Sharing my timeline because I spent a lot of time checking other people’s cases, especially after my interview and the October visa bulletin movement.

Category: EB2-NIW
Chargeability: Rest of World
Priority Date: November 15, 2024
I-140: Premium processing, approved in November 2024
I-485 / I-765 / I-131 filed: April 13, 2026
Service center: NBC
Field office: Baltimore, MD No derivative previous status : F1

Timeline

• April 13, 2026: I-485, I-765, and I-131 filed
• May 11, 2026: Biometrics
• July 16, 2026: Silent/internal update — FTA0
• July 28, 2026: Interview scheduled
• August 2026: EAD pre-completion OPT approved/produced
• September 1, 2026: I-485 interview at Baltimore Field Office
• Officer told me that everything looked okay and that a decision would depend on visa-number availability.
• September 1, 2026: Internal updates after interview — FJ followed by FTA1
• No RFE
• No additional documents requested
• Case remained pending during September because EB2 visa numbers were unavailable/exhausted at the end of FY2026.
• October 2, 2026: Case had another silent updatedAt change with no visible status change.
• October 3, 2026: Two H008 internal events appeared within seconds of each other.
• A few minutes later, the case metadata updated again.
• October 3, 2026: I-485 APPROVED.

The interesting part for people watching internal API updates was the sequence:

FTA0 → FJ → FTA1 → October silent update → two H008 events → approval

I obviously cannot say that H008 always means approval, but in my case the two H008 events appeared immediately before the approval.

Other case details:

• Interview completed: yes
• RFE: none
• Medical: submitted with filing
• Case transferred to Baltimore FO: yes
• Employment-based interview waived: no
• I-485 approved after the new fiscal year started: yes
• Approval came during the first few days of October
• Priority date was current under the October 2026 Visa Bulletin when the case was approved.

For anyone stuck after an employment-based interview because of visa-number availability: a pending case after a successful interview does not necessarily mean there is a problem with the case. Mine sat after the September 1 interview until visa numbers became available again in October.

I hope the timeline helps anyone tracking FTA0, FTA1, FJ, H008, or post-interview EB2-NIW cases.

Interview experience : The interview was very straightforward and mostly consisted of basic verification and yes/no questions.

At the beginning, the officer asked me to swear that I would tell the truth. That caught me a little off guard because I had never done that before, but after that the interview was very direct.

He asked whether I was married, whether I had any children, how many people were in my household, and whether I had ever received any government benefits. When I asked what he meant by benefits, he gave food stamps as an example. He also asked whether I had ever voted. I answered no to all of those questions. I am not married, I have no children, and I do not have family here.

He asked approximately how much I make. I gave him a rough amount, and he did not seem particularly concerned with it. He also asked about my entries to and exits from the United States, so I gave him my I-94.

Document-wise, it was very limited. Other than identification documents such as my passport and ID, he did not ask me to provide any additional supporting documents.

At the end, he told me that everything was okay, that they did not need anything else from me, and that they already had everything they needed. He also said that I should receive a result soon once a visa number becomes available. He then gave me a paper stating that the case was being held for review and that USCIS did not require any additional information or documents from me at that time.

Overall, it was a very direct and pleasant interview. There were no difficult questions, no request for additional evidence, and no indication during the interview that there was a problem with the case.

Single EB-2 NIW principal applicant, no derivatives. I-140 approved, I-485 filed earlier this year, currently in F-1 status, and USCIS scheduled an AOS interview.

A few things in my history:

• Changed universities during my PhD
• Spent several months abroad doing dissertation-related fieldwork
• Participated in a professional-development fellowship while on F-1, received a $2,000 stipend, and later received a 1099-NEC
• My immigration attorney reviewed the fellowship and advised that it can be verbally disclosed as a minor update at the interview
• Pre-completion OPT was recently approved
• No criminal history

For anyone who had a single-applicant EB-2 NIW interview, did USCIS tell you why you were interviewed? Were you approved afterward? Does an interview usually indicate that something specific in the case needs clarification?

Hi everyone,

I wanted to ask about a recent update on my employment-based I-485 and whether others have seen something similar.

Case type: EB2-NIW ROW
Status before AOS: F-1
Priority date: Nov. 15, 2024
I-140: approved with premium processing
I-485 / I-765 / I-131 filed: Apr. 13, 2026
Receipt block: IOE09364
Biometrics: May 11, 2026
No RFE, no action required, no interview notice yet.

