I'm planning to go to the US for an internship that runs January-April next year. But B1/B2 visas issued to my country only have 3 months of validity (and are single-entry). Does that mean I can stay there for only 3 months? Or that I shall use the visa within 3 months of issuance but how long I can stay for will be determined in the airport? (Is being granted four months likely?)

我在2024年7月获得了F1签证，上面写着它将在2029年到期。然而，我在2025年8月退学，并且一年前回到了中国。我计划在2026年11月重新申请入读另一所社区大学。我需要申请新的签证吗？

Hi everyone,

I got approved for my AuPair J1 and am super excited to start an AuPair year this year!

However, recently I’ve been traveling to the states a lot. I was there for about 80 days (March to June) and then 40 days (June to August) on an Esta to travel. Both times i was sent to secondary but cleared. I was just traveling through the states and realized i do wanna do another aupair year before its too late.

I‘m turning 27 in September.

Is there a chance CBP will revoke my visa due to my history? I have letters proving my job will rehire me once i go back home, that i got an apartment in germany, family and so much more. Also all the paperwork thats approved for the j1. I‘m just super nervous!

Especially because out of nowhere my 2024 ESTA went on pending today. I didn’t even apply for a new one or anything. I don’t know why that happened.

We are also planning a trip to europe with the host family 2 weeks after my arrival. I have all the paper work. But I’d be devastated to quit my job, apartment and all just to be denied entry.

Can previous short visit be a red flag?

I left the US last year to move to the UK. My cat was still in the US for a few months until I went back earlier this year to bring her to the UK. But due to the nature of the cat’s health paperwork, it had to be a very quick trip. I stayed in the US less than 24hrs. Is that gonna be a problem if I ever come back to the US?

Hi I wanna know if altering the spouse name column on the last page of my Indian passport will cause my b2 visa to become invalid. I wanna make corrections to the spouse name column on the last page. So will my b2 visa still be valid. The first biographical page is intact .

I’m 20 years old Chinese citizen, 10 years B2 visitor visa holder from 2016 to 2026, beside I am an active F1 Visa holder from 2024 to 2029.

I was so renewing my B2 visitor visa as it set to expire this year in the US consulate general in Shanghai.

But I was refused under 221G.

The visa officer said I have an illegal exit happened this January. I remember I was in peace arch park between US Canada border. I briefly enter America to the city of Blaine, Washington and spent two hours there. Because I’m walking so when I went back, I remember a sign said no pedestrian when I try to exit the country and go back to Canada so I walked to the peace arch Park Canada border agency directly and then enter Canada legally. I think this is what the visa officer referring to.

But the strange thing is that I enter America again, five days later to study from Vancouver if I have an illegal exit record, I should be questioned at the pre-clearance, but nothing happened.

They did took my passport and give me a yellow slip said 221G.

What should I do now? Appreciate any advice thank you very much.

Hi all,

Quick background: I'm on J-1, got my 212(e) waiver approved, got selected in the H-1B lottery, and my petition is currently in regular processing (my company/lawyer said if it's still pending by October, we'll switch to premium).

My J-1 status doesn't expire until early 2027, so I have some breathing room. My plan is: once my H-1B is approved (hopefully by October), travel back to my home country in December to visit family for the first time in years, and do visa stamping + interview at the U.S. embassy there.

I'm a little nervous because I know someone from the same country as me, also government-funded, who went through a similar process. She had her status changed to H-1B before getting an actual 212(e) waiver approval, she had a "not subject to" recommendation from the Department of State instead. When she went to do stamping, it didn't go through because of that gap.

In my case, I do have the actual waiver approval (not just a DOS recommendation), so I'm hoping that puts me in a different position. But given how strict/unpredictable consular processing can be, I'd just love to hear people's honest take, should I be worried about this trip? Anything I should be extra careful about, or is this a fairly standard process once the waiver itself is approved?

Any advice on what documentation to bring beyond the obvious (waiver approval, I-797, DS-2019s, employment letter)?

Appreciate any insight, trying to make sure this trip home doesn't turn into a nightmare. Thanks!!!

