The Trump administration is planning on doubling the fees to more than $200,000 for H-1B visa applicants from abroad.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/04/trump-h1b-visa-200000-fee/91571718007/

Our priority date is 04/24/2026

Interview was 07/16/2026

I-130 approved on the spot and I-485 stayed pending because the civil surgeon made a mistake (literally the only reason why I didn’t get approved on the spot for both a month ago) and a page from the form was missing. The officer requested a new copy to be sent directly to her office instead of a processing center which we sent by 07/28/2026 because the doctor was on vacation (how dare he delay my process even more) and they didn’t seem to receive until 09/01/2026, so about a 35 days from the moment I mailed the RFE to the moment they notified received.

On Sept, 04 I was watching a video of a girl who was telling her story about how she got kicked out of the country basically and that made me feel the urge to go check, surprise was that the I-485 was finally approved 3 days ago and I didn’t get notified lol, at first I thought it was just the I-130 that’s been approved for over a month but looked again to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me, I never planned on living here permanently but found love and now get to live a normal life with my amor.

Thanks to this community for helping us prepare the packets and interview. Sharing our SF Bay Area timeline and experience.

• Applied for green card Feb 2022. Used a lawyer for the initial packet after hearing of friends whose packets were rejected.
• RFE for tax documents + biometrics mid-2022.
• Conditional GC approved Jan 2023, no interview. An officer called from an unknown number and asked us to upload taxes. No voicemail, easy to miss.
• I-751 in 2024, self-prepared with Reddit/internet help.
• N-400 in 2025 under the 3-year rule, filed within 90 days. Also self-prepared.
• Combo interview notice ~1 month out, July 2026.
• I-751 approved 2 days after interview; physical card in a week.
• N-400 approved about a week after the card arrived and queued for oath. Status on N-400 seemed to stall until I-751 cleared.
• Oath end of Aug 2026.

Interview prep

ChatGPT + Reddit + the official civics app. Most useful tip from here: upload recent evidence to the USCIS portal. Officer only reviewed that - financials, mortgage, 3 years of photos. YouTube is full of packet-labeling videos.

Interview

Interview was casual. Interviewer asked about our weekend plans and upcoming trips. Reviewed portal uploads only and ignored our hard copies. We were asked about any plans to have kids, we said we don’t know yet. There was no follow-up to this question. Overall time spent 10 minutes.

Then N-400 part started. My partner was allowed to stay with me. The questions asked were: number of senators and states, plus a few simple ones. 6/6. For reading “Who can vote in federal elections?” and writing “Only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections.” Approved on the spot, given the approval copy. I’d forgotten a speeding ticket from over a decade ago; officer said they only look at the 3 years of marriage. No same-day oath. Supervisory review on all cases.

Overall interview time < 30 mins.

“USCIS can now require electronic filing form by form, but the Aug. 11 rule imposed no mandate itself. A form must have been offered electronically for at least 180 days, and USCIS must publish 60 days' notice before making it mandatory.”

Hey guys! I had a question for anyone who has filed for citizenship on their own. How difficult was it to prepare and file Form N-400 without an attorney?
I’m in a bona fide marriage with a U.S. citizen, and I should be eligible to apply for naturalization under the 3-year rule this coming December.
I used an immigration attorney for both my Adjustment of Status and my I-751 Removal of Conditions. My I-751 is currently still pending. For my N-400, however, I’m considering filing on my own because my attorney is charging around $4,000, and I would rather prepare the application myself and only pay the USCIS filing fee.
My immigration history is pretty straightforward, and I already have a lot of documentation from my marriage and pending I-751, including joint tax documents, bank statements, lease, insurance, utility bills, vehicle documents, beneficiary information, photos, and other evidence of our marriage.
For those who filed N-400 on their own under the 3-year marriage rule:
• How difficult was the process?
• Did you file online or by mail?
• What supporting documents did you submit with your N-400?
• Did you have a pending I-751 when you filed?
• If so, did USCIS schedule you for a combo I-751/N-400 interview?
• Is there anything you wish you had known before filing on your own?
I know everyone’s case is different, but I’d really appreciate hearing from people who went through a similar process. Thanks!

