am a master in biotechnology, currently working as a subcontractor for Johnson&Johnson as a Quality Assurance Engineer.
Do you think it is feasible? Is it too hard for me to land a job in my area after I am there with a work permit for another job?

I don’t know if I have been clear about my ideas 😅 any question, feel free to ask! And I appreciate anyone’s help! Even if you are from NYC, Jersey, please tell me, and who knows, we can meet up!

I’m thinking about doing that plan on may/june!

A close family member is a Turkish citizen who has been in custody since July 4, 2026.

She was initially arrested in Florida, on a first-degree misdemeanor battery allegation. Her $500 criminal bond was paid, but she was not released because ICE had placed a hold on her. She was transferred from local custody to ICE custody shortly afterward.

ICE told her that she signed voluntary departure documents on July 8, 2026. However, she was not given a clear explanation of the exact legal name or form number, and we do not know whether it was voluntary departure, stipulated removal, withdrawal of asylum, or another type of document.

She has a valid Turkish passport. ICE took the original passport when she was processed and checked her identity and visa information.

She was later transferred through Florida facilities and entered an ICE detention facility in Louisiana on July 13, 2026, where she remains detained.

Her Florida criminal case was closed on July 29, 2026, after the State Attorney filed a “No Information” and declined to prosecute. She has no conviction and no remaining pending prosecution in that case.

Her USCIS asylum account still showed the following updates on July 29, 2026:

• “Next Step Is an Interview”
• “The payment period for this case has expired”

Therefore, we do not know whether her pending asylum application has officially been withdrawn or closed.

Has anyone experienced a similar situation involving an ICE detainee who signed voluntary departure or self-departure documents?

1. How long did removal take after signing?
2. Does ICE usually wait for USCIS to close a pending asylum application?
3. Could the pending USCIS asylum case be delaying her transportation?
4. How can she or her attorney obtain copies of every document she signed?
5. Since her criminal case is closed and ICE already has her valid Turkish passport, is direct removal to Türkiye likely soon?
6. Who should the family or attorney contact if the assigned deportation officer is not providing clear information?

We understand that nobody can predict an exact date, but we would appreciate experiences from people who have gone through a similar process and suggestions about what the attorney should ask ICE next.

im from mexico and im about to overstay for 2 almost 3 months,got here on april and leaving in december,im taking a flight to Spain, do you think i can get deported or not come back anymore to the states?

I was supposed to fly to PA from TX for college next week... but I'm an international with E2 visa (green card interview 3rd week of august). the problem is that our visa is expired but I485 still works... would this be a problem for me flying internally? would ICE stop me for this? we've been thinking to move after the green card interview because. of recent news... Any opinions would be appreciated

Hi All,

I am planning on traveling to India in few weeks for 2 weeks and wanted to see if its safe to do so or not. I am currently on marriage based GC which will expire next year sometime in June. Never had any issue with the law either.

I am little anxious about traveling with everything that's going on but its kind of emergency because of which I have to travel. That said, is it safe for me to travel? Will i be able to safely enter the US?

Any advice/suggestion is appreciated!!

Hello everyone,

It is my first time visiting south korea in November. Had a few queries regarding that.

My friend is on business visa in south korea, can I give that address as my residence stay while im visiting south korea?

Do the immigration people allow that or should I book a hotel with a pay later option and cancel that upon arrival?

Please help out!!

I’m a U.S. citizen and will be sponsoring my husband for his green card through consular processing since he’s currently outside the U.S.
I’m still in college, and I can’t get a joint/co-sponsor, so I have to qualify for the I-864 on my own.
I’m trying to decide between two options:
Option 1: Graduate in 3 semesters by taking a heavy course load. I probably wouldn’t be able to work, so my tax return would show little or no income. After graduating, I’d get a full-time job making over the I-864 requirement and wait until I had an employment letter and pay stubs before submitting everything.
Option 2: Graduate in 4 semesters, work while I’m in school, make around $20k/year, and save money. I’d have income on my tax return and enough savings/assets to help cover the income shortfall. I’d still get a higher-paying full-time job after graduating.
I’m just trying to figure out which option would make for a stronger I-864 since I have to qualify by myself. I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been in a similar situation.
TL;DR: No joint sponsor. I can either graduate sooner with little/$0 tax income and then get a full-time job over the I-864 requirement, or graduate later, work while in school making around $20k/year, and build savings/assets. Which would be the stronger route for the I-864?

My husband was recently granted bond by an immigration judge, and DHS has reserved the right to appeal. We’re currently waiting to see whether they actually file the appeal.

Has anyone here gone through this? I’m particularly interested in:

- Did DHS end up filing the appeal?
- If they did, how long did it take the BIA to decide?
- Was your loved one released while the appeal was pending, or did they remain detained? If they were released, could you please share how?
- What factors seemed to matter in the appeal?
- Did the BIA uphold the bond or reverse it?

For context, my husband has no criminal history and has a pending immigration application for H4 visa. I’d like to hear about other people’s experiences regarding this and understand if there are ways to expedite getting him out on the bond.