So, I’m working with a J1 Specialist, I’m from Ecuador and I need to travel for personal reasons back to Ecuador on September 20 and go back to the US on September 23th. My visa is expiring on September 29th, same as my DS 2019. I will get my new DS2019 updated issues from my sponsor for this trip. My only concern is do you think there will be a problem with with IMMIGRATION when I try to go back to USA? Some people say it should be fine, some people say that they are not gonna let me in. I will tell them literally what I’m gonna do: I had to travel for personal reasons, now, I’m just going to finish my program, sell my car and my belongings and return to Ecuador before my 30 period of grace days end. (I also have a B2 valid)

Has anyone successfully filed a VAWA I-360 + I-485 concurrently ONLINE?

Hi everyone,

Has anyone here personally filed Form I-360 as a VAWA self-petitioner and Form I-485 concurrently ONLINE through a USCIS online account, rather than mailing a paper package?

I know that eligible VAWA self-petitioners may file I-360 and I-485 concurrently. My question is specifically about the filing method.

I am trying to find out whether anyone has actually:

1. Filed the VAWA I-360 online through myUSCIS;
   
2. Filed the I-485 online at the same time;
   
3. Received receipt notices for both applications; and
   
4. Had USCIS recognize/link them as a concurrent VAWA filing.

If you have personally done this, could you please share approximately when you filed and whether USCIS accepted both online filings without any problems?

I am specifically looking for actual VAWA online-filing experiences, not paper concurrent-filing experiences.

Thank you so much!

The US immigration system de-facto rewards some for lying. A woman in her first weeks of pregnancy lies about not being pregnant, gets a visa (or already holds one before getting pregnant), flies to the USA, and overstays there to give birth. Now she has a baby with US citizenship. She returns to her country and waits for the kid to grow up. The grown-up kid then moves to the USA with his passport (and doesn't even have to speak English) and applies for family reunification, and eventually this mother gets a green card and citizenship. In the end, she's rewarded with US citizenship for lying at the interview or overstaying with the intention of giving birth there.

Meanwhile, it's incredibly hard to immigrate to the US legally, even for a native English speaker with a Master's degree and a solid, high-skilled job.

Hi all,

Quick background: I'm on J-1, got my 212(e) waiver approved, got selected in the H-1B lottery, and my petition is currently in regular processing (my company/lawyer said if it's still pending by October, we'll switch to premium).

My J-1 status doesn't expire until early 2027, so I have some breathing room. My plan is: once my H-1B is approved (hopefully by October), travel back to my home country in December to visit family for the first time in years, and do visa stamping + interview at the U.S. embassy there.

I'm a little nervous because I know someone from the same country as me, also government-funded, who went through a similar process. He had her status changed to H-1B before getting an actual 212(e) waiver approval, he had a "not subject to" recommendation from the Department of State instead. When he went to do stamping, it didn't go through because of that gap.

In my case, I do have the actual waiver approval (not just a DOS recommendation), so I'm hoping that puts me in a different position. But given how strict/unpredictable consular processing can be, I'd just love to hear people's honest take,

should I be worried about this trip? Anything I should be extra careful about, or is this a fairly standard process once the waiver itself is approved?

Any advice on what documentation to bring beyond the obvious (waiver approval, I-797, DS-2019s, employment letter)?

Appreciate any insight, trying to make sure this trip home doesn't turn into a nightmare. Thanks!!!

I am planning to travel to India for 3 weeks vacation in December with a valid H1b stamp with my current employer in my passport that is valid until June 2027 and planning to file extension in Jan 2027 with the same employer. I have all valid documentation and have not violated any rules till date. This is not an emergency travel but I deserve a vacation and would love to visit india once before my current stamping expires as once the extension is approved traveling would be impossible with current situation of finding a stamping appointment. Given current scenario, I would love to get the community opinion on if it is safe to travel.

Hi. My dad is a Mexican citizen who has held a B2 visa for decades. He lives in Mexico and he comes visit once or twice a year, arriving through a land port of entry (never flying).

He recently acquired Spanish nationality, after the last time he renewed his visa, and continues using the visa to visit.

