r/greencard

Currently in process of the I-131 application with biometrics pending. Will likely visit the US in a few weeks for the biometrics.

I’ve been living abroad for ~5 years due to being the sole caretaker for my mother. All that time I had valid reentry permits. I’m currently applying for the 3rd, since my current one expires in July.
Renewed my GC like 2 yrs ago.

Mom passed last year, and I’m looking to move back to the US permanently and will be attending law school next year.
Since I most likely won’t have the reentry permit in my hands by August 2027, should I visit the US like around winter this year…?

Naturalization timeline isnt my current concern, Im just curious as to how the CBP officer will perceive me enterting in August 2027 without the permit booklet in hand, while being gone for 12+ months even though my case would have been approved. Well, i could show them my admission letter to the law school i guess along with the approval letter printed.

I file taxes/FBAR/FATCA every single year, have a current US mobile #, bank account, etc. All my life never had an interaction with a CBP officer that lasted more than 20 seconds.

I’m traveling back to the U.S. after being outside the country for about 7 years and I’m honestly pretty nervous.

I’ve had a green card since 2009, and in the past I’ve also had long gaps outside the U.S., but never this long. I’ll be entering through DFW.

A few questions for anyone who’s been through something similar:

- How does CBP know how long you’ve been outside the U.S.? Do they already see entry/exit history when they scan your green card/passport?
- If they ask how long I’ve been away, is it better to be direct?
- If you get sent to secondary inspection, what are the possible outcomes in practice?
- Has anyone here had their case referred to an immigration judge after a long absence? What was the process like?
- Any experiences specifically at DFW? I’ve heard different airports can feel stricter or more lenient.
- Hypothetical question: if someone is eligible for ESTA, could they try entering that way instead of using a green card? Would CBP already know the person has/had permanent resident status when they arrive?

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone with firsthand experience.

EB1A applicant here looking for data points from people who actually went through employment-based interviews.

Timeline:

• EB1A approved earlier
• PD current
• I-485 filed: Oct 8, 2025
• Biometrics: Nov 2025
• Case transferred to San Francisco FO around Feb 13, 2026 (non-local; I live in Boston)
• Multiple USCIS agents later told me:
  • case complete
  • no RFEs
  • no holds
  • interview waived
• Late April and Early May: backend/API silent updates + new events
• May 8: USCIS agent said I entered interview queue
• May 20: Interview officially scheduled

Interview details:

Boston Field Office
June 24, 2026

A live USCIS agent also told me:

• no RFE
• no pending issues
• no background check hold
• “You just need the interview for now”

My case details:

• EB1A (self-petition)
• No marriage-based component
• No job portability request

Questions:

1. Anyone here got interviewed for EB1A / EB1 employment cases recently? What was asked?
2. Did officers focus mainly on:
   • current employment?
   • intent to continue in field?
   • immigration history?
   • admissibility questions?
3. Anyone with CYLC history / China background get additional questioning?
4. How long after interview did approval happen?

Would appreciate EB1A / EB1B / NIW data points.

More context: https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/comments/1t7nxh4/eb1a_i485_moved_into_interview_queue_after/

Stayed out of the US for 3 years due to Mom’s condition. Will i be allowed to enter?
Any same story with me? POE is lax hopefully

This might be An utterly ridiculous post so I won’t be surprised if it gets deleted.

my immigration lawyer warned me not to travel internationally during the Biden administration! I had a change of status back then, and needed visa stamped if I left the country. she said it’s extremely dangerous and unreliable and I’ll very likely get stuck. This visa in question was a govt sponsored J1. it turned out to be an absolute breeze.

We worked with her for my AOS and now she’s telling me that it’s dangerous to travel durning Trump and not to travel. So I just stay put until 2029 or so?!

I don’t want to go so far as to dismiss her claims entirely. She’s an excellent lawyer and has gone out of her way to help us out more than once. But this part cannot be real.

My husband has never been out of the US and we want to use the green card!

it’s more of a I don’t want to be extra ballsy, but I tried asking other lawyers but they tell me to speak to her who handled our case 😭

Hi everyone!

How do you know if you are in removal proceedings if you've never been assigned an A number? (Legal entry and visa overstay for many years).. Getting ready to file marriage-based AOS.

