Somehow i was months of waiting and submitted a congressional inquiry and i was scheduled for a second interview, is this normal?

Checking to see if anyone got an API update + 4th FTAO

I got an update on 8/12 and 3rd FTAO on the 8/13 with no corresponding API, I noticed that the original biometrics date Feb 10th was retained

Additional details
- I am a derivative applicant
- EB 2
- No RFE or anything pending (per the call with agents)
- Last known location as at 8/12 (Non-local FO - Kendall, Miami)
- Filling date Dec 23
- EAD and AP approved in July and card already received

Update -

RFIE received for both primary and derivative applicant 😩

My green card was finally approved today, August 18! 🎉 I wanted to share my timeline and experience because I know how stressful this process can be, especially for those of us affected by the travel/immigration restrictions.

Timeline

• February 2: I-485 and I-130 submitted concurrently
• February 20: I-765 submitted electronically
• March 12: Biometrics appointment
• April 10: RFE issued (sponsor's tax documents + medical packet)
• May 11: RFE response received
• June 6: Ban lifted
• June 30: Interview scheduled
• August 3: I-485 interview
• August 4: I-130 approved
• August 18: I-485 APPROVED! 🎉

My background

For context, I came to the U.S. on an F-1 visa, graduated in May 2025, and started OPT in mid-June. I married my girlfriend of three years, who is a U.S. citizen, in September 2025.

Being from one of the 39 banned countries made this entire process an absolute rollercoaster. The ban was announced in December, and we filed our green card applications in February.

I was working for a Top 50 company, but unfortunately had to stop working on June 6 when my work authorization expired — which, coincidentally, was the exact same day the ban was lifted. Talk about timing. 😅

Thankfully, my company was incredibly supportive. They put me on unpaid leave and kept me on their books while I waited for my immigration situation to be resolved. I genuinely don't know what we would have done without that support.

The interview

Our interview was surprisingly smooth.

We waited about an hour and a half before being called in. A male officer greeted us with a smile, seemed very relaxed, and led us into his office.

He swore us in and then asked whether we had any documents we wanted to present.

We came prepared.

We brought:

• Valentine’s and birthday cards we'd given each other
• A Christmas gift my wife made for me — a photo album containing pictures of us, along with a picture of my childhood home in my home country because she knew I was feeling homesick
• A screenshot of a message from my mom
• Joint car insurance
• Electric bills showing our shared address
• Joint bank statements going back roughly two years
• Joint tax returns
• Pictures of us with our respective families and friends
• Pictures from our wedding
• The itinerary from a Disney trip we had taken with her family about a month earlier
• My RFE response documents
• Additional sponsor tax documents
• A payment receipt for a traffic ticket I had gotten late last year that wasn't disclosed on any of my forms

The officer actually commented on how well prepared we were.

At one point, he opened one of the Valentine’s cards, looked inside and said, "Why is this empty?" Then he grinned and told us he was just pulling our legs. 😂

The interview was incredibly casual.

He asked whether we ever fought. I said yes, and explained that we'd had some tiffs over how to play Baldur's Gate 3. My wife likes exploring at her own pace, while I prefer playing more linearly.

That somehow turned into a conversation about Baldur's Gate 3, and the officer ended up giving me tips for Divinity: Original Sin 2, which I was playing solo at the time.

At that point, it barely felt like an immigration interview. It was mostly just conversation and jokes.

He probably asked one or two more questions before wrapping everything up. He told us that everything looked good on his end and that we should expect an approval within the next month or two.

We were pretty crestfallen hearing that. At that point, I'd already been out of work for about two months, and it was really starting to take a toll on us financially.

The officer noticed how disappointed we were and said he would try to prioritize our case because he understood our situation and knew we were waiting on this.

He walked us out, and then came the waiting game.

The I-130 was approved the next day, August 4.

Then, after a silent update on August 17, my I-485 was approved today, August 18!

What this means to me

I'm still processing everything.

Honestly, I'm still trying to comprehend how much my quality of life is about to change.

I'm overjoyed that I can return to work and start providing for my family again. I'm also incredibly excited about finally being able to travel with my wife and pursue law school.

I'm still waiting for the physical green card to arrive, and I have to figure out what comes next. I guess I have about two years to breathe before I start stressing about removing conditions and eventually applying for the N-400. 😂

But for now, I can finally breathe.