I-485 API timeline:

• Apr. 16: IAF / receipt event
• May 11: two FTA0 events after biometrics
• Jun. 9/10: silent update on I-485
• Emma later said the I-485 was at New Jersey Central Field Office (non local)
• Jul. 16: new/third FTA0 event created
• Jul. 16: same-day silent update about 27 minutes later
• Documents tab still empty
• Evidence requests empty
• Action required: false
• Case still open

After the Jul. 16 update, I asked Emma about the case. The agent said I had “just been placed in line for interview,” and when I asked what that means, they said it means I am “simply in line.”

My question:

For employment-based I-485 cases, does being “in line for interview” usually mean an interview will definitely be scheduled, or can it also be part of the normal field-office/interview-waiver review workflow before the case is approved without interview?

I am trying to understand whether this means:

1. an actual interview is likely coming, or
2. the case is just in a field-office queue where an officer may still waive the interview and approve.

Has anyone had Emma say “in line for interview” or “placed in line” and later received an interview waiver / direct approval without an interview notice?

Thanks.

Hi everyone,

My manuscript is currently under review at an IOP journal. The public tracking page first showed:

• “1st reviewer agreed to report”
• then “All reviewer reports received”

The message said the editors were making a decision and might consult additional reviewers if needed.

A short time later, the status reverted to:

• “Out to reviewers”
• with the message that they are searching for expert referees.

Has anyone seen this sequence in an IOP journal?
I just want to understand whether this status sequence is normal and what it usually means in practice.

Does transfer to a non-local field office usually mean interview-waiver review?

I live in Maryland, but Emma told me my EB2-NIW I-485 is at New Jersey Central Field Office.

Timeline:

• I-140 PD: Nov. 15, 2024
• I-140 approved: around Nov. 25, 2024
• AOS filed: Apr. 13, 2026
• Biometrics / FTA0: May 11, 2026
• I-765 silent update: Jun. 4, 2026
• I-485 silent update: Jun. 9/10, 2026
• No RFE
• No interview notice
• I-485 and I-765 still pending

For EB2-NIW / employment-based AOS cases, does non-local FO transfer usually mean interview-waiver or final review?

Or can it still be transferred back locally for interview?

Does transfer to a non-local field office usually mean interview-waiver review?

I live in Maryland, but Emma told me my EB2-NIW I-485 is at New Jersey Central Field Office.

Timeline:

• I-140 PD: Nov. 15, 2024
• I-140 approved: around Nov. 25, 2024
• AOS filed: Apr. 13, 2026
• Biometrics / FTA0: May 11, 2026
• I-765 silent update: Jun. 4, 2026
• I-485 silent update: Jun. 9/10, 2026
• No RFE
• No interview notice
• I-485 and I-765 still pending

For EB2-NIW / employment-based AOS cases, does non-local FO transfer usually mean interview-waiver or final review?

Or can it still be transferred back locally for interview?

Hi everyone,

I am sharing my EB2-NIW AOS timeline and would appreciate insight from people who had similar API/silent update patterns, especially cases routed to New Jersey Central Field Office.

Category: EB2-NIW AOS
Previous status: F-1
Nationality/country of chargeability: one of the 75 countries affected by the immigrant visa processing pause / enhanced vetting discussion
I-140 priority date: November 15, 2024
I-140 approved: around November 25, 2024, with premium processing
Priority date: current
I-130: also pending
AOS package filed: April 13, 2026
Receipt notice generated: April 16, 2026
Biometrics / appointment notice: May 11, 2026
I-485 FTA0 events: May 11, 2026 — two FTA0 events
I-765 FTA0 events: May 11, 2026 — three FTA0 events
I-765 silent update: June 4, 2026
I-485 silent update: June 9/10, 2026
Emma agent said I-485 is at New Jersey Central Field Office
I live in Maryland, so this appears to be a non-local field office transfer
No RFE
No action required
No EAD approval yet
No interview notice yet
I-485 still pending
I-765 still pending

Questions:

1. For EB2-NIW or employment-based AOS cases from F-1 status and from one of the 75 countries, did enhanced vetting cause delays after biometrics/FTA0?
2. For cases sent to New Jersey Central Field Office, how long did it take after the field office transfer or silent update to get the next real update?
3. Did your case get approved without interview from New Jersey Central, or was it transferred back to your local field office for interview?
4. For people tracking USCIS API events, did you get a third FTA0 before approval, or did approval happen without a third FTA0?
5. For AOS-based I-765, how long after a silent update did your EAD get approved?
6. If you had an EB2-NIW AOS pending while an I-130 was also pending, did that affect routing, interview chance, or timing?

Trying to understand whether this pattern usually means interview-waiver review, enhanced vetting delay, normal field-office routing, or just another waiting stage.