Good evening everyone,

I had a question as I am very concerned about leaving the country with everything going on. I am pending I-751 with an expired two conditional two year green card. I filed for the I-751 right on time and I received the automatic 48 months extension. I am currently on my 16th month waiting.

Legally, I should be able to work and travel…I am just very worried upon re-entry that they don’t consider the expired green card along with receipt notice of the automatic extension.

Anybody who travelled while on extension and was able to reenter without issues? Please would really appreciate any guidance.

Hi All,

Our case shows “Case was produced” status.
But the USPS tracking # assigned is unavailable.

Does USCIS provides the UPSP tracking #? Or we just wait to receive it when it comes?

EB1 India FAD - October 2026 prediction thread (bull/base/bear)

Crowdsourcing where EB1 India FAD lands in the Oct 2026 bulletin. Drop your guess.

WHERE WE ARE (June 2026)

• FAD: Dec 15, 2022 (retrogressed 3.5 months from Apr 1, 2023)
• DOF: Dec 1, 2023
• DOS warned more retrogression or "unavailable" possible before Sept 30
• India cap ~9,800 EB visas/yr normal, 13-18K in spillover years

LATEST I-485 INVENTORY (USCIS released Mar 24, 2026, snapshot Jan 2, 2026)

• Apr 2025 release had ~15,530 EB1 India pending through end of 2022
• DOF sat at Apr 1 / Dec 1, 2023 through late 2025-early 2026, so inventory grew into 2023 PDs
• Working estimate: ~18-22K EB1 India I-485s pending, stacked heavy in 2021-2023
• Total EB I-485 inventory: ~180K across all categories

PORTER POOL (silent demand)

• FOIA data: ~313K EB2 India + ~68K EB3 India I-140s pending historically
• Strong profiles (PhDs, principals, MNC managers) port to EB1A/EB1B
• Each port consumes an India EB1 number invisible to EB1 I-140 receipts

HISTORICAL FB-TO-EB SPILLOVER

• FY21 (COVID): ~122K spillover, EB ceiling 262K
• FY23: ~57K spillover, ceiling 197K
• FY24: ceiling 160,791
• FY25: ceiling 150,037
• Pre-pandemic: usually 0-15K

FY27 SPILLOVER ESTIMATES (PP 10998 + Jan 21 75-country pause)

• Capitol Immigration Law Group: 200K+ EB total (~60K+ spillover)
• Emily Neumann (RNB): ~50K, ceiling ~190K
• GreenCardClock revised: ~55K base (10K floor / 90K adverse) after May bulletin showed DOS rerouting numbers, not letting them evaporate

BULL CASE - FAD Apr 2024 to Aug 2024

• Spillover ~90K+, closer to COVID windfall
• EB1 ROW underuses, unused falls to India first
• Porter velocity slows
• Oct bulletin overshoots like Jan 2026 did

BASE CASE - FAD Oct 2023 to Feb 2024

• Spillover 50-65K (GCC / Neumann range)
• Clean recovery of FY26 retrogression plus a few months
• Porter demand at current pace
• DOF moves to mid-late 2024

BEAR CASE - FAD Apr 2023 to Jul 2023

• DOS keeps rerouting unused FB numbers in FY26, FY27 pool near 10K floor
• Porter pressure surges
• 2022 PD inventory wall absorbs most supply
• DOS stays on FAD chart for EB AOS

DISCUSS

1. Your Oct 2026 FAD/DOF prediction and which case
2. Which spillover model do you trust
3. How much weight on porters - anyone seeing EB1A RFE trends shift?
4. If you have the Mar 2026 USCIS inventory file, post EB1 India bucket numbers

Sources: June 2026 DOS bulletin, USCIS I-485 inventory (Jan 2 snapshot, released Mar 24), USCIS FY23/24 AOS FAQs, Capitol Immigration Law Group Feb 2026, GreenCardClock May 2026, Times of India / Neumann Jan 2026, historical FOIA I-140 data.

My USCIS case status changed to “Card Was Mailed To Me” on May 20, 2026, but I have not received a USPS tracking number yet. I wanted to ask if the tracking information is available or if it will be updated later.

