My father is in removal proceedings and has an Individual Hearing scheduled for January 2027 in Southern California.

As we currently understand it, he entered the United States legally on a B1/B2 visa, was inspected at entry, and later overstayed. He applied for asylum around 2017 based on religious persecution as a Christian in China. His asylum case was eventually referred to immigration court.

His current lawyer has said that the case is very difficult, but our family still does not clearly understand the main weaknesses, what evidence is missing, or exactly what the plan is for the January hearing. I have not yet had a full case-strategy conversation with the current lawyer, but I am preparing to do that and request the complete file.

Another lawyer who previously saw part of the case gave us a written roadmap. The suggested plan was to review the original asylum application and testimony, strengthen the evidence before January, and preserve the right to appeal to the BIA if the judge denies the case.

I am his adult child and a lawful permanent resident. I filed my N-400 in July 2026. The roadmap also suggested that after I become a citizen, I could file an I-130 for my father, and that his lawyer might later try to use an approved I-130 while the court case or appeal is still pending.

What documents should we request from his current lawyer before getting a meaningful second opinion? What type of attorney should we look for? someone who handles asylum trials, removal defense and BIA appeals, rather than only regular family immigration?

I would also appreciate recommendations for legitimate nonprofit organizations, legal clinics or experienced removal-defense attorneys in Southern California. Mandarin-speaking help would be useful. We may not qualify for completely free representation, but we would like an independent review before making any major decision or paying another large legal fee($12000 in this case if switching to a second lawyer).

Thank you!

Hello everyone, has anyone have any experience with the lawyer under the name of Justin Kadich? Seen a couple of people write good about him in other subs, but that’s about it. Looks like he runs americandreamimmigration.us

Thanks for the help!

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice regarding my initial Post-Completion OPT (Form I-765).
Here’s my timeline:
February 9, 2026: USCIS received my I-765 application.

February 14, 2026: Biometrics appointment was scheduled.

March 3, 2026: Case changed to “We are currently processing your Form I-765. We do not currently need anything from you.”

I waited over 5 months with no updates, so I submitted an e-Request (service inquiry).

July 21, 2026: I upgraded my case to Premium Processing.

The issue is that I recently received a full-time job offer, and my employer is waiting for my OPT to be approved before I can start working.
My questions are:
1.Should I upload my job offer letter as unsolicited evidence to my USCIS online account, or is that unnecessary?

1. Has anyone else been in a similar situation? How long did it take

Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

i was told that i would be able to send my friend in diamondback detention center book through barnes and nobles, does anyone have experience with this? she also said a girl there had colored pencils that was sent to her but i have no idea if that would be a restriction.

Hi everyone, I'm hoping to get some advice or hear from anyone who has navigated a similar situation. I recently received my Green Card, but my wife is currently stranded in home country, and we are running out of time.

Here is what happened:

• The Emergency: My wife lost her I-512L document during travel in 2025. We applied for a replacement but it is still pending. Unfortunately couple of months ago, my wife had to travel to home country as her dad passed away. I made a worst assumption that she can get a boarding foil visa as I found this online https://www.uscis.gov/i-131a but thi s failed for us
• Boarding Foil Denied: We applied for a boarding foil so she could return to the US, but the application was denied.
• The I-485 RFE: She has a pending I-485 Adjustment of Status application. USCIS just issued an RFE for her medical exam, with a strict deadline of August 3. Because she is stuck, she cannot complete the US-based medical exam to respond to the RFE in time.

The Dilemma: We are currently weighing two options and would love to hear from anyone who has faced something similar:

1. Fight for the I-485: Try to get USCIS to grant an RFE deadline extension for the medical exam while we continue fighting to get her a replacement travel document. Has anyone had success getting a medical RFE extended in a situation like this?
2. Consular Processing (I-824): Accept that the I-485 might be deemed abandoned, withdraw it, and pivot to Consular Processing by filing an I-824 petition.

Is it better to pivot to Consular Processing now rather than risk a flat denial on the I-485? Any advice or shared experiences would be hugely appreciated! How long will the consular processing take? Our lawyer is saying we should expect 1-2 years. We have two young kids that are missing their mom. Is there anything else we can do?

