r/askimmigration

Hi there, my question is pretty much in the title.

My girlfriend is British and lives in the UK, and I am American living in the US. We've known each other for getting on 20 years and after years of friendship and visits, have finally decided that we belong together. Problem is, how can we be together? Both countries have pretty strict immigration laws.

She's still sorting out a messy divorce so obviously isn't keen to jump straight into another marriage before we've had the chance to be together properly which rules out that route.

She has a degree and a job with a UK only business so international transfer doesn't look possible.

I never finished college and work a regular office job so no transfer opportunities there either.

Neither of us have kids, so there's no additional family involved.

I'm looking for advice on what we should do, we don't mind which country we end up in we just want to be together.

I am an engineering student and I want to work in the aerospace industry (particularly space missions). Both of my parents are undocumented from Mexico, and I have been worrying about whether or not this would prohibit me from getting a security clearance or if it will get them deported if I applied. Is them being undocumented gonna prevent me from getting a security clearance? Will anything happen to them if I try to apply for one?

Does anybody be else out there (in the uk) think there should be a vote (referendum) on whether the Uk tax payer should have a choice about paying their money to fund asylum and immigration ?

Hi Greeting

I am a physician who previously traveled to the United States on a B1/B2 visa to take the USMLE Step 3 examination and returned after completing my visit. I later entered the U.S. on a J-1 Physician visa for an Internal Medicine residency.

In December 2024, I attempted to enter the U.S. on my B1/B2 visa , but CBP cancelled my visa at the port of entry, I voluntarily withdrew my application for admission, and I returned . my recent J-1 visa application was refused under INA §214(b). 

I am preparing to reapply and would appreciate your assessment of my case, including whether my prior immigration history or any other factors may affect my eligibility and what I can do to strengthen my next application.

Thank you.

I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has had a similar experience.
I’m a U.S. citizen and a Global Entry member. I recently returned to the U.S. after a trip to Kyrgyzstan. My itinerary was Kyrgyzstan → Germany → Newark.

When I arrived at Newark, I expected to use the Global Entry kiosk and leave as usual, but instead I was escorted to secondary inspection.

The CBP interview lasted quite a while. The officer asked a surprisingly wide range of questions, including:
Why I traveled to Kyrgyzstan.
Whether I still have another citizenship.
Which passports I used during the trip.
My job and employer.
My family.
Whether anyone had threatened, pressured, or tried to recruit me while I was abroad.
General questions about my trip and background.
At the end, the officer told me it was a “random security check,” and I was admitted without any issues.

No paperwork was given, nothing was seized, and my Global Entry still appears to be active.
This was the first time I’ve ever been referred to secondary inspection despite traveling internationally many times.

I ask you, dear users, to tell us about your migration and the ways. The problem is that I have a family and I don't have a high level of language. Maybe someone knows the way to a simple migration, if you're poor and dumb, if you know what I mean. What actions would you take? I am from the very country that started certain events in the world. I've been very anxious for a long time, but I really don't know where to start. Thank you all and wish you all the best.

I’m a junior lawyer working in immigration law and I would appreciate advice from those with more experience in the field. How do you personally deal with the more emotionally draining cases? And how do you handle the increasing anti-immigrant sentiment?

I often feel quite exhausted when I go read the news/go on social media and see so much negativity surrounding immigration matters, especially while I’m dealing with challenging cases at work. I don’t quite know how to process it, so I often end up doom scrolling, which I fear may not be the best coping mechanism.

Has anyone been interviewed for their removal of conditional on their green card they got from marriage but got divorced? What kind of questions did they ask and how critical were they? For context mine was a legitimate marriage. We met in high school and dated over ten years but our marriage fell apart after

Also if anyone has recs for a good lawyer that preps you for this please share

Edit: I751 not 485

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my situation because I honestly don't know what else to do.

I came to the U.S. legally several years ago, completed my education, and later filed for another immigration status to continue my legal stay.

Unfortunately, after filing, I found out that the A-number assigned to me is actually associated with another individual who is in removal proceedings because of his illegal entry to US. Because of this conflict, USCIS has been unable to properly locate or process my case.

My application was delivered to USCIS over months ago, but I still have not received any receipt notices. A congressional office has submitted multiple inquiries and USCIS is aware of the A-number conflict, but there has still been no resolution from their side from the last 2 years.