Hey everyone,
I’m currently in the process of adjusting status for a green card (pending I-485). I already have my EAD/work permit and Advance Parole travel document approved.

Have any of you been flying domestically within the US recently, especially out of Chicago O’Hare? Did you have any issues with TSA, ICE, or Border Patrol?

I’m trying to decide if it’s generally safe to fly within the US in this situation or if it’s better to avoid it for now. Would really appreciate hearing real experiences.

Hi everyone,

I am a 22-year-old from Romania, and my goal is to legally relocate to the United States with my family (my wife and our newborn baby). We want to do this the right way and build a life there, ensuring our child can eventually go to daycare and kindergarten in the US.

However, we face a few challenges regarding the typical immigration routes, so I am looking for some realistic advice or success stories from people who were in a similar situation.

Our Background:

Age: 22 (Both me and my wife).

Dependents: One newborn child.

Skills/Education: We do not have specialized university degrees, and neither of us works for a multinational company, so an L-1 internal transfer is out of the question.

English level: Fluent/Very good. Communication won't be an issue.

The Routes We Are Considering:

1 H-2B Visa (Moving/Logistics/Hospitality): I am currently looking for US employers (specifically in the moving/logistics sector) who are willing to sponsor an out-of-country worker for a seasonal contract. My plan would be to work hard, prove my value, and eventually discuss long-term sponsorship.

2 EB-3 Unskilled Visa: I know this is a permanent residency (Green Card) route that doesn't require high specialization, but it takes a few years to process.

Our Main Questions for the Community:

H-2B with Family: How realistic is it to bring a spouse and a newborn on an H-4 dependent visa for a seasonal job like moving? Does the community recommend trying to secure the H-2B first alone, or is it manageable to handle housing for a small family on a seasonal budget?

H-2B to EB-3 Transition: Has anyone here successfully transitioned from an H-2B seasonal position to an EB-3 Unskilled permanent sponsorship with the same employer? How did you approach the conversation?

Daycare/Kindergarten: For those who moved with very young children on temporary visas, how difficult was it to enroll them in local daycares or early education programs?

We are fully aware that immigration is a long, expensive, and difficult process, but we are young, driven, and willing to do the heavy lifting.

Any insights, agency recommendations, or reality checks are highly appreciated! Thank you!

Does applying for financial aid for a hospital bill affect my green card application in the future?
Or how bad it is?
Thank you

PD OCT 2023
RD 3/13/26
BIO 4/15/26
Silent update 4/22/26
Silent update 4/29/26
Silent update 5/13/26 (Emma confirmed mine and spouse cases have been transferred to Charlotte Amalie FO as of 5/12/26) Non-Local, Interview waived

Anyone similar timeline?
Does anyone know processing timeline for Charlotte Amalie, VI FO?

Thank you in advance.

My wife is on the NVC stage but we've decided we want to just stay in her country since the cost of living is so low. Once the whole process is complete and her visa is approved at the embassy, we'd like to then abandon the visa and apply for a tourist visa. This way she can travel to the US for my family funerals, gatherings, etc. We tried getting a tourist visa before but were rejected, but I am hoping abandoning her permanent residency will make them realize she doesn't want to illegally immigrate there. Will she need to physically go to the US first before she can abandon it? I know she isn't considered a permanent resident until the airport immigration officer waves her through. Will she need her physical green card first?

Hello, I work in the U.S in oil and gas. My company is paying for me to get my green card. I was wondering if anyone from Canada has a green card and how it affected your taxes

I submitted i485 but I realized I did not disclose that I had a dismissed case of possession or delivery of drug paraphernalia back in 2022 in Texas. I was driving my friends car and the officer found a smoked marijuana blunt in the car. I panicked and said it was mine being stupid. This was less than 30g and was my first and last.

I also have 3 speeding tickets which were also dismissed after i paid the fine and completed defense driving course and was taken off the record. I thought if the case is dismissed it would not need to be reported.

I have received the disposition document from the county clerk saying that the case was dismissed after I paid the fine.

Can I write a letter to the USCIS saying i made a mistake? Has anyone faced this situation before and how was it resolved? Was the i485 approved or denied? Whats the best route to go from here?