Mine was on March 31, 2025, and it’s been complete silence ever since.

I’ve already submitted multiple inquiries and even congressional inquiries probably a dozen times by now but still no update.

FO: MSP (Minneapolis-St. Paul)

If anyone has gone through a similar long wait and eventually received an approval, please share your timeline. I’d really appreciate hearing from others in the same situation.

I have applied with my old passport. And I had to renew my passport before the interview. My interview is tomorrow. Should I upload the new passport as a unsolicited evidence? or Should I just bring it to Interview and give it to the officer only if asked? Or bring up the topic myself.

I filed my I-485 and I-130 in July 2025. I completed my biometrics and then waited, hoping that a decision would be made soon.

I did not initially apply for Advance Parole because I thought I could wait for my green card decision. However, after more than a year without a decision, I needed to travel urgently to the UK, so I decided to apply.

While reading posts on Reddit, I learned that you could request Emergency Advance Parole shortly before your intended travel date. I also came across a post from someone who had been asked why they had not first applied through the normal Advance Parole process.

Based on that person’s advice, I decided to submit a regular I-131 application before requesting emergency processing.

Here was my timeline:

July 15: I submitted Form I-131 online by myself. I uploaded all my supporting documents, including letters from the clinic in London connected to the reason for my urgent travel.
USCIS initially scheduled my biometrics appointment for approximately four weeks later. However, I went online and rescheduled it for an earlier available date.
Within one week of applying: I attended my biometrics appointment.

August 10: Ten days before my intended travel, I called USCIS to request Emergency Advance Parole. The representative asked whether I had already submitted an I-131 application. I confirmed that I had, and she told me someone would contact me within 72 hours.

August 12: Before receiving the emergency appointment call, I received a notification that my regular Advance Parole application had been approved and that the document was being mailed.

August 13: USCIS called me regarding my Emergency Advance Parole request. I explained that my regular application had already been approved, so I no longer needed the emergency appointment.

That is how my Advance Parole was approved in less than one month—from July 15 to August 12.

I understand that every USCIS case is different, so I cannot say that following these steps will produce the same result for everyone. I am simply sharing exactly what happened in my case in case it helps someone else.

I am also a Christian, and I prayed throughout the process. I do not take the speed of the approval for granted, and I give God all the glory.

I will make a separate post explaining my experience travelling with and returning to the United States using Advance Parole after the major August 13 announcement.

Filed for an adjustment of status (marriage-based green card) through a lawyer, but a few things were missed/incorrectly filled out:

Visa denial: When I was a middle schooler, an F1 visa was denied because of school issue. The lawyer checked "No" on the application, but I'm sure I have told him about it before. Don't know why he said no but he says it will be ok if I correct it at the interview and it's no big deal. I successfully got J-1, F-1, and O-1 visas afterward and lived in the US legally for a long time.

Employment history: Left out a 6-month paid internship during OPT and only listed the 3-year job.

Name format: Husband's middle name was merged into his first name.

Can I just wait and correct all of this verbally during the interview, or is it too risky? Do I need to amend the forms beforehand, especially for the visa denial?

My interview is in 3 weeks.

Hi everyone,

I’m inquiring on behalf of a family member.

We are seeking guidance regarding a U.S. immigration/green card situation.
The applicant is a Canadian citizen who applied for U.S. permanent residence through their U.S. citizen son. The underlying case was approved, but instead of receiving a green card, the applicant was issued temporary one-year visa/status while the green card process was pending.
The applicant never received the notice requesting the required USCIS immigrant fee. His wife was in a similar situation, but she received her payment notice, paid the fee, and subsequently received her green card. In the applicant’s case, the payment was never completed, and the green card was therefore never issued.
For nearly a year, the applicant has repeatedly contacted USCIS but has been redirected between different departments without a resolution. We have also attempted to make the payment through the USCIS online system, but the system does not allow it.
The applicant’s temporary one-year visa/status will expire in approximately one month.
Our main questions are:

1. What is the proper process to resolve this issue, complete the required payment, and obtain the green card given that the payment notice was never received?
   