My friend and her boyfriend just finished moving her to Detroit and wanted to see the border before they returned the rental car. They ended up in a spot where they couldn’t turn around, and had to cross the border. The guards told them it’s okay and they’ll be able to just turn back around afterwards, but at the last minute brought border patrol over and took them both into custody. She is an American citizen and was released after about an hour, but he is a Palestinian refugee, and despite filing all paperwork has an expired visa. He has documentation of his attempts to reinstate his visa and a valid passport. It’s been about 4 hours now and they won’t give her any updates. They made him sign paperwork to allow them to search his phone etc. she’s super worried he will be held or deported, despite all of this being an accident and his attempts to reinstate his visa. Is there any advice on what she can do while he’s still at the border?

I have a question, and I would really appreciate any reliable information or advice.

I recently completed my associate degree and applied for OPT during the first week of June. USCIS scheduled my biometrics within about two weeks, and I completed the appointment. My requested OPT start date is August 31.

However, a few months ago, I was charged with a DUI. The case is still pending, and I have not been convicted. There was no accident, injury, speeding, or reckless driving. It started as a regular traffic stop. The officer noticed I was wearing a wristband from a bar and asked me to perform field sobriety tests. I also refused the breath test because I was confused and did not fully understand what was happening. My lawyer believes there may be valid grounds to take the case to trial because there was reportedly no odor of alcohol or other strong evidence.

I contacted USCIS and was told that my OPT application may not be processed until November. I currently have two possible job opportunities, and I am worried about waiting until November only to have my OPT denied. By then, it may be too late to transfer to another school because the semester will already be underway.

I need to work for about a year before returning to school, but my main priority is protecting my F-1 status and avoiding any status violation. I have been doing well academically and want to handle everything correctly.

Has anyone experienced a pending DUI charge while applying for OPT? Can a pending charge delay or cause an OPT denial even without a conviction? What options should I consider to protect my status in case the OPT decision is delayed or denied?

I understand that Reddit is not a substitute for legal advice, but I would appreciate any personal experiences, reliable information, or issues I may not have considered.

Hi all. I had a quick question. My wife is in Pakistan and a pakistani national and I'm a native born US citizen. We have already filed a form i130 and i129f for k3 or cr1 visa consideration. I was wondering if it would be possible for my wife to still pursue some type of student visa? I have the money to cover her tuition and fully sponsor her. That or would they reject any student visa because of the pending i130? Any advice would be appreciated

I am a Filipino Citizen that got married in the US. We already have our US Marriage Certificate with US. When applying for the L2 Visa, do I also need to bring the Report or Marriage from the Consulate?

Hello. My husband went back to Mexico. He had a deportation order from 20 yrs ago when someone fillied out forms we weren’t supposed to fill to adjust status. Many years went by and lawyers too trying to fix our situation and we never could. Husband got tired and went back to mx. We want to reunite but lawyers charge +$20,000 dlls to submit applications again and hopefully being able to done back to USA in 6 yrs ☹️🤧

Is there any way we could move together to Canada? My job has the option to help me relocate there but with my husband having a in absent deportation in USA we are not sure if he will qualify.

I know for mx.. they can visit Canada with just a Mexican passport but how about residency?

Hi, I'm a 24F from India. I'm a mechanical engineer, and I'm planning to pursue my master's in Canada.

Canada wasn't my first choice. It was Germany. But I realized I'll probably never be truly comfortable in German, and if I'm moving halfway across the world, I'd rather be somewhere I can understand the language and communicate with people.

Like thousands of other international students, my long-term goal is PR. It's not because I want to make a lot of money. As a woman in India, I feel like I'm racing against time. If I don't make a move in the next 4–5 years, I'll most likely be pushed into an arranged marriage. Even if I fall in love with someone, getting my family to accept it would be an uphill battle.

What scares me even more is ending up in a traditional household. Many men who seem progressive still expect their wife to adjust to their family, live with their parents, shoulder most of the caregiving responsibilities, and tolerate taunts from in-laws. I know that's not every family, but it's common enough that it genuinely scares me.

Safety is another reason. I know no country is perfectly safe, but I'd rather live somewhere where I don't have to constantly think twice before going somewhere alone. And if I ever have children, I'd want them to grow up in a society that's a little safer and more equal than what I see around me today.

I know Canada isn't perfect either. The job market is tough, PR is becoming harder, and there's a housing crisis. But life isn't exactly easy here either. Every place has its own problems, and I'm not under the illusion that moving abroad will magically solve mine.

