r/VAWAAPPLICANTS

I have two kids with my abuser and we’ve separated. I have already filed for VAWA and all but now I want to start the divorce process. I held it off for so long because he convinced me to NOT involve family court for custody issues. Now he’s not holding the end of his bargain when it comes to taking the kids for the weekend so I want to finally file for divorce so we can have a court ordered parenting plan.

I’m so scared shitless of what will happen. Of course he’s threatened to have me deported but I’m used to that. Just wondering if anyone went through the same.

How long for EAD approval and travel doc processing time if filled in 2026 of april?

I filed my VAWA (Form I-360) in March 2026. Then I filed my Adjustment of Status (I-485), Employment Authorization (I-765), and Advance Parole (I-131) in May 2026.
I have already received my receipt notices and completed my biometrics for the I-485, I-765, and I-131. My priority date is April 2026.
For those who filed under VAWA with a pending I-485, how long did it take to receive your work permit (EAD) after biometrics?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your timeline and experience. Thank you!

Do any of you think about this? I’m in my VAWA process for 2 years now, I’ve been separated/divorced for over 4 years and now I’m well into my 30s. I’m in a new, stable relationship for almost 3 years but I’m struggling with decision to have children outside of marriage, before I have my dream wedding. It’s unusual in my culture to do that and I’m also personally struggling with it. By the time this whole process is done I will be past my mid 30s probably and it’s just making me so sad and heartbroken that I can’t do this process the way I want to on my own timeline. Do any of you struggle with similar things?

https://preview.redd.it/hrmtc83im8bh1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d8fb541a9f50daef810f712725d4064deb809542

URGENT!

I’m trying to update my address on the USCIS portal, but it keeps giving me an error saying they are "unable to verify my address with the US Postal Service" and telling me to edit it. The thing is,I tried the exact, correct address, confirmed by and written exactly as it appears on USPS.COM Zip Code Lookup tool.

It's seems like a system glitch and not an issue with the addresses themselves.

Has anyone else dealt with this recently? There is an option to "ignore error," but I'm scared to click it because I don't want to trigger any weird things in their system. Any advice? Did someone bypass it and get the card to the new address without problem?

FYI I am waiting for OPT as F-1 student Form I-765 to be approved, right now the case is still under review and I would like to change the mailing address where the EAD card will be sent to.

Thanks

I applied in 12/17/2025 for Vawa, EAD, Work Travel and Adjustment of status.

On 01/28/2026 I received all receipts and shortly after in about 2 Weeks I received my Biometric appointment.

On 02/28 I had my appointment and did a partial fingerprint and photo. ( they had my biometrics from before) .

Now when will I receive my EAD and work Travel?
Anything I can do to expedite things?

Haven’t seen my family in 10 years and can’t wait to see them!

I wanted to ask if anyone in this community has experience filing a Writ of Mandamus against United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for a delayed case, specifically in a VAWA-based case.

In my situation, my EAD renewal has been pending for many months, I already lost my job because of the delay, and I’ve pretty much exhausted every option: service requests, expedite attempts, Ombudsman, congressional inquiry, senator inquiry… and still nothing.

I know of one person who filed mandamus, but in their case it only pushed an expedite request and did not lead to movement on the underlying VAWA-related process. That made me wonder if anyone here has had positive outcomes, especially people who filed on their own (pro se / DIY) without hiring an attorney.

I’m trying to understand:
• Did USCIS respond quickly after filing?
• Did it move only the EAD or the whole case?
• Has anyone here successfully done it without a lawyer?

I’d really appreciate hearing real experiences because I’m getting to the point where I feel I’ve exhausted all normal channels.

Thank you

Just got my third PF today and I know I still have a few more to go but it just made me wonder something:

Do we have an average on how many prima facie people are usually getting before seeing their VAWA cases approved?

I’ve read cases with six or even more before approval, so I’m just curious.

I used a lawyer to help me with my VAWA, full package BUT she suggested to be done in steps. According to her experience is faster if you file the I360 and once you get the receipt, file the rest. She said it's faster (again, on her experience but not a guarantee) because the AOS arrives and there is a current process already in place. My deadline to apply was April 30, 2026 due to divorce in 2024. I did not learn about VAWA until early 2026.

I am not sure if her recommendation can be a faster way yet, it seems there is too many variables.