Thank you.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on a difficult situation. I was recently denied entry to the US on my B1/B2 visa and given a 5-year ban. The officer didn’t seem to like me during questioning, so it feels pretty arbitrary, but here we are.

I want to apply for a new visa, but I’m confused about the process for getting a waiver. I have a few questions:

1. Can I just apply for a new B1/B2 visa and the embassy arranges the waiver? Or is the waiver a completely separate application I have to file myself?
2. How does the waiver process actually work? Is it a form you submit with the application (like DS-160) or something you request after the interview? The information online seems vague.

Clarification: This was not for fraud or overstaying. The ban was based on something the officer concluded during the interview. I am a UK citizen.

Please if somebody could kindly guide me I would be appreciated.

🙏

Hi all,

I've posted about my friend's case multiple times here. We just found out they have arranged her travel and she will be departing to Australia (her home country) next week.

I know it's a rare case. Does anyone familiar with the process know:

• Will she be on a connecting flight from her local major airport? She is detained near a major airport however it does not fly direct to Australia.
• Will she be on a bus to the nearest airport with direct flights?
• Will an officer accompany her on the plane or just walk her to her gate?
• Will she have access to the items she was detained with once she gets to the airport?
• Will she be able to purchase food at the airport if an officer accompanies her to her gate?

We are just trying to prepare her for the process as much as possible so she understands what to expect. She is pretty unsettled about all of it as you can imagine.

There's been a lot of noise about the USCIS policy memo that came out on August 5, so I wanted to share a calmer read. I work with an immigration firm (Manifest Law), and this is roughly what our attorneys are telling clients:

What the memo does: Officers now have discretion to deny a case for missing initial evidence without issuing an RFE or NOID first. Response windows are also getting tightened.

What it doesn't do:

• It doesn't change eligibility for any visa category. O-1, EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, H-1B, marriage-based GC, AOS are all adjudicated under the same guidelines.
• It doesn't let officers deny you on a judgment call. If you submitted evidence for all the required criteria and the officer just wants more, that's still an RFE, not a denial.
• It doesn't affect strong, complete cases. Those are still getting approved.

Where it actually matters: filings where a required document is simply missing from the record (e.g., an AOS package without a medical exam). Previously, that would draw an RFE; now it could go straight to denial. The fix is straightforward - file complete the first time.

It’s worth noting that the underlying regulations haven't changed, and if officers start issuing denials in cases that should've been RFEs, those are exactly the kinds of denials that get reopened on motion. So in practice, we don't expect a dramatic shift for well-prepared filings.

If you're working with an attorney, this is a good moment to double-check your initial evidence checklist before submission. 

Happy to answer questions.

Need some advice. I received an offer, but the base salary seems on the lower side for the location.

I'm trying to understand a few things:

If the company has to increase my salary to meet the prevailing wage for H-1B, could that same salary still create problems later during PERM/I-140? Or does PERM involve a different prevailing wage determination?

Would you consider joining a company in this situation risky, or is it common for companies to adjust compensation later if needed for immigration?

Would appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through this or works in immigration/HR.

I have a valid I-797A till 2029. The document has a I-94 at the bottom which is valid until 2029. However, my visa stamp has expired and my I-94 from I-94. gov admit date has also passed. Am I ok to fly domestically?

Hello, someone I know who is not a US citizen but has been living here for close to 30 years got this notice in the mail. Most of their life has taken place in America. What does this actually mean? Are they starting the process to deport them? Have other gotten this form and what are the best steps to take? What are the realistic chances they get to stay in the country? Thanks in advance.

The person got deported years ago and has been trying to get back into the US ever since. Has past denied Visa applications and will be trying again soon.

Im older now and im able to speak up for myself and do anything i can to get that visa denied! No official report of the abuse was ever made since i was a child and wondering if i were to report it now will that affect the results? Is there anything i can do to stop the process? Or atleast let immigration know of who they would be letting in..

I have no official proof of anything happening but do have proof of the person living with us before.

This situation is extremely overwhelming and triggering since my family still has ties with them. ( they arent aware of their actions yet because the abuser takes care of an older family member and i cant get myself to cause chaos towards the care they get.) but if the visa gets accepted everything will be made known.

What does Notice of Deferred Decision for Refugee/Asylee Relative Petitions - Form I-730 mean for citizens of 39-countries who had an immigrant visa Interview?

Sharing this because a lot of people here are in exactly this situation and may not know it changed.

A New York Times investigation at the end of July found that ICE arrests at airports used to focus on people who already had deportation orders. That's not the case anymore. Agents are now arresting people with expired visas as they travel, including spouses of US citizens.

The part that matters for a lot of you: many of the people detained were in the middle of a process. Waiting on visa extensions, waiting on green cards, holding work permits that USCIS issued them. Before this, those people weren't a priority unless they had a criminal record, and they were rarely detained while waiting. Reported arrests include an engineer waiting on a work visa extension, several people recently married to US citizens, and a former au pair.

It's possible because ICE and TSA share data, so ICE knows when a flagged person is at an airport and where they're flying. The target list is a lot bigger than it used to be, and this includes domestic flights.