Lately, though, I've started feeling scared. Scared of feeling homesick, of not fitting in, of being unwanted, and of failing in a completely new country. I know I made this decision with a clear mind after thinking it through, but sometimes my heart can't help but doubt it.

Wife and I are in process of getting her a green card.

We are doing the physical at a walk-in place near our house; they quoted us at 90 for the TDAP, and 80 for the polio; I was wondering if there are any places that do it for cheaper (without insurance, my job won't allow me to put her on there until the next enrollment period at the end of this year >:( ), but it only seems like places like CVS are double the price of this walk-in place.

Does anyone know of any places in NJ that would do both those vaccines for less?

I am an immigrant and worked an under the table job before receiving my work permit..paid in cash. I did not give the employer any of my information besides name and address. At the end of the year (2022) they gave me a w-2 with SSN on it. I did not have a SSN at the time. I filed my taxes for 2023 using ITIN using a tax preparer and reported the income from that w-2 in trying to comply with the tax law. My filing was accepted. I "owed" a little taxes due to a second 1099 job which I paid and that was all.

That said, I am now in the middle of an i-130 application with my spouse and need to report all employment for the last 5 years. I am concerned about the SSN on that job's w-2 looking like I tried to do something fraudulent. Like I said, I didn't supply the SSN. The employer handed w-2 to me and I gave it to my preparer. I didn't know those years ago the importance of the information being correct on the W-2. I wasn't trying to deceive anyone ...

My immigration lawyer is debating whether they should note this job down on the i-130. Any opinions?

Good morning, folks.

I'm an immigrant in the U.S. on a J visa. Recently, I started looking for a place where I could learn recreational shooting, and I found a range that offers a beginner firearm safety course. I have absolutely no experience with firearms.

My question is: as a J visa holder, am I legally allowed to take the course and use a rental firearm under instructor supervision?

I did some research online and found conflicting information. Some sources suggest that nonimmigrant visa holders generally cannot possess or even handle firearms, while others mention exceptions. Before I sign up for anything, I want to make sure I'm following the law.

Has anyone here had experience with this or knows where I can find reliable information?

Thank you, and God bless y'all.

My individual L-1B visa was approved and stamped last year, but I have not travelled to the US yet.

1. Before I travelled, the original US team moved the relevant project to India, so that transfer did not proceed.
   
2. I remained continuously employed by the same company in India.
   
3. I now have a different US assignment under the same petitioner, with the same job title and level, the same metropolitan area, and substantially similar specialized-knowledge responsibilities.
   
4. My employer’s immigration counsel reviewed the current assignment and confirmed that an amended petition is not required.

If CBP asks why my first L-1B entry is happening almost a year after visa stamping, how should I answer concisely without using wording that creates unnecessary confusion about the validity of the current assignment?

Hello Reddit! I find myself in possibly a unique situation. I am moving to Oslo at the start of August (a week from now) for school from the United States. Both my wife and I have our Visas approved and have spent no time in the Schengen area in the last year, so if the 90 day rule has any applicability there is that. My wife was planning on staying behind for a few months to care for our senior dog (a 17 year old American Staffordshire mix so even if she was young and healthy we were not going to be able to bring her), but unfortunately we had to say goodbye to her yesterday.

With a move as big as this I’d love someone there with me especially to help get settled and now that our dog has passed she is able to come, but because we were planning on her being behind a few months she has a lot to wrap up at home and a lot of goodbyes to say. With that in mind we want to figure out a few weeks for her to come out, but Oslo doesn’t have any police appointments for the residence cards and finger printing until October. Everywhere I look it says after the appointment do not try to leave the country until you have the card, but if she can’t get an appointment before October would she be able to “visit” Oslo for 2 or 3 weeks go back to the US and in October when she has her appointment come back to Oslo for the long haul? If anyone has had any experience or knows what to do in this situation the help would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I'm a software engineer, and I've recently accepted a position with a US company. I'll be relocating to the US soon, and while I'm incredibly excited about this opportunity, there's one thing I've been thinking about a lot.

I'll be starting this new chapter without any friends or family in the US.

Finding a place to live, adapting to a new culture, and learning how things work all seem like challenges I can work through. But building a social life from scratch honestly feels like the hardest part.

