Hi everyone,
I'm looking for advice on my immigration options and would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience with a similar situation.
I lived in the US for 10 years, studied there, and earned a degree from an American college. My husband is a US citizen, and our two children (ages 6 and 9) are also US citizens.
We moved to Germany together, but our relationship broke down. My husband eventually returned to the US with our children. We had started the marriage-based Green Card process for me, and I still have my case number and the relevant correspondence.
I recently received a notice indicating that my case may be terminated due to inactivity, with a deadline around August 2027.
After a very difficult period with my mental health, I am now more stable and want to focus on finding a lawful way to return to the US and be close to my children.
The main problem is that my husband is not willing to reliably cooperate with the immigration process, including the sponsorship requirements. I do not want to depend entirely on his willingness to help.
My questions are:
• Is there a way to keep my existing case active or continue processing it without my husband's cooperation?
• Could a joint sponsor help if my husband refuses to provide the required financial sponsorship documents?
• Are there any independent immigration options I should explore, given my US degree and previous 10 years living in the US?
• What should I do immediately to avoid losing the existing case?
• Would an immigration attorney be able to assess whether my current case can be preserved and whether any alternative route is realistic?
My children are my main reason for wanting to return. I want to understand my legal options and take the right steps before my existing case is terminated.
We married in 2018. I do have a lawyer but I am not too satisfied with her. She basically told me there will be no way to move of the husband doesn’t sponsor me. There must be something else. Right?

Thank you so much for any advice or resources.

Location: Texas . So me and my wife got married around a year ago and I am an undocumented immigrant and started my immigration status change shortly after it’s been around 2 months since I’ve gotten my fingerprints & photos taken and I will be under a 2 year temporary green card. So my question is if me and and my wife divorce anywhere in those two years how would that affect my green card & would I still be able to apply for residency regardless ? Extra info: I came to the United States at 2 years old with a visa and overstayed the “visit” with a I-94 as well it’s been around 4 months since the process started. Any advice ?

I am on a J1 visa in nyc for another year and a half and my boyfriend would like to move here with me but we are not sure whether he will actually get hired on a J2 visa and not having a master from here (but from a good program in Europe). Will he actually be able to find a job or is that highly unlikely and not worth it to get married?

Hi everyone, Has anyone successfully switched from a UK fiancé visa to a Skilled Worker visa while still in the UK, without getting married first? I’ve received a job offer from a licensed sponsor and am currently going through the Skilled Worker visa application process. I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been in a similar situation. Were you able to switch successfully, and did you encounter any issues with UKVI? Thanks in advance!

Spent mid-July to mid-September 2026 in the US (mainly Ohio, but also spent few days in California, NY, and Maryland). My friends are planning to go to Guam for 3-4 days in March 2027. Is it a red flag if I return that soon? I’ll just be in Guam on those days, spend time at the beach, etc. I’m on multiple entry b1/b2 visa.

TIA!

I was born a U.S. citizen and I sent in an I-130 to allow my wife to migrate to the USA (consular processing.) I moved abroad to be with her; however, I kept my U.S. mailing address. I was told by USCIS that it is "strongly encouraged" that I change my physical address, but it is not necessary. I only need to keep my mailing address current, but my spouse should keep her address permanent.

Since there is no option to change physical address and mailing address separately, I elected not to do it. The country I am living in has no door-to-door mail services at any rate, I would need to use a post box if I want to get mail here which is not allowed in USCIS forms. Now I'm told that I need to change my physical address within 30 days.

What should I do? How do I go about changing the physical address without changing the mailing address? The online tool only has one option for both, and I cannot receive mail in this country. Since I missed the 30 day timeline, will this affect my I-130?

Hi, I need help on ways I can use to go back to the US. A bit of background.; we came to the US when I was a minor with my parents on a grencard.I had even schooled a bit there. That was 2002 but after 1 year we left (still a minor) returned to country of origin. We didn't get to be citizens but I got a social security number but obviously greencard expired since it's been a long time. I am currently 30 years. Anyway I can manage to go back ?

All help would be appreciated. Thank you

Hi all, I want to be upfront so I get the best advice.
Me (29M):
- Chilean citizen, living and working in Canada
- I've traveled to and through the US many times without issues.

What happened: At the start of October I tried to enter the US with an ESTA that had expired 6 days earlier. I had already submitted a new application, but it was still processing. I was asked to withdraw my application for admission because I didn't have valid documents. The new ESTA was approved 7 days later.

The issue: On that new ESTA I answered "No" to the question about travel to Cuba. I did go to Cuba, but in 2018, so I'm not ineligible (the cutoff is January 12, 2021). The form asks about travel since 2011, so "Yes" was the correct answer.

My trip: Canada to Chile with a connection in the US, going through preclearance at YUL.

My options:
A) Travel on the approved ESTA, and be honest if asked about the Cuba trip and the withdrawal.
B) File a new ESTA answering "Yes" to the Cuba question and to the question about a withdrawn application for admission.
C) Avoid the US entirely.

Has anyone been through something similar? Is it better to correct it, or to leave the approved one and explain at preclearance?

Hi everyone. I’m Colombian, and I’m looking for advice from people who have been through something similar or have knowledge of family law and immigration law in California.
My husband and I got married in North Carolina, and we moved to San Francisco on August 20, 2026. I taught Spanish in North Carolina for about five years, and I also have a master’s degree in TESOL. Unfortunately, I currently cannot work because my marriage-based green card process is still pending, which has left me financially dependent on my husband.
Our marriage has reached a very difficult point, and my husband wants to end the relationship. He has also transferred money out of our joint account, leaving me extremely worried about my financial situation and how I’m going to support myself.
Things have become even more stressful because he is telling me to leave our apartment, but he refuses to pay