2. Can USCIS reissue the payment notice or provide another way to make the required payment?
   Is there a specific USCIS form or process that should be used to correct the situation?
   
3. What should the applicant do about the upcoming expiration of the temporary visa/status? Can it be extended or can lawful status otherwise be maintained while the green card issue is resolved?
   
4. Are there any risks if the temporary status expires while the applicant is actively trying to resolve the issue?

Given that the status expires in about one month, we would particularly appreciate guidance on what action should be taken urgently.

Explain why.

Has anyone ever had experience filing writ of Mandamus against Denver office? Can you please share how long you waited before filing it? Did you also try sending a notice of intent to sue?

I got this email this morning, after the one I got a couple of days ago.
"https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/s/3CuKxPZ98n"

I am curious if someone got a similar response, what was the timeline for your approval (or a decision in general) ?

Moving from an ISA(analyst) position to a SISA role in a new state at a field office. What should I expect?

Hi.
I’m a little confused about my I-130/I-485 processing time.
My husband and I filed concurrently. I-130 was filed online on Feb 7, 2025, and I-485 was mailed on Feb 21, 2025.
My I-130 shows 24 months, while my I-485 in Jacksonville, FL shows 15.5 months. My I-485 has now been pending about 18.5 months.
Should I submit an inquiry for the I-485? And should I also do one for the I-130? Has anyone had a similar experience?

Hello, has anyone got an answer from their I-751. I sent mine last year April 28, 2025. Receipt noticed and Biometric Reuse noticed was sent on May 3, 2025 and I haven’t heard anything since then. I filled by myself.

Hi, my husband had a 2-yr conditional GC, applied for I-751 in September 2022, which is still pending.

The notice of receipt provided a 48-month extension of his LPR status, which is nearing its 48th month in October. This means his driver's license is expiring also. We just submitted a request for an appt for the ADIT stamp.

Since submitting the I-751, we had our 2nd child and bought our home--should I submit proof of these?

Submitted the N-400 in December 2025, still pending. They used the same biometrics from the I-751 process.

Anyone have experience with their I-751 taking this long? When I entered the receipt date to see if we can inquire about his case, it states we should wait until August 2027 (which is a whole 60 months after submitting). The normal processing time says 37-48 months.

I had to leave the US and I have a U Visa pending case.
Applied in 2020.
If I receive an approval, can I enter back?
Has anyone else done this before?
Would that be an issue or the process of going to an embassy in Europe is simple?

Applying for my n400 under general provision,
It asked for job history for the last 5 years. What if I forgot to add a few short term jobs? Some were like a few weeks that’s why I forgot to add them. But all the ones I did add cover the last 5years.

Hey everyone! Just want to know if anyone here got any updates lately. I know Denver is a slow office and we can’t do anything but waiting, but it’s hard to stay positive sometimes!

Anybody got same case?

I applied ROC on December , got extension letter I797C Notice via mail on January, and I recently got another I797C notice again on August 31st via mail.

The amount recieved is different tho, the first one is $700 cuz I applied online, and the notice letter i got recently said the amount paid is $750.

Should I be worried about it?

This is a question for all my mandamus peeps!

I have a friend who filed mandamus through a lawyer weeks ago and the court issued the summons to the lawyer and the lawyer claimed they sent the summons via certified mail to each defendants. It has been 3 weeks and the lawyer and the paralegal claiming there is no confirmation yet. The docket is the same as it was weeks ago no summons confirmation.

My question is, Is it normal to take this long to serve the defendants or get confirmation and file proof of service to the court? Should she be worried?
I usually see people who go pro se serve the defendants same week…

Our landlord has decided to raise our rent $500/per month so we are considering a move to NJ. Are there any issues or concerns I should consider regarding transfers to another state?

Does it make any difference? We had a pretty good and fast experience obtaining the green card in NYC.

We have a conditional green card marriage based, our removal of conditions should be filed in December 2026 and our move date would be October 31st.