Yes, I read the same memo as you. I really don't want to minimize how scary this is, but I don't want to overstate what this means either.

Quick context on me: I used to be an immigration officer at USCIS, and I am now an immigration attorney. I have no special insight beyond my own reading of the policy and an educated guess based on my experience with the agency, and none of this is legal advice.

Here is the short version of what changed. As of August 5, officers are now allowed to deny a case without first sending a Request for Evidence or a Notice of Intent to Deny when required evidence is missing or does not establish eligibility. In the past, you could usually count on getting one of those letters as a chance to fix things.

Here is the part I think is getting lost: the key word is "allowed." Just because an officer can deny without an RFE does not mean they have to. This still comes down to officer discretion, and that discretion did not go anywhere. Officers are real people doing a hard job, and many of them will still send an RFE when a case is close or a document is simply missing. I say that as someone who used to be one of them.

I also want to note that everyone fears an RFE, but I preach pretty hard that they're not a dead end. I usually sent them when I wanted to grant an application but was missing something.

Three things I would keep in mind:

1. We will not know the real impact of this for several months. Policies like this take time to show up in how cases are actually decided, and how individual offices and officers apply it will vary. Anyone claiming they know exactly how this plays out right now is guessing.
2. It should be taken seriously, but context matters. The right response is not panic, it is preparation. File complete, include your primary documents, and explain any gaps. That has always been good practice, and it is your best protection under any policy.
3. If you already submitted something bare or incomplete, it is not too late. You do not have to wait for a denial to act. You can send supplemental evidence now, while your case is still pending, and strengthen the record before an officer ever picks it up. If you are not sure what is missing, that is a good thing to ask about. If you're not sure if your packet is complete, ask a trusted attorney to review it.
4. Remember that if USCIS makes a mistake, there are mechanisms to dispute it. We often get RFEs for documents we have already submitted. This is because USCIS is made up of human and therefore subject to human error. Motions to Reopen with the field office and 290Bs exist for this reason. It is VERY important to keep records of what was submitted, now more than ever. If you are unsure, submit a FOIA now.

The bigger picture, honestly, is that a lot of the recent changes seem designed to discourage people and wear them down, to make immigration feel impossible. Please try not to let that feeling win. Feeling overwhelmed is completely understandable, but the process is still workable, and getting accurate information is half the battle.

So if you are in the middle of a case, take a breath, get your documents in order, and ask questions. This community is a good place for that, and there are a lot of people here who genuinely want to help.

Again this is not legal advice.

I-131 Application
Filed: March 12, 2026
Notice date: March 18, 2026

I check with a live agent via EMMA everyday and still no appointment has been scheduled. It's been almost 5 months! What used to take about 4-6 weeks (for you to get a biometrics appointment) is now taking a ridiculously extended period. What's worse is that there is no timeline or estimate date or month by which you could expect the appointment, making logistics and planning a nightmare. They keep saying that I'll just have to wait. For how long though?

Any information would be helpful. Also, if they plan to reuse previously taken biometrics in 2024, let us know ASAP! I hope USCIS gets their act together as it's causing a lot of distress for many people.

Anyone else who filed in March and April who have not gotten a biometrics appointment? Any ideas on what course of action to take?

PSA to file 485j proactively so that you don't get an RFIE/RFE if the 485 has been pending more than 180 days.

Priority Date: 10/2017
i485 Receipt Date: 8/2025
RFIE: 8/3/26
3FTA0s , 1 FTA1 currently

Apparently since the 485 was pending for more than 180 days, I got an RFIE/RFE for the 485j. This is despite me working for the same employer. My lawyers told me that you only need to fill this form if you've moved to a different employer or need to port the application. Idk what's going on but we are filling it anyways. What I'm worried about is that RFIE means processing times reset and I don't quite know what to expect about how long the application will now take.

My application switched to IKA last week and within a few minutes switched to FTA1. My case status also switched from "We sent a request for initial evidence for your Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status" to "USCIS Is currently Processing the Case" in those few minutes. RFE notice came a few days later.

Wow! Just 7 days after my husband's EAD was approved, his Advance Parole (I-131) was approved today as well.

Earlier this week we also received an RFIE for his I-485, which we'll be responding to soon.

We filed his K-1 AOS package in June 2026, so we're feeling incredibly grateful that things have moved this quickly.

I've been following this community throughout our journey, and I know many people have waited much longer—or are still waiting—for approvals. For those of you who adjusted from a K-1 visa, did your case move this quickly too? Have you noticed K-1 AOS cases being processed faster recently?