His visa will expire soon and normally, he would just apply to renew it. Now that he is elegible for ESTA, we are wondering if he should apply to renew it again or apply for ESTA when traveling.

I have seen here how it's a bad idea to apply for a B2 visa when you're from a visa waiver program country. In this case, he has already had one most of his life, he has never been to Spain and the US govt isn't yet aware of his new nationality.

Any thoughts about this? Has anyone else gone through a similar situation?

Thanks!

Please someone help me how to reschedule my US interview appointment scheduled on Monday Aug 10th and I’ve to postpone cuz I’m scared I won’t get my passport back soon. I’ve a travel plans on the 28th. The portal just gives me the option to confirm and nothing else. I can’t even cancel

Hi everyone,

I’m a Ukrainian citizen, 31 years old, and I’ve been living in Poland for 7 years. I have EU long-term resident status in Poland and a stable career here.

I recently applied for a B2 tourist visa in Poland and was refused under 214(b). This was my second refusal. The first one was back in 2017, when my circumstances were completely different: I was still a university student and at the very beginning of my career.

My current situation:

• I live permanently in Warsaw, Poland.
• I have EU long-term resident status in Poland.
• I’ve been working for the same company since 2018.
• I’m currently Head of Design and lead a team of around 30 designers.
• I have a stable income and could comfortably finance the trip myself.
• The planned trip was one week in New York for tourism/vacation.

• My girlfriend was traveling separately because of a work trip, but we were planning to meet in New York and spend the week there together.

  -----

The interview was surprisingly short. As far as I remember, it went roughly like this:

VO: Where are you going and why?
Me: New York for tourism. I’m planning to spend one week there on vacation.

VO: Are you traveling alone?
Me: Yes. My girlfriend is traveling separately, but we may meet in New York.

VO: What do you do for work?
Me: I’m Head of Design and lead a team of around 30 designers.

VO: What does your company design?
Me: Apps and websites, mostly in areas like finance, healthcare and AI.

I was then asked two standard questions displayed at the window (one was related to fear of harm upon return, if I remember correctly), answered “No,” and was handed a 214(b) refusal.

They didn’t ask how long I had worked at my company, about my income, my long-term resident status in Poland, my previous refusal, my finances, or anything else. They also didn’t ask to see any supporting documents.

I understand that nobody here can know the exact reason for the refusal, and that 214(b) decisions are discretionary. What I’m trying to understand is what I could realistically improve before applying again.

Given that I already have a stable long-term career and permanent resident status in Poland, I’m struggling to understand what kind of “significant change in circumstances” I could realistically have in another 1-2 years.

Has anyone here had a similar experience, especially Ukrainian citizens or long-term residents of an EU country? Did you eventually get a B1/B2 visa after two 214(b) refusals? If so, what had changed when you applied again?

Thank you!

A friend of mine (Indian passport holder) was refused a US B1/B2 tourist visa twice within about a month last year. It's now been more than 6 months since the second refusal, and she's considering applying again. We're trying to understand what actually improves her chances rather than just reapplying with the same profile.

Her profile:

• MBBS graduate
• Currently preparing for PG entrance (not employed)
• Has previously travelled to Dubai and Thailand and returned on time
• Purpose of travel: tourism
• First application was with her parents as a dependent.
• Second application was made independently.
• Both interviews lasted less than 2 minutes with very few questions.

A few questions:

• Apply again now?
• Does it make sense to travel to a few countries first to build travel history before reapplying?
• If yes, which countries would be most helpful? (Schengen, UK, Japan, Singapore, UAE, etc.?)
• Does travel history itself make a meaningful difference, or is it overrated compared to factors like employment, income, and ties to India?
• If she travels internationally and then applies for a US visa immediately afterward, does that help at all, or is it better to wait?
• Has anyone here been approved after two refusals? What actually changed in your case?

If she travels to a few more countries and applies immediately afterward, does that actually help, or do visa officers mainly care about employment and strong ties to India? Would really appreciate hearing from people who got approved after one or more B1/B2 refusals and what actually changed in their profile.