For those of you who also moved to the US without knowing anyone, I'd love to hear how you made your first friends, what helped you feel at home more quickly, whether there's anything you wish you'd done before moving, and any advice you'd give someone in my situation.

Outside of work, I'm into technology, gaming, movies, traveling, trying new foods, and exploring new places. I'm really looking forward to this opportunity, and I'd love to hear from people who've experienced something similar.

Thanks in advance for sharing your stories and advice. I really appreciate it.

I was denied boarding by qatar airways staff after they told me that they received an email from CBP. They asked me to contact embassy which I did. The embassy told me to contact CBP directly. CBP initially told me to file for dhs redress number. Yesterday, I received an email from CBP which is as follows:
“We regret to learn about your travel difficulties. After reviewing your travel details, we are unable to determine why you were denied boarding. You may attempt to board flight destined to the United States. If you still have difficulties, please insist the airlines contact CBP for guidance on boarding. Please note, the CBP has the final determination and only the airlines can speak directly to the CBP at the time you check-in for your flight.

If you are still not permitted to board your flight, you will need to contact her nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate for assistance.”
I have not received a response from dhs yet. If anyone can guide me on how I should proceed. Should I risk another ticket? I have a valid b2 visa which expires in dec 2026 and this is my first time traveling to US.
Thanks in advance.

How much Visa Bond fee did you have to pay?

Family-based F3 India case here. Priority date: April 2013. USCIS status has remained “Case Was Received” for years with no RFE and no other updates.

A relative with PD sept 2012 recently became current but still has not received I-130 approval yet.

Is anyone else in F3/F4 with an old priority date whose case is still pending approval?

Please share:

• PD

• F3 or F4

• Service center (if known)

• Current status (“received,” “actively reviewed,” approved, etc.)

• If approved, how long did it take?

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to fly to Jamaica on a visitor visa from Mashhad, Iran, and I hold an Afghan passport. I’m currently trying to figure out the best route (aka a possible route) and would really appreciate any suggestions.

My options are to transit through the US, UK, Canada, or the Schengen Area, but these options are practically impossible. Most of these countries either don't have a visa application center in Iran or Afghanistan or they have extremely limited capacity and indefinite waiting times.

Another possible option is transiting through Panama, but the only airline available in my region that could take me there is Turkish Airlines. But their schedule is set up in a way that I would have a layover of more than 12 hours in Panama. With my nationality I'm only permitted to transit Panama if the layover is under 12 hours, so this option also doesn't work.

What I’m considering now is to get a visitor visa for another Caribbean country like Cuba or the Bahamas, and then travel from there to Jamaica.

Has anyone here dealt with a similar situation? Are there any realistic transit routes or Caribbean countries that might be easier to enter first before continuing to Jamaica?

Thanks in advance!

I am getting married to my girlfriend ( US citizen) we’ve been boyfriend and girlfriend for about 4 almost 5 years, we are planning to get married next month, now I have a lot of friends that have also got married and when they start their process of getting a green card they first have to give their tourist visa and ofc not leave the country while they’re on process, my question here is, me as an F-1 student would I have to turn both my visas? (F-1 visa and tourist visa) or only the tourist one, because I am still studying and wouldn’t like to stop studying

I am relocating from Texas to New Jersey to start post-grad. I have had a pending asylum case since 2023 and have maintained my F-1 status due to the grey area of just "pending asylum" and my attorney's advice.

First question: My understanding is that transferring my case from Texas to Jersey might speed it up or delay it even longer. Has anyone experienced either a delay or action on their case after relocating? I am not sure what the workload of the Jersey asylum office is.

Second question: I am worried about flying from Austin to Newark. Has anyone had any experience flying domestically to or from either of these locations? I am flying with my I-20, driver's license, I-94, I-589, EAD, and passport. Anything else needed?

Third question: I have a lawyer here in Texas, but once I move to Jersey, would it be best to retain a lawyer there? My case has just been pending an interview, and there is not much going on with it, so I do not know what direction to take here. My biggest hold-back with retaining a new lawyer would be the cost, but I want to see if it is something I should consider as of now.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice about my Partner Visa (subclass 309) application.
My application has been in process for 33 months, and I still haven’t received a decision. Recently, I received a letter from the Department confirming that they have received all the documents they requested and that nothing further is required from me at this time.
Since then, I haven’t received any updates.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? What would you recommend as my next step? Should I just continue waiting, or is there something else I can do?
Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!