I can finally move forward with my life without this crushing weight hanging over me.

To everyone still waiting

For everyone still waiting, I can understand at least to some extent how you feel.

Even though my case was approved relatively quickly, I was without any income for a period of time, and I know firsthand how much that can strain you and your family. I also recognize that my experience doesn't compare to what some people in this subreddit are going through.

I remember seeing people post "APPROVED" in all caps and wondering when it would finally be my turn — and whether it would ever be my turn.

Today, it was my turn.

Just know there is light at the end of the tunnel.

There are people like me in this thread rooting for you. ❤️

If anyone has questions about my timeline, the interview, the RFE, or anything else, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to answer!

I am a doctor from sudan. I was wondering what are the chance for the ban to be lifted soon?

Please share here about any actions taken after the 30 july update ( fee refund was mailed)

• I-129 / O-1A filed May 21 with premium processing, California Service Center (CSC)
• No RFE, no decision, 80+ days now
• USCIS refunded the PP fee on their own, no explanation since
• EU citizen, but born in a country on the 19-country "high-risk" list

Questions:

1. Anyone born in a banned country gotten an O-1/I-129 approved since the court rulings?
2. Anyone else get the PP refund with no explanation — did your case move after, and how long?
3. Current CSC O-1 timelines?
4. Did re-filing I-907 (or mandamus) work for you?

Getting a bit desperate after 80+ days of silence — any info appreciated, thank you!

I got a timestamp on i485, I want to check if other people with similar timelines got the timestamp as well.

Update:
Confirmed it was a field office transfer

Hi everyone! I wanted to share our timeline because I know there are other Venezuelan applicants who have been waiting for a long time, and I also spent months tracking the USCIS API and all the silent updates on our cases.

I’m Venezuelan and entered the U.S. through humanitarian parole. I later married a U.S. citizen and filed for adjustment of status. My daughter filed her own I-485 as well.

Both of our I-485s were approved today, August 12, 2026. 🎉

Here is our timeline: July 10, 2024: I-130 petitions filed. July 22, 2024: Both I-485s filed/received by USCIS. August 23, 2024: Biometrics appointment notices generated. September 12, 2024: Biometrics appointment. Early 2025: Our I-485 API records showed FTA0 events tied to the September 2024 biometrics timeframe. February/March 2025: I-130s approved. June 16, 2026: Both I-485s received silent API updatedAt changes. Nothing new appeared in the visible case history. July 15, 2026: My I-485 received a new FTA0 event, this time with an actual event date of July 15, 2026. We also received “We have taken an action on your case” emails. No approval yet. August 5, 2026: Both my daughter's and my I-485 received another silent updatedAt update at almost exactly the same time. Again, no new event or visible status change. August 12, 2026: Things finally happened!

Today my API showed a brand-new H008 event: eventCode: H008 eventDateTime: 2026-08-12 createdAt: 2026-08-12 14:42 UTC

About 1 minute and 42 seconds later, my daughter's API showed her own brand-new H008 event.

We were both approved on the same day, without an interview and without an I-485 RFE.

Hello, has anyone from the banned countries received an F1 visa. It's unfortunate that Fall semester begins soon & we're stuck in this limbo. I was lucky that my department has agreed to defer my admission & funding to Spring semester. Unfortunately, not every one is that lucky. Also, do we see any possibility of the ban being lifted before December? It's really a sad situation.

POV: I attended the interview and was given 212f. Saying that I qualify but can't be issued a visa because of the ban. Does this mean, when the ban is lifted (if that happens), I wouldn't need to attend another interview again?

F2A marriage-based Green Card timeline- from one of the 39 countries:

1-130 filed online: March 13, 2024
1-485, 1-765, and I-131 filed: August 1, 2024
Biometrics completed: August 26, 2024
EAD received in the mail: September 5, 2024
Advance Parole received in the mail: January 13, 2025
1-485 and I-130 interview: June 22, 2026
1-130 approved: July 31, 2026
1-485 approved: August 1, 2026
Green Card delivered: August 10, 2026

Hopefully this timeline is helpful for anyone currently going through the F2A process. I know how stressful it can be checking case updates and comparing timelines, so l wanted to share ours for reference.

Does anyone get a response from Nebraska service center after the PP fee refund?

Please share your timeline.