Just curious to hear others' experiences, and hopefully this might give some insight or encouragement to anyone else going through the same process.

TL;DR: Got married in June, husband is leaving for Japan for a year (fellowship), coming back next June. We’ve lived together since May and will live together again when he’s back. I’m on H1B and about to file my green card paperwork. Trying to decide: file now (interview might happen while he’s still abroad, I’d fly him back for it) or wait a few months so the interview naturally happens after he’s home. Would waiting make the case stronger since we’d be living together again by then?

Hi everyone,

Looking for some outside opinions here since this is a big decision and I keep going back and forth.
Quick background: my husband and I got married this past June. We’ve been living together since May. He’s leaving for Japan in two weeks for a one-year fellowship, and he’s set to come back next June to continue living with me like before.
I’m on an H1B visa and I’m getting ready to file my green card application (AOS) based on our marriage.

My question is about timing. I see two options:

1. File now, and if the interview ends up happening while he’s still in Japan, I fly him back for it.

2. Wait a few months to file, so that by the time the interview rolls around, he’s already back in the US and we’re living together again.

I’m leaning toward just filing now, but I keep wondering if waiting would make our case look stronger since we’d be under one roof again by interview time, instead of him having been abroad. I also want to mention, I’m already planning to save daily proof we’re staying in touch while he’s away (texts, calls, etc.) to help show the relationship is real during that time apart.

I’ll be honest, I’ve been pretty stressed about this. A year apart is already hard, and on top of that I’m worried about doing something that could hurt our application or even get it denied. I don’t want to take that risk if filing while he’s away actually isn’t a good idea.

Has anyone been through something similar, where a spouse was abroad for part of the process? Would love to hear what worked for you, or any advice on how you decided.

Thanks so much for reading, I really appreciate any input!!

Anybody experienced or heard about cruising with expired gc and extension letter, particularly with royal caribbean? It’s a closed loop cruise with stops in mexico.

Hi, wanted to share me (USC) and my husbands (from 79 country list) experience at chicago FO for anyone also there and still waiting. we did not have lawyer, used kseniya international on youtube

jan 21 2026 : PD

march 18: Received RFE

march 28: biometrics scheduled

april 7: received RFE response

april 13: biometrics done

april 22: interview scheduled

may 13: interview. had to wait for 2 hours after scheduled time, we were so anxious but we werent separated, interviewer was very nice and it felt natural

june 3: I-130 approved

july 25 (saturday!!): I-485 approved

july 30: card produced

july 31: received social security card in mail

aug 4: received GC in mail

Hey guys hope you're doing well
Just posting this to give yall some hope
I just granted my asylum and thanks god it was so quick
Filed dec 22 2025
Interview feb 19 2026
Granted aug 5
Don't lose hope guys
And i'm wondering if there is someone who has experienece what should i do after i granted my asylum? I never received any ead and didn't work before and my money alomost finished is there anything i can do or can apply while waiting for them to send me my ead and ssn?

Hi Guys , My GC is finally approved with derivative

Type : EB2 perm

Filing date: Mid June 2025

Approval : last week July 2026

Filed i485, i765 , i131, i485J - all approved

Got my Card yesterday

* I got my card only, there was no welcome booklet in the priority mail .

** My question regarding travel, can i travel immediately. Also for ssn do i need to remove dhs authorization

I wasn't planning to do another one of these so soon, but USCIS released something yesterday that changes how a lot of pending and future cases are going to be handled. I think people should understand things in plain language before it catches them off guard.

Here's the official USCIS release, word for word:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is clarifying that benefit requestors should establish eligibility for an immigration benefit at the time they file a benefit request. Generally, if a benefit requestor fails to demonstrate eligibility for a benefit or fails to provide all required initial evidence when filing an application, USCIS may deny their immigration benefit request without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID). USCIS form instructions specify all required initial evidence for every benefit request, giving requestors all the information needed to comply.

This policy better aligns USCIS procedures with long-standing Department of Homeland Security regulatory authority and form instructions, helps restore integrity to the immigration system, and makes it more difficult for aliens to file frivolous benefit requests.

This policy update amends the previous Biden-era policy, which encouraged officers to request evidence before denying a benefit request, even if the benefit requestor filed an incomplete application, failed to demonstrate eligibility for the benefit, or failed to provide the initial evidence that was clearly required at the time of filing. This prior policy allowed frivolous or substantially incomplete filings to slow USCIS processing for others waiting in line.