While waiting, my previous status expired. I have no work authorization, I cannot legally work, and I have exhausted nearly all of my savings waiting for this to be resolved.

I have spent months contacting USCIS, working with my attorney, and involving a congressional office. Despite all of these efforts, I still have no clear timeline or even confirmation that my filing has been properly located.

At this point, I feel like I have reached the end of the road. I'm seriously considering leaving the U.S. because I simply cannot continue living indefinitely with no work authorization, no certainty, and no progress.

I wanted to ask:

• Has anyone experienced an A-number conflict like this?
• Has anyone waited this long without receiving receipt notices even though the package was delivered?
• Is there anything else I should realistically try before leaving?
• If you were in my situation, would you continue waiting or move on and leave the U.S.?

I'm just looking for honest advice or experiences from anyone who has gone through something similar. Thank you.

I was stopped by a police officer yesterday night while gong back from long hospital night shift. I was stopped due to speeding 65 in a 45 road limit and car lights were off. He gave me a ticket with ( general reckless driver ticket and a court appointment on 25th September. I know I need to get a lawyer specialized in these situations within my area and take courses. But like are my chances to get through it smoothly without being labeled as a criminal or having criminal backgrounds as I am currently on a visa j1 for my job and I don’t want to face problems with visa renewal or green card application? Will I face issues or consequences in the future?

Hello, I know ETIAS hasn't implemented yet but i want to ask what are my chances of getting ETIAS when i have 1 day ESTA overstay 6 years ago? I had an overstay due to miscalculation of dates, I have learned it wasn't smart to leave on the last day of my trip.

When i was denied ESTA i successfully got B2. I'm just wondering if it would denied me to enter Europe.

Any opinions will help 🫶

if you’re about to come to the US, wanted to share what the job market actually looks like rn, not the polished version
quick context if this is new to you — CPT is training you do while still in school, tied to your program, usually internships.
OPT is your work authorization after you graduate, 12 months normally, but STEM majors can extend it to 3 years total. non-STEM is just the 1 year

one thing that trips people up a lot: if you do full-time CPT (20+ hrs/week) for a full year before graduating, it can actually make you ineligible for OPT after. so if you’re doing a full-time internship on CPT, def check with your school’s international office before it adds up, this one catches people off guard

now the part nobody preps you for. talking to people on OPT right now, it’s brutal. thousands of applications, hundreds of cold emails, and maybe a handful of interviews out of all of it. even those sometimes end with “can’t sponsor” or getting dropped last minute

not trying to scare anyone, just wish someone told me this before i landed here. earlier you understand how CPT/OPT work and start networking, the better shot you have

made a group for intl students to talk through this stuff with people who’ve actually been through it. Lmk if you want in

I’m 19 years old and was accepted to a college in the United States, where I was awarded a partial scholarship. I also had sufficient financial evidence to demonstrate that I could cover my tuition and living expenses even without the scholarship, and I have strong ties to my home country. 

Despite this, I was refused an F-1 student visa twice. The main issue that appeared to work against me was that I have a U.S. citizen boyfriend, which may have led the consular officer to question my intent to return home after my studies. Although the visa refusals were disappointing, I had planned to visit my boyfriend and meet his family for the Fourth of July. I applied for ESTA, and it was initially approved, but a few days later I received an email saying there had been an update to my application. When I checked, my authorization had been changed to “Travel Not Authorized,” meaning I could no longer travel under the Visa Waiver Program.

I spoke with an immigration lawyer, who explained that visa approvals are ultimately discretionary, meaning there is no guarantee even if an applicant appears to meet all the requirements. At this point, I’m left wondering whether marriage is the only realistic path to achieving my dream of studying and living in the United States by the fall or spring of 2027.

What should I do ?

