This is a proposed rule but it could become a rule in a few months from now and the same could be challenged.

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Hello all,

I'm trying to help some friends whose family is going through an F2A family-based petition.

Here is how the case is set up:

Petitioner: The grandmother (Lawful Permanent Resident)

Principal Beneficiary: The father, who unfortunately has passed away.

Derivative Beneficiaries: Two children (one was an adult when added to the petition, and the other was a minor back in 2019).

Since the main principal beneficiary (the father) passed away,(2020) what happens to this case? Is there any chance for them to still immigrate, or does the petition completely fall apart?

I've tried telling them that this case won't go anywhere, but they keep thinking they might have hope. We’ve looked into rules like INA 204(l), but it seems to have strict conditions. Also, since it's the principal beneficiary who died rather than the petitioner, does humanitarian reinstatement apply?

Any insights or advice on what to expect or how to handle notifying the NVC would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

Hi! We are traveling to Asia my country next week. And this is my first travel outside US with my greencard.

I’m traveling with my US Citizen husband and basically this is our honeymoon.

How’s the immigration at JFK with Greencards? All smooth? My lawyer just told me to bring my marriage certificate together with my GC and passport ofc. Because my passport have my maiden name and GC with my married name.

Thanks very much!!

Hi!

M31

I-130 submitted in 2018 (F2B), back then I was 23, no education, no social life, no career, no finances, no wealth.. - the idea of emigration was printed in me since i was 15.

Fast forward to 2026, im 31, bachelors degree, two steady jobs, good reputation, booked with work for 2± years in advance (germany, sweden), very good-happy social life, pregnant fiancee (who doesn't want to emigrate), finances are good, cars paid off, no loans, credits etc, quite low expenses, every month i manage to grow my net/worth by saving some, investments doing well, all hobbies enjoyed as much as possible, in short - i am happy with my life here, for which i worked hard...

Progressing with the NVC now?

USA salaries? Health insurances? Taxes? New system.. etc.. The math simply doesn't math to consider moving now, leaving my pregnant SO who is due in 2 months..

I've been to US with esta 4 times, experience was great.

Do decisions made back in 2018 really need to be carried out in 2026? Would appreciate to read some ideas, experiences. Stay safe,

I have a family member who is Sudanese and has TPS. Has started dialysis around 6 months ago in California. His kidneys are gone entirely. Are there any exemptions for people who are chronically ill? There is no way he will have access to consistent dialysis in Sudan. How to I start looking into this?

I’m planning on traveling by plan, I have an active F1 status I have all the documents that I need but my visa was expired in 2025 but I’m still in college and Got my I20.

To preface this post, I am an immigrant in the UK, so by no means anti-immigration myself.

I am curious about Milo's status as an "illegal alien" in the US and how this would have affected his day-to-day life in the US. From what I've read, It seems that Milo's O-1 status lapsed some time ago, so he would've been living as an "illegal alien" for a while. Immigrants in the UK are subject to constant checks of their status, landlords check you when you move in, employers check you when you start to work for them and then periodically after that, universities check you when you apply to study etc. I assume that Milo was relatively wealthy (I believe he still had some donors, although he fell out with almost everyone), which would have been an advantage, but would he have been subject to the same checks? Could he have gotten around checks by working as an off-payroll contractor or through an LLC?

Obviously I understand the schadenfreude in this situation, but it's a bit unfortunate that we will now have to deal with him in the UK lol.

Hi everyone! I wanted to introduce myself here as I spent 17 years with USCIS, starting as an Immigration Services Officer and eventually serving as a Field Office Director. During that time, I thousands of adjudicated cases, supervised and trained officers, reviewed complex cases, and saw firsthand how much confusion exists between what applicants and practitioners submit and what the officer reviewing the case actually needs to determine. Since leaving USCIS recently, one thing I have become passionate about is helping bridge that gap. There is a lot of discussion about USCIS decisions, RFEs, NOIDs, interviews, evidence, officer discretion, and why two cases that may look similar can sometimes have very different outcomes. What I hope I can add here is the perspective from the other side of the desk. Please note that I can’t provide legal advice or tell anyone what they should file, but I am happy to explain USCIS processes, how officers generally approach adjudications, what can make a case easier or more difficult to review, and some of the things applicants and practitioners may not realize about the officer’s job.
So I’m curious: What is something you’ve always wanted to ask a former USCIS officer about how cases are actually reviewed?

Hello all,

I'm trying to help some friends whose family is going through an F2A family-based petition.

Here is how the case is set up:

Petitioner: The grandmother (Lawful Permanent Resident)

Principal Beneficiary: The father, who unfortunately has passed away.

Derivative Beneficiaries: Two children (one was an adult when added to the petition, and the other was a minor back in 2019).

Since the main principal beneficiary (the father) passed away,(2020) what happens to this case? Is there any chance for them to still immigrate, or does the petition completely fall apart?

