u/ThinWhiteeDuke

Hey guys! I’m hoping someone here has been in a similar situation and knows the actual answer.

For an F-1 student who was admitted for D/S (Duration of Status), when does unlawful presence actually start accruing after falling out of status? Is it from the SEVIS termination date, or only after USCIS or an immigration judge makes a formal finding of a status violation?

I’m trying to calculate my unlawful presence, but I’m finding conflicting information even on USCIS-related sources, so I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with this personally or gotten a clear answer from an immigration attorney.

Thank you🙏

Hi, I wanted to share my friend’s experience using AP yesterday. She has a VAWA case (with overstay) and arrived in JFK. She said that they made her wait for 1.5hrs but once they called her in the room, they just took her fingerprints, picture and let her in without any problems.

I know every case and every officer is different, but I’m just sharing my friend’s experience for anyone who might need a little bit of good news these days.

I have an upcoming international trip in about 3 weeks. I have a pending VAWA case and a pending I-485, and I’ll be traveling with Advance Parole. I also overstayed my visa before filing.

I have to make this trip, so please don’t tell me not to go or that it’s not worth the risk — I understand it.

What I’m really looking for are firsthand experiences from people in similar situations — especially anyone with a pending VAWA case who traveled on AP after an overstay and successfully came back to the U.S. (I’m flying from and to JFK if it makes any difference)

I’m extremely anxious about the trip, and hearing some real experiences would genuinely make me feel better. If you’ve done this, please please share what happened at the airport, what CBP asked you, whether you went to secondary inspection, and how long the process took. ❤️

Hi everyone!

USCIS received my VAWA I-360 on June 6, so it’s been about 2 months, and I still haven’t received a biometrics appointment or a biometrics reuse notice.

I previously had biometrics done for my marriage-based I-130/I-485 case. Has anyone been in a similar situation? If you already had biometrics on file from a previous marriage-based case, did USCIS eventually reuse them for your I-360, or did they schedule you for new biometrics? And how long after filing did you receive the notice?

Thank you!

Hi everyone!

I'm trying to add my VAWA case to my USCIS online account, but I keep getting a message saying that the case is already linked to another account, so it won't let me add it.

My attorney told me this is a technical issue that sometimes happens with VAWA cases. But it’s been more than 2 months. Has anyone else experienced this? Were you able to get it resolved? If so, what did you do?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for experiences from people who have been in a similar situation.

Here's my timeline:

Entered the U.S. on an F-1 visa.
Married a U.S. citizen and filed I-130/I-485.
My I-485 was denied after I missed my interview due to a medical emergency.
My attorney filed a Motion to Reopen, and USCIS reopened my I-485.
I have since filed a VAWA (I-360), and my attorney has requested that my reopened I-485 be held in abeyance based on the VAWA.
I have a valid Advance Parole document (valid until 2030).

I haven't been home to see my family in over 5 years, and I was hoping to travel for about 2-3 weeks.
However, my attorney strongly advised against it. His concern is that CBP officers may not understand the procedural history of my case (reopened I-485, pending VAWA, etc.), that I could be detained for hours, or even denied reentry despite having valid Advance Parole.

He also mentioned that VAWA cases are currently receiving extra scrutiny.

I'm trying to figure out whether this is:

standard advice that immigration lawyers give because they have to be extremely cautious, or
whether people in similar situations have actually experienced problems.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has:
traveled on Advance Parole with a pending VAWA,
traveled after an I-485 was reopened,
had a complicated immigration history but still reentered successfully.

If you were sent to secondary inspection, how long did it take? What documents did CBP ask for? Has anyone actually been denied entry in a situation like this?

I'm not looking for legal advice—I'll ultimately follow my attorney's guidance. I'm just trying to understand what people have experienced in real life because I haven't seen many firsthand stories.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for experiences from people who have been in a similar situation.

Here's my timeline:
Entered the U.S. on an F-1 visa.
Married a U.S. citizen and filed I-130/I-485.
My I-485 was denied after I missed my interview due to a medical emergency.
My attorney filed a Motion to Reopen, and USCIS reopened my I-485.

I have since filed a VAWA (I-360), and my attorney has requested that my reopened I-485 be held in abeyance based on the VAWA.

I have a valid Advance Parole document (valid until 2030).

I haven't been home to see my family in over 5 years, and I was hoping to travel for about 2-3 weeks.

However, my attorney strongly advised against it. His concern is that CBP officers may not understand the procedural history of my case (reopened I-485, pending VAWA, etc.), that I could be detained for hours, or even denied reentry despite having valid Advance Parole. He also mentioned that VAWA cases are currently receiving extra scrutiny.

I'm trying to figure out whether this is:

standard advice that immigration lawyers give because they have to be extremely cautious, or
whether people in similar situations have actually experienced problems.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has:
traveled on Advance Parole with a pending VAWA,
traveled after an I-485 was reopened,
had a complicated immigration history but still reentered successfully.

If you were sent to secondary inspection, how long did it take? What documents did CBP ask for? Has anyone actually been denied entry in a situation like this?

I'm not looking for legal advice—I'll ultimately follow my attorney's guidance. I'm just trying to understand what people have experienced in real life because I haven't seen many firsthand stories.