I’m not looking to game the system. I genuinely want to study in the U.S. and I’m trying to understand what realistic legal options I have after two F-1 denials and an ESTA revocation. Is it worth trying for another F-1 in 2027 if my circumstances haven’t changed much, or is there another path I should consider

Hello, any advice will be highly appreciated.
I applied for ILR under 10 year long residency route. My biometrics was last Monday the 29th of June. I onlt just realised that I had an overspeeding ticket this year, they offered me a course and no points. I just passed my practical test as well this year January and started driving for the first time on my own after that. it was night time and I wasn’t used to driving in the dark, I felt overwhelmed, it was dark and I didn’t realised I was over speeding and suddenly camera clicked. I didn’t declare this to my ILR Application as I have completely forgot and genuinely didn’t thought it is an offence. Is that going to affect the decision they will make? Please advise. 🙏🏼🥺

Hello everyone,
I would really appreciate some advice or clarification regarding my situation.
I've been actively looking for a job for a while, and I recently got a TEER 4 position as a Production Assembly Technician. I currently have a one-year work permit, and I'm also preparing to take the TCF French exam to improve my immigration options.
My concern is that my current job is TEER 4, and despite my efforts, I haven't been able to secure a TEER 1–3 position. With my work permit expiring in a year, I'm worried that time is running out.
Given my situation, what immigration pathways do you think I should be exploring? Has anyone been in a similar position or have any advice on the best options available?
Thank you in advance for your help.

Hey everyone, I just found this on Discord. It’s a new API that also shows the case location. I hope it helps you guys.

https://my.uscis.gov/account/case-service/api/case\_status/recieptnumber

My fiancé and I were traveling in US territory when they detained him coming back into the USA in April 2026. Now he’s in Florida glades detention center.
He came here originally on a B1B2 but his status changed to paroled in when we went back to his home country couple years ago but we got permission to come back into USA from the government. We live together here in California and have a life together.

He was previously married and his divorce finalized in March 2026 but was separated from her when we got together, we

When they detained him his the charged him with “arriving ailen”
He has been detained now for 65 days without eligibility for a bond. We filed a Habeas which the judge denied and said his detention is mandatory. We plan to get married while he’s in there and submit a humanitarian parole package.
We want to appeal the habeas decision to the 11th circuit due to him coming here legally on a b1b2 and was allowed back in previously with the same status but just so happens to detain him this time. He has no criminal record or anything on his record no flight risk.
He does not quality for an asylum case per our lawyers discretion unfortunately.

I’m getting hopeless because the lawyer said this can take 8+ more months of him being detained. Is this true ? Has anyone ever experienced anything like this? Does he have a case?

Hi all

I need a genuine advice on median wage for TEER 0-3 occupations. I am short on $0.25 in the base pay against the median wage of $29. Although my overall per hour rate is above the median wage when the night premium gets included to it. I am though working straight nights so all my paychecks say that overall pay is above the median wage of $29.

My employer is ready to provide me Job offer letter and is already providing it to anyone employed with them.

Is it ok to go ahead? I am meeting all the requirements of minimum 6 months of work experience under one NOC code, except for the median wage scene.

I am not a new graduate, nor I am on the skilled trade, nor I have a continuous work experience of 2 yrs straight with one employer on one NOC code.

I keep getting this question from clients, so figured I'd share what I actually know, both from practicing now and from my time on the inside.

The short answer: probably not as much as you think, unless something flags you.

USCIS does not have ICE's budget or ICE's staffing. Manually combing through every applicant's full social media history is not realistic at current resource levels. My educated guess (and it is a guess, not confirmed policy) is that even where initial sweeps or automated screening happen, a deep manual dive is reserved for cases where something already raised a flag. For what it's worth, none of my current clients have been asked about their social media yet.

That said, disclosure requirements have expanded a lot over the past year. If you're in a category required to list your accounts, that information is on the record and can be checked. "They're not reading everything" isn't the same as "it doesn't matter what's on there."

Advice I give clients:
-If your account is private, keep it private. If it's public, keep it public. Don't change your settings right now. A sudden shift can itself read as an attempt to manage what an officer sees.
-Don't delete old posts. Same logic: it can look like you're covering something up, which is often worse than the post itself.
-If an officer asks you about something on your social media, answer honestly. In my experience, officers respond far better to someone who owns something than someone who's clearly trying to spin it.

Officers are human. When I was adjudicating, I saw plenty of things in background checks that raised an eyebrow. Unless it pointed to an actual security concern or undermined the merits of the case, I usually didn't even bring it up. Most officers aren't looking to nitpick your Twitter history. They're trying to determine whether you're eligible and whether you're a security risk.

Bottom line: don't give them a reason to flag you. Don't hide, don't scrub, don't panic-change your privacy settings. If asked, be honest and move on.

Happy to answer questions. I have a few windows today it hop on.

I’m an attorney but this is not legal advice.