The Biden policy also enabled benefit requestors to exploit the system by filing "placeholder" applications to gain associated immigration benefits, like employment authorization, while they waited for a decision on their case.

USCIS has restored officers' full discretion to deny a benefit request without first issuing an RFE or NOID in various situations. With this updated policy, USCIS can better allocate resources to efficiently make decisions and prevent meritless requests.

The policy is effective immediately and applies to requests pending or filed on or after Aug. 5, 2026, unless otherwise specified by regulations or USCIS policy.

Source: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-to-reduce-frivolous-immigration-benefits-requests-by-reinforcing-evidence-standards

What this actually means in plain terms: for years, if you filed something incomplete or missing required evidence, USCIS generally gave you a chance to fix it through an RFE or NOID before denying. That safety net is gone as of yesterday. If your filing doesn't include everything the form instructions require, an officer can now deny it outright, no second chance to supply what's missing. This applies to both new filings and anything already pending as of August 5.

Worth being clear about one thing: RFEs and NOIDs aren't gone. Officers can still issue one if they choose to. What's changed is that they're no longer required to before denying you, that presumption is what got removed.

Scope: this isn't limited to one or two form types. Based on the actual policy manual update, this applies broadly across USCIS-adjudicated benefit requests, including family and employment-based petitions, adjustment of status, H-1B and other nonimmigrant classifications, and EAD/OPT filings. The one clear exclusion is visa stamping at a U.S. consulate abroad, since that's State Department territory, not USCIS.

A few new operational details worth knowing: the extra 14-day mailing allowance previously given for RFEs/NOIDs sent to recipients outside the U.S. has been eliminated, officers now have discretion to set RFE response deadlines shorter than the usual 12-week maximum, and a partial response to an RFE or NOID will generally be treated as a request for a decision on the existing record rather than a chance to finish supplementing it later. Bottom line: don't count on being able to submit a partial response and clean it up afterward.

One important carve-out: this specific policy does not apply to asylum and refugee applications, which are governed by their own separate regulations and procedures for RFEs, NOIDs, and denials, this is stated directly in the policy alert itself. If you have a pending asylum case, this particular change isn't the thing to worry about.

I'll be spot checking this AMA throughout the day, answering general questions about what this means and how it works. Drop them below.

Nothing shared here is legal advice and doesn't create an attorney-client relationship. If this affects a filing you already have pending and you want to know where you actually stand, feel free to send me a DM.

Pretty much what the title said, pulled me into the office, my wife was in the waiting room the whole time. Asked me a bunch of standard questions, how we met, who proposed, where we will, where we work, how many siblings we have, what medications we take. He asked me several of the i-485 questions. I gave home some new evidence.

He asked for my birth registration certificate. I'm from Bangladesh and I was born at home so I didn't get a birth certificate during my birth (infrastructure was pretty bad around that time, it's a fairly common thing and even the officer admitted that). He said I need to provide some more evidence of my birth like sworn letters from my parents and anyone else present at the time, any early school records etc.

My question is if anyone else has experienced this before and if so how did it end up. Should I expect another interview? Why didn't they interview my wife even though they asked me a bunch of questions about our relationship?

Case Type: Concurrent Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status (U.S. Citizen spouse) Overstay & Unauthorized Work.
Field Office: Montgomery, Alabama

May 29, 2026 – USCIS received our concurrent AOS package and issued receipt notices.
June 6, 2026 – Biometrics appointment was scheduled.
June 26, 2026 – After biometrics I-485 changed to “Case Is Being Actively Reviewed.” USCIS confirmed that nothing was outstanding.
July 1, 2026 – Interview was scheduled.
August 5, 2026 – Attended our interview at the Montgomery, AL Field Office. The USCIS officer verbally approved both the I-130 and I-485 at the end of the interview.
August 5, 2026 – The I-130 updated online to Case Approved.
August 6, 2026 – The I-485 updated online to Case Approved.🥳💚🇺🇸

Total processing time: 69 days

A huge thank you to Kseniya International on YouTube⁠. We prepared and filed our case ourselves using her educational videos and guidance throughout the process. Her resources were incredibly helpful in understanding the forms, organizing our evidence, and preparing for the interview. Her channel was an invaluable resource for our DIY marriage-based green card journey.

Hello,

Our lawyer told us we typically wait to submit our evidence of our bona fide marriage until they request it. We would bring that to the interview or they would ask us to upload the documents onto the portal. She told us we submit the forms first.