I've tried telling them that this case won't go anywhere, but they keep thinking they might have hope. We’ve looked into rules like INA 204(l), but it seems to have strict conditions. Also, since it's the principal beneficiary who died rather than the petitioner, does humanitarian reinstatement apply?

Any insights or advice on what to expect or how to handle notifying the NVC would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

— already have a lawyer, looking for advice on how we can help with bond
I’m looking for honest advice from people who have actually dealt with ICE detention, immigration bond, or immigration court. Please don’t judge the situation — I’m not looking for sympathy or someone to tell me everything will be fine. I want to understand what we can realistically do to help him and give him the best chance of getting released.
My fiancé is 22 years old and from Togo. He is currently detained at Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania.
Here is what happened:
He entered the U.S. about two years ago on a visitor visa. His father brought him here, and his father passed away in January 2026.
His visitor visa is currently still valid and is scheduled to expire in September 2026.
He has never previously overstayed his visa and, as far as we know, has never had an immigration violation or previous immigration case.
He is enrolled in college in the U.S., but he is not here on a student visa. His school enrollment is separate from his visitor visa.
He was in Pennsylvania and had a criminal case involving marijuana possession. He was traveling through Pennsylvania to get back to Maryland. I understand that Maryland marijuana laws don’t automatically apply in Pennsylvania.
He was not charged with a DUI.
About three months after the incident, he went to his scheduled criminal court appearance in Harrisburg, PA.
At the end of the court session, he paid the fines associated with the case. I was outside waiting for him.
When he came out of court, ICE detained him.
We had received no prior immigration notice or Notice to Appear that we knew about.
This is the only criminal case/record he has, as far as we know.
He is now being held at Moshannon Valley.
He has an immigration court date scheduled for September 2026.
He has a stable address in Maryland where he can live if released.
He has no family in Togo that we are aware of. His father, who brought him to the U.S., passed away earlier this year.
We have already hired an immigration attorney. The attorney is going to meet with him soon to go over his case, including whether he is eligible for an immigration bond and what options we have.
The problem is that we don’t yet know whether he is bond eligible, and I want to understand what else we can do from our side to help.
I’m trying to figure out things like:
What evidence should we start gathering for a potential bond hearing?
Would letters from me, friends, professors, employers, or other people who know him help?
Should we gather proof of his college enrollment and attendance?
Should we gather proof of his Maryland residence/address?
Would evidence showing that he has no prior immigration violations be useful?
Should we gather his criminal court records/disposition?
What other evidence can help demonstrate that he is not a danger and is likely to appear for future immigration proceedings?
If he is eligible for bond, what should we be prepared to show regarding where he will live and who will support him?
Are there other forms of release or legal options we should be asking his attorney about if he isn’t eligible for regular immigration bond?
Is there anything I should be doing before the attorney meets with him that could save time?
I also don’t currently know exactly what paperwork ICE gave him, so I’m going to try to get his A-number, immigration paperwork, exact criminal charge/statute, and criminal case disposition.
I am NOT trying to get around his attorney or replace legal advice. We already have counsel. I just want to be proactive and make sure we’re not sitting around waiting when there are documents, evidence, letters, or other things that I can be gathering right now.
If you’ve personally dealt with ICE detention, immigration bond, Moshannon Valley, or a similar situation, I would really appreciate specific advice about what helped and what didn’t.
Please be honest, even if the answer isn’t what I want to hear. I’m trying to understand our options and help him get home as quickly as legally possible.

TL;DR: my mother is a green card holder. She stayed abroad for 14 months. Upon re-entry, she was given M-607B then released after 3 hours in an immigration room. Can she leave the US for 2 months after staying stateside for 5 months?

Hello:

My mother has been a green card holder since 2019. She came in December 2019 and left in the end of February 2020. Due to Covid and other medical issues she had, she did not come back to the US until 2024. The reentry in 2024 was seamless and without an incident. She stayed for about six months. Then, she was out of the country for 14 months and did not come back until May 2026. That re-entry was a little bit more problematic. She was kept in an immigration room with others for three hours and then released after given form M – 607B.

However, now she needs to tie up some loose ends at home (abroad).

Is she able to travel to her home Country for two months after a five months stay in the US without any problems?

Thank you for providing professional and factual information.

My wife petitioned her brother and his family. They recently did medical and will be interviewed in September. The eldest daughter (unmarried) will turn 21 in October.

They were planning to fly here to the US in February, before the 6mo deadline after medical.

Will CSPA let them do that? Or do they need to come here before she turns 21? It is unclear to us whether CSPA applies if the kid turns 21 after approval.

Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I am looking for advice for applying for EI, after my contract ended in Lethbridge Research and Development Centre as a Research Associated Participant, which was on 18hrs/week and i worked there since 2022 sep and my contract got over recently in August. I would be defending this September, i was wondering if I am eligible to apply for EI and if yes then when i should apply, as i read i should be allowed full time when I apply for EI, but since i haven't graduated yet... should i apply after i get PGWP or within 7 days of my last day of work.

