u/driftstone07

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice from people who have experience with standalone I-130 / consular processing cases.

My I-130 was filed on December 30, 2022, and it has been pending for almost 4 years.

The beneficiary is outside the United States, so this is a consular processing case, not adjustment of status.

My case history shows:

I-130: Petition for Alien Relative

Receipt date: December 30, 2022

Current status: USCIS is currently processing the case

August 6, 2026: USCIS updated the case
I contacted USCIS after this update, and the USCIS representative told me that the case is being processed by the Houston Field Office (HOU).

The representative specifically stated:

“06-08-2026 Interview Requested.”
They also told me that nothing is needed or outstanding from me at this time.

Today is October 4, 2026, and I still haven’t received an interview appointment notice.

Since the beneficiary is outside the U.S., this will be a standalone I-130 interview, followed by the normal consular-processing/NVC process if the petition is approved.

I’m trying to understand:

How long does it normally take for a Houston Field Office standalone I-130 interview request to actually result in an appointment?

My case: I-130 filed for consular processing (beneficiary is abroad, so this is a stand-alone I-130, not an I-485/AOS case).

Checked my case status and got a generic “processing” message, but a live chat agent told me an “Interview Requested” note was added to my file on 08-06-2026, with my case being processed at the Houston Field Office.

No actual appointment notice yet — still waiting.

I understand USCIS expanded interview requirements for stand-alone I-130s after the August 2025 policy updates,

but I can’t find any real data on how long petitioners are actually waiting for the interview to get scheduled after that note appears.

My I-130 (stand-alone, beneficiary is abroad) is being processed at Houston Field Office. USCIS live chat told me:

“Interview Requested. Once scheduled, a notice will be mailed.”

Questions:

1. Is a petitioner interview normal for stand-alone I-130 (consular process), or just for AOS/marriage cases?

2. Has anyone seen “Interview Requested” later get waived, with case going straight to approval/NVC?

3. Any idea how long Houston FO is taking to actually schedule these in 2026?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for experiences from people who have gone through something similar.

My I-130 (consular processing) was filed on December 30, 2022, for my spouse. The case remained pending for over 3.5 years.

On August 6, 2026, I received a “We have taken an action on your case” email, but my online status still showed “USCIS Is Currently Processing the Case.”

A USCIS live agent told me my case is currently with the Houston Field Office and shows “Interview Requested” as of August 6, 2026. They said the case is going through necessary processing checks and an appointment notice will be sent once scheduled.

Has anyone experienced this with a consular processing I-130? How long did it take after “Interview Requested” to get the interview scheduled, and what happened next?

Hi everyone,

I just received the “We have taken an action on your case” email from USCIS, but I don’t see any status change in my online account yet.

Case details:

Category: F2A (Spouse of LPR)
Form: I-130
Priority Date: December 30, 2022
Consular Processing
Beneficiary: India

Has anyone with a similar F2A case received this email recently?

How long did it take for your case status to update after receiving this email?

Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I wanted to share an update on my case because something unexpected happened, and I’m wondering if anyone has experienced the same.
My case details:
Category: F2A (Spouse of LPR)
Form: I-130
Priority Date: December 30, 2022
Beneficiary: India
Originally filed at: California Service Center
About 20 days ago, a live USCIS agent told me that:
My case was at the Houston Field Office.
It was under active case review.
There were no RFEs, no outstanding requests, and no additional documents needed.
However, when I contacted USCIS again recently, I was told that my case is now at the Potomac Service Center.
I’m confused because I thought once a case reached a Field Office and was under active review, a decision might be close. Instead, it appears to have been transferred back to a Service Center.
Has anyone experienced something similar?
Is it normal for a case to move from a Field Office back to a Service Center?
Does this mean the Field Office finished its part and transferred it for final processing, or could it cause additional delays?
Has anyone with a December 2022 F2A priority date had this happen before approval?
If your case was transferred like this, how long did it take before you received a decision?

And agent said your case is under normal process.

Hi everyone,
I’m hoping someone with a similar case can share their experience.
My case details:
Category: F2A (Spouse of LPR)
Form: I-130
Priority Date: December 30, 2022
Receipt Number: IOE091883XXXX
Originally filed at: California Service Center
Beneficiary: India
I recently contacted a live USCIS agent through Emma. The agent told me that:
My case is now at the Houston Field Office.
It is under active case review.
There are no RFEs, no outstanding requests, and no additional documents needed from me.
The case is actively processing, but they could not provide any estimated timeline.
What confuses me is that when I check the USCIS Processing Times page, I don’t even get the “Outside Normal Processing Time” option or an inquiry date for my case.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Is it normal for the inquiry option to disappear?
Has anyone with a December 2022 F2A priority date received approval recently?
Does being at the Houston Field Office and under active review usually mean a decision could be coming soon, or can it still take many more months?
I’d really appreciate hearing about similar experiences. Thank you!

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for advice regarding my family’s F2A I-130 petition.
Here are the details:
Category: F2A (Spouse/Child of Permanent Resident)
Priority Date: December 30, 2022
USCIS Service Center: HOUSTON FIELD OFFICE.
Current Status: Still pending, no approval yet.
Has anyone with a similar priority date or service center received approval recently?
Is this waiting time still considered normal, or should we submit an inquiry or take any other action?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your timelines and experiences.
Thank you!