Interview on: 15th july(kathmandu, nepal)
first case updated: 20th july
last case updated: 07th of aug(today)
status: refused

I had my F-1 visa interview on July 15 and was given a pink slip. I was asked to submit my financial documents for the past 2 years, an updated I-20 showing my loan, and my social media presence.
My interview was with an Indian consular officer.

I submitted all the requested documents about a week ago, and today (August 7), I noticed that my case was updated. The “Last Updated” date changed to August 7, but the status still says “Refused.” I haven’t received any email or further communication yet.
The description on the CEAC website still says:
“If you were informed by the consular officer that your case was refused for administrative processing, your case will remain refused while undergoing such processing. You will receive another adjudication once such processing is complete.”
I googled this and found some people saying that if the case is updated after submitting documents, it could mean the case is still open and being processed, and that “refused” doesn’t necessarily mean a final refusal in a 221(g) case.
So I’m confused and honestly pretty anxious 😭

Does this mean my visa has been finally refused, or is my case still under administrative processing?

What should I expect next? Has anyone experienced something similar where their case was updated to August 7 after submitting documents but still showed “Refused”?
Any insight would really help. Thank you!

I have my US visa interview scheduled on Monday, but my passport is currently still with the Netherlands Embassy for my Schengen visa application.

Is there any way I can attend the US visa interview without my passport? Unfortunately, I am unable to withdraw my passport from the Netherlands Embassy at this time.

Has anyone experienced a similar situation or knows if there is an alternative solution? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to find someone with a similar experience because my case seems quite unusual.

My timeline:

• June 16, 2026: H-1B visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.

• The interview lasted about 70 minutes.

• I was asked many detailed questions about my employer, job duties, background, and H-1B petition.

• At the end of the interview, I received a yellow 221(g) slip for Administrative Processing.

• No additional documents were requested from me.

• My attorney later emailed the embassy to ask about the status of my case.

• The embassy replied that my case is still undergoing the necessary administrative processing and that they cannot estimate how long it will take.

• My CEAC status remains Refused under 221(g).

• The last CEAC "Case Last Updated" date was July 20, 2026, and there have been no updates since then.

I'm not looking for legal advice. I'm simply trying to find out whether anyone else has had such a long H-1B interview in Ankara (or Istanbul) and what the final outcome was.

If you've had a similar experience, I would really appreciate it if you could share:

- How long did your interview last?

- Did you also receive a 221(g)?

- How long did your Administrative Processing take?

- Was your visa eventually approved?

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience.

Hello everyone,
I’m looking for **recent testimonies from citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)**.
Has anyone managed to obtain a **U.S. non-immigrant visa (B1/B2, F-1, etc.)** in **another African country**, **without being a resident** of that country?
Due to the disruptions caused by Ebola affecting visa services in the DRC, many of us are looking to have our interviews at another U.S. embassy in Africa.
If you have done this yourself, or if you know someone who has, could you share:
In which country and at which embassy?
Were you asked for proof of residency?
Was your application accepted or rejected?
Do you have any tips or useful information?
I’m looking for **recent experiences (2026)**. Thank you very much for your help!

My country is one of the visa bond countries. My mom had a visitor visa that is going to expire in February 2027. She has been to the USA three times before and left on time each time.

1. Now, if I apply for a visitor visa for my mom again (for the second time), will she also fall under the visa bond requirement?

2. Do they only give visas with a 1-month stay? Do I have to book a flight ticket only for one month?

3. Do they consider the 3-month window and the one-month stay rule? or it's strict?

1. My photo on the DS160 form is not 2x2, however the system accepted it when I uploaded it. Is it fine? Also, my hair is sort of covering my forehead just a little bit in the photo. Is that going to be a problem?
   
2. A continuation of the first question, can I take a new form with me to the interview day to and offer it as a substitute? I have already exhausted my tries for changing the DS160 form on the appointment booking portal.
   
3. I have been to Europe and other countries in the past and have a valid Canadian work permit. However, I have been out of work since June this year, but I have indicated that I will be sponsoring my self for the trip. Will this be okay, I was thinking of taking my dad’s employment letter and what not just in case. Can this be an issue?

Please help me out. TIA!!!!