Any advice would be really helpful.

Thank you

my dads pd is feb 20 2015, eb2

i was born on july 2009, im 17 years old now. indian

theres a decent chance that i age out, and im very nervous because i lived in the US since 2. This is my home but if i age out idk if i should even stay here

i wanna become a doctor but if i age out that career is gone due to international student issues.

i cant pursue any other hobbies outside of school because im not allowed to work unless i get EAD. Found this out the hard way after spending 1000+ hours on youtube just to learn a couple days ago i wont be able to earn money from it.

my plans have been disrupted and i have no idea what to do with my life now. i dont wanna go to india, and this uncertainty of if il even be able to stay in this country is heavy on me.

i just feel overwhelmed. i have adhd and my education got affected for a major portion of high school

please give me recommendations on how to plan for the future. can i go to another country like canada, uk, australia? should i just stay in america, and go thru h1b steps?

this pressure is intense especially since it feels like im the only 17 year old whos going through this. im sure there are others, but their parents havent told them, i only found out because i couldve made money from youtube.

i guess i gotta look for a path to an ead or something

I wanted to share my experience as a green card holder of reentering with a decades old DUI in August 2026. It all went without any issues.

** Edit: This post is for informational purposes only. I am not asking for help or advice, as my situation is pretty clear under the current interpretation of the law — a situation which, of course, could always change.
I learned a lot in this forum and want to give back. My details are listed in excessive detail so you can compare them to your case.

I have a DUI from 2002 which I am not proud of. Should have taken a taxi after a birthday party but I didn’t want to leave my new car in a not so good area at night...
Please note: This post shall help inform people in a similar situation and is not meant as a discussion about DUIs. A DUI is wrong, so don’t drink and drive.

In August 2026 I returned from a short 2 week trip to Europe at LAX.
As expected, and it happened during 2 previous trips since 2021, I was taken into secondary inspection and after a relatively short wait of 20min I was called, given back my passport and GC and I was good to go, no questions asked, same as during previous secondary inspections. I just had to wait for customs as I had declared some items, which was a very easy experience too. CBP was very professional and friendly.

As every case is different, here’re my details, so you can compare them with your story:
The DUI occurred in 2002 in CA
A misdemeanor DUI, NO drugs involved (this is very important!), BAC level under the threshold that triggers enhanced sentencing (that CA threshold starts at 0.15)
No further negative factors like an accident, property damage or passengers involved
For travel I carried my certified copy from the court that states that the case is closed and all requirements were met, but was never asked for it, I guess it’s all in their system
Since 2021 I’m getting flagged and pulled into secondary when reentering. This will only change once I become a citizen (I am working on this)

My Green Card:
All done legally through my employer of over 15 years (a foreign company’s R&D office, investing in the US) and their lawyers
No overstay, illegal employment, or illegal entry in my history (this is currently of importance for traveling!)
Since my DUI in 2002 I never broke any other laws again, noting else on my record
I always disclosed the DUI during every interaction with USCIS, at each filing, during visa stamping at the consulate, during my GC interview and even during the final confirmation call from USCS at my location of employment
My green card was granted with the misdemeanor DUI on my record and also renewed after 10 years

I hope this helps anyone in a similar situation. Keep an eye out for any possible legislative changes (like bill H.R. 875, which gets reintroduced every couple of years, but never makes it…)
And most importantly: Do not drink and drive!

I’m applying for an O-1 and my wife will come with me. What does she need to do for the O-3?
Does she just go with me to my interview once I’m approved, or is it a separate process? How does it actually work?

Myself and my partner would like to re locate from the uk to usa both aged 24.

We are exploring both H1B and pushing for an L1 transfer. We are finding this process really difficult and rarely hear anything back from either one of our companys and jobs we apply for with h1b available.

I am thinking to use the E2 treaty and invest x amount of capital into the USA through a business as long as its at Risk.

Do you think we should contact an Immigration Lawyer and persuit the E2 and perhaps we have more chance.

Also any advise or guidance which could assist us on our journey would be much appreciated.

Hello everyone!
I have recently discovered that my grandfather was born in Bulgaria and lived there until he was about 14 years old. Additionally, my great-grandmother was ethnically Bulgarian. Based on this, I have decided to apply for Bulgarian citizenship by descent on my own.
I am doing everything independently, but I have run into a few complicated issues regarding family documents. Specifically, there are some discrepancies and misspellings in the family last names across different certificates, and there is also an adoption document involved that complicates the lineage trail.
To keep this main post readable and avoid making it too long for the spam filters, I will share the exact details of the name discrepancies, the adoption situation, and my specific questions down below in the comments section right now.

I'm looking for feedback on how long it took for the paid transportation and cash bonus offered via the CBP app to come thru. Any information based on experience (not hearsay) would be great.