u/sworn2carrymyburdens

Update to this post from two months ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/comments/1rr3vag/uscis_has_stopped_processing_i130_consular_cases/

TL;DR: The latest new approvals for consular processing are from the second half of February, then it came to a halt.

UPDATE:

Two months later, still no new approvals for I-130 (this part is handled stricly by USCIS in consular processing). AOS cases seem unaffected.

Why isn't there any information regarding this limbo? Why are consular cases left in the dust? Why is this "front of the line" pause happening?

We only have gossip and speculation. Current possible reasons:

1. Increased vetting / enhanced security checks
Recent reporting suggests this may be a factor. However, those reports indicate the policy was introduced around the end of April, while the slowdown in consular processing has been ongoing for over three months already.

2. SCOPS employees moved to field offices
There's no official public confirmation. This has been mentioned in a TMV blog post and discussed on r/fednews (some posts were reportedly removed).
Based on those discussions, it appears that many primarily remote workers are being reassigned to field offices and retrained to handle additional petitions - mainly AOS - and to conduct interviews.

Some employees reportedly live far from any field office, suggesting this may function as a de facto return-to-office mandate that could lead to resignations.

3. USCIS is clearing older cases
Partially true. Recent approvals are for older priority dates. However, overall approval volume appears to have slowed significantly. If cases were being processed at previous speeds, the backlog should be clearing faster, with a much higher number of older approvals by now.

4. Re-vetting green cards from the previous administration
There are indications that resources may be redirected toward re-reviewing previously approved cases. If so, this could further reduce capacity for processing new applications.(Source: https://x.com/USCISJoe/status/2048056901825437865)

5. Government shutdown
This was one of the leading theories months ago, as it has impacted DHS and background checks. However, processing has been ongoing normally during previous government shutdowns, and this one ending didn't influence Front of the Line pause.

Are there any other theories or information?
Why is it that just consular cases are affected? We are talking ONLY about the I-130 Front of The Line stalling. This is strictly under USCIS, not related to NVC or embassy level interviews.

I'm trying to move from Europe to be with my husband in the US.
I still live here, he lives there. We've applied a year ago. No news. Zero. No expected news for at least another half a year to a year from now.
We can only send an official inquiry about this in JULY 2027. MORE THAN TWO YEARS after the initial application. How is this fair?
And it is just the first part of the process. Then comes a second part, which thankfully takes about a month if you're ready with all your documents, and then the embassy interview - which at least is somewhat fast for my country. There are countries that have an additional wait of 1-2 years for the embassy part!

I feel like my life is on hold. I'm so lucky to have met him and be with him, but it's been more than 4 years of long distance. I've spent half of my life savings on airfare to visit him. We can't start a family in this limbo, I'm not willing to go through pregnancy alone - and we're not the youngest. It feels like time is running out.

I went through some life events recently, that were so hard to endure without him by my side. I had a breast cancer suspicion, and had to wait 5 weeks for the results of the biopsy. Thankfully - it's benign. My grandma died, and I had to be at the funeral alone.
I have a job - which is also great, cause I was unemployed for a year last year. Couldn't even visit my husband much cause of the immigration pending.

But I'm so lonely and miserable. Reuniting families should not be this hard. It's so unfair.

I also feel so bitter and salty, cause we're doing it "the right way", and it takes way longer than the shortcut way. People come to the US, stay on ESTA or tourist visa, lie that they did not mean to do that, and get accepted within MONTHS. I am seeing approvals of people who applied in February 2026 this way. "Our" way is currently stuck on February 2025, and also they mysteriously stopped approving any new cases almost three months ago.
So we don't even know when this nigthmare will be over.

This is not how I imagined how I'll spend the first year of being married. I cry every single day. I miss him so bad. He visits me from time to time, thankfully, but I just want to be with my husband all the time.
I am so heartbroken.