I will update as I receive the information.

As of July 3, 2026 I have not received any receipts yet.

I am in Florida and I as married to a US CITIZEN

Filing Date: April 26, 2026

Elgin, Illinois

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Hello everyone,

I'm hoping someone with experience or knowledge about VAWA can help.

I became a lawful permanent resident through marriage to a U.S. citizen. While I was living in the United States, I experienced abuse from my spouse.

Because of the abuse, I ended up outside the United States. While I was abroad, my Green Card was withheld, and I have not been able to return to the U.S.

I'm trying to find out whether I may still qualify to file a VAWA self-petition despite being outside the country.

My questions are:

- Can a lawful permanent resident file a VAWA self-petition while outside the United States?

- Does being outside the U.S. because of the abuse affect eligibility?

- Has anyone here been in a similar situation or knows of a case where someone successfully filed VAWA from abroad?

I know Reddit is not a substitute for legal advice, but I would really appreciate hearing from anyone with relevant experience or knowledge.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

Hi everyone, pls don’t judge.
Basically. I was scheduled for an I-130/i-485 interview last april 2025. Unfortunately, my husband did something stupid and went to jail/ program to get his case expunged and I missed my interview because of this. He was supposed to be released in 2027.
I consulted a lawyer and I applied for VAWA… as a result, I cut all contact with him.

Now he’s telling me that he’ll be released in fall of this year. We are still legally married… I’m desperate.. I’m thinking of getting back with him to fix my relationship and my GC situation.

Has anyone ever withdrawn a VAWA and gotten back with their partner? What would the USCIS think?

Please help and don’t judge. I feel so hopeless… my VAWA would take 4 years… help!

Hi everyone,
I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has been through something similar.
Here’s my timeline:
VAWA (I-360) filed: April 22, 2022
RFE for Good Moral Character: February 2026
RFE response sent: April 28, 2026
USCIS acknowledged they received my response, and I didn’t hear anything for about two months.
Today I received an update on my I-485 saying that my case was transferred to a local field office to schedule an interview.
Has anyone else had this happen with a VAWA-based adjustment case?
Is this generally considered a positive sign?
How long after the transfer did you receive your interview notice?
What was your interview like, and how soon after did you receive a decision?
I’ve been waiting since 2022, so seeing movement is encouraging, but I’m also nervous and trying not to get my hopes up too much.
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thank you!

It has been 4 years today since I filed my VAWA case, and there has been no movement. I’m starting to lose hope. I’ve received about 7–8 prima facie determinations over the years. I also submitted an inquiry about my case, and I’m still waiting for a response.

So, I have someone who applied for adjustment of status in May. They got married in April and received their green card this Monday, less than two months after marriage. Here I am, married for six years with a two-year-old daughter. I applied for full package since last August, did biometrics in April this year, and that’s it. Nothing has happened since then. I can’t even find a decent job to feed my daughter because it’s takes over 16 months now Just for EAD, four years plus for approval, and another seven months plus for the green card. It’s crazy! We’re waiting this long. I lost my dad last year, and my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer this year. There’s no way to support them physically and financially. And they keep increasing the wait time, reducing and changing everything. Before you get a five-year combo card while you wait, now I don’t understand what’s happening anymore. This is turning into more abuse in my opinion. After all the abuse one has already been through mentally, it’s draining. 5 to 6 year wait it's too much

Seems like the cases that were sent there last year are moving very Very Very slow. What’s your timeline?

Hi everyone,
I’m trying to understand what happened with my USCIS case because I’m very confused.
I submitted an adjustment of status package and the payments were as follows:
I-485: $1,440 → debited successfully
I-765: $260 → debited successfully
I-130: $675 → not debited
I-131: $630 → not debited
My bank account had sufficient funds at the time (around $3,200 total available).
On June 23, 2026, I received a notice stating that my entire case was rejected due to “payment failed.”
However, two of the charges (I-485 and I-765) were already processed and appear as completed in my bank account.
I’m very confused about this situation because it seems like:
Some payments went through successfully
But USCIS still rejected the entire package for payment failure
Has anyone experienced something similar where USCIS:
Charges part of the fees
But still rejects the whole case due to payment issues?
What usually happens in these cases with the money already charged? Is it refunded automatically or applied if I refile?
Any advice or similar experiences would be really helpful.
Thank you.