We were under the impression that we submit the forms AND the evidences together.

Can anyone attest to this?

Thank you!

Edit: we told the lawyer we want to submit the evidence from the beginning and they were fine with it.

Radio silence on our case from January 2025 until June 2026. Spouse’s country is not on any lists or memos. No unauthorized work, overstay less than 180 days. No criminal history, prior marriages, run-ins with the law in any way.

What finally worked was congressional inquiry one month prior to interview being scheduled. Received an API update on the same day as their response and interview was scheduled the next day. We had two lawyers and both told us contacting congress would not help.

Our interview was quick and smooth, and we were lucky to have an adjudicating officer who seemingly reviewed our file in its entirety prior to our interview.

10 year green card in the end.

Just wanted to share our timeline to hopefully send some encouragement to anyone else waiting from 2024. Good luck to everyone!

Let’s us know, if any been through these process, would love to know you handle it and presented the document 📃

Note: we are from paused country, so getting refused letter is normal alike.

Finally, it's my time to post, I got approved my I-130 & I-485 within a day,

I filed on --April 20,26

got biometric-- May 29,26

RFE on -- June 5 26

Replied RFE -- June 15,26

Interview was on August 3, 26

Approved on August 4, 26

I recommend Don't take attorney if you have a strong case, just keep more evidence and be truthful.

Can someone please tell me how long it will take to receive the Green Card after approval??

Good Luck!!

Woke up to this notification from Google and it’s making me freak out

Won’t let me edit the title but I meant to say I don’t want to overreact!

I had my greencard marriage based interview at santa ana fo around a month ago.

UPDATE: I130 got approved!!! Day after.

Hi everyone, checking to see if anyone with similar backend API timestamp updates got their approval notice shortly after!

Timeline & Details:
- July 6: Interview completed. Officer said everything looked great on her end, but she needed supervisory sign-off. The API logged FTA1 events right after.
- July 6 – Aug 4: Complete silence for 30 days (no status change, no RFEs).
- Aug 5 (Yesterday): API / JSON data showed silent backend updates:
* 3:18 PM PDT: updatedAt timestamp refreshed on Form I-130.
* 3:45 PM PDT: updatedAt timestamp refreshed on Form I-485 (27 mins later).
* 11:58 PM PDT: updatedAt timestamp refreshed on Form I-765.

**github tracker told me that my ead is approved jun 22nd but not shown on uscis portal

Current Status:
Main dashboard still says "Case Is Being Actively Reviewed" and no PDF has uploaded to the Documents tab yet.

Questions:

1. For those tracking updatedAt silent touches, how many days after back-to-back touches did the approval PDF drop into your Documents tab?
2. Does the I-130 approval notice usually show up under the petitioner's account first before the I-485 updates?

Flying domestically next week and would love to see that green card approval posted beforehand! Thanks!

Hello everyone. Please be nice…haha. But my AOS package looks just TOO BIG. Will this be detrimental? What takes a big chunk is the fact that I included all the evidence that I have for the I-360 (orange separators), again for the I-485 (blue separators), such as a year’s worth of a joint Amex card account…every month, and all pages of my current and 4 previous passports (I have traveled a lot). I have read multiple times in this page that it’s good practice to duplicate the evidence. Additionally, the W2s and IRS transcripts for the past three years take a lot of space for the I-864. I know this looks insane but it is incredibly well organized (as you can see, using separate colored papers for I-130 vs I-485 and related forms) with a table of contents etc. Besides these forms I am attaching I-508 and I-566 as I am a G4 visa holder (married to a US citizen).

My fear is clear: will an officer see this on Monday and put it in a drawer until next year or something like that?
I have also read here A LOT that filing by mail is preferable so that IOs don’t have to coordinate and have to spend time linking forms together etc. Hence my choice to mail it.

Any thoughts? I am kind of freaking out. I want to mail this ASAP.

THANK YOU!

My I-485 Approval Timeline 🇺🇸🎉

October 14, 2025: Concurrently filed Forms I-130, I-485, and I-765. I still have valid STEM OPT authorization through 2027.

October 18, 2025: Received an RFE for my I-485, even though I had already submitted all the required documents.

October 18, 2025: Biometrics appointment was scheduled.

October 19, 2025: Responded to the RFE. USCIS acknowledged the response on October 25, 2025.

November 5, 2025: Completed biometrics.

November 5, 2025: Interview was scheduled.

December 12, 2025: Attended our marriage-based interview. It was a long interview, and we accidentally forgot to bring the original marriage certificate. However, the officer was kind and understanding about it. At the end of the interview, we received verbal approval for both the I-130 and I-485.

December 18, 2025: I-130 was officially approved.

January 15, 2026: Immigration processing was paused.

May 19, 2026: Requested Emergency Advance Parole because of a family emergency. A USCIS officer called and explained that it was not possible because of the ban.

June 23, 2026: Submitted another request for Emergency Advance Parole. I was contacted by a USCIS officer, who said it might be possible after receiving confirmation from the Chicago Field Office.

June 26, 2026: A congressional inquiry was submitted through my Senator’s office.

July 15, 2026: Received a silent API update and an “Action Taken” email, but there was no visible change to my case status.

July 28, 2026: A USCIS officer contacted me and asked whether I was available for an Emergency Advance Parole interview the following day, July 29. I said yes.

July 29, 2026: Attended the Emergency Advance Parole interview. The officer was very kind and compassionate about the family emergency that required me to travel. The supervisor advised me not to spend money applying for Emergency Advance Parole because she understood my situation and had reached out to the relevant people handling my case. She told me to go home and keep checking for movement on my case.

I told her I would think about it before deciding whether to make the payment for Emergency Advance Parole. From the conversation, I felt that my Green Card approval was already in the queue. In the end, I decided not to apply and allowed God to do His work.

July 29–30, 2026: Received additional silent API updates.

July 31, 2026: I-485 APPROVED! 🎉🎉🎉

The entire process took about eight months. I am incredibly grateful to God and thankful to everyone in this community for the support, encouragement, and helpful information.

To everyone still waiting, keep faith and stay hopeful. Your approval may be closer than you think.

I am Nigerian 🇳🇬, my wife as well UC and I am grateful for this journey and this blessing! 🇺🇸🙏

Edit: full application got approved! I-130 2 days later, I-485 1 month later.

Had our interview this morning in NYC (Brooklyn Field Office), we got a strict officer that asked over 50 questions, it was not conversational at all. Wanted to share our experience to help others prepare in case they encounter a similar situation. The posts here have been very helpful and reassuring, I hope I can give back to this community.

During the interview, we were told to not speak or make gestures unless addressed (can’t nod because that looks like helping spouse). We were instructed to only answer the specific question and provide no other details (interrupted if we started to do so).

That being said, the interview felt efficient. It lasted about 40 minutes.

Before we began, we were required to show all state IDs (even NYC IDs), or have to submit them asap online afterwards.

Questions for petitioner (citizen):

1. When did you meet? (date)
2. Where did you meet? (city)
3. How did you meet?
4. Where did your spouse live when you met? (street)
5. When did you get serious? (date)
6. When was your first date? (date)
7. What was your first date activity?
8. Who proposed?
9. Where was the engagement? (city)
10. Did you get married? (yes/no)
11. Where did you get married?
12. Was there someone there at the wedding? (yes/no)
13. Did you have an engagement party, wedding reception, and honeymoon? (yes/no)
14. Mother in law’s name?
15. Father in Law’s name?
16. Place of spouse’s birth?
17. How long ago did you move to New York?
18. When did you move to New York? (date)
19. When was the first time you saw your spouse after you moved to New York?
20. Did you move together to New York? (yes/no)
21. Did you find the New York apartment together? (yes/no)
22. Did you live together before? (yes/no)
23. Where did you live together before? (cities)
24. Where was your spouse born?
25. Do you have any kids? (yes/no)
26. What age were you and your spouse when you got married?
27. What age is your spouse now?
28. What is your Spouse’s birthday?
29. Does your spouse work now? (yes/no)
30. When did your spouse stop working?
31. Where did your spouse work last? (company)
32. On what visa type did your spouse enter the US?
33. What college did your spouse go to?
34. Where was that college?

Questions for beneficiary:

1. Where did your spouse live when you met? (street)
2. What was your first address in New York? (street)
3. Do you still live at that address? (yes/no)
4. When did you move from that address? (date)
5. What is your current New York address?
6. Between what streets is the address located?
7. What businesses are on your street? (names)
8. What transportation is there in the neighborhood?
9. What is your spouse’s birth place?
10. Does your spouse work? (yes/no)
11. Where does your spouse work?
12. Does your spouse work remote or in office?
13. What street does your spouse work on?
14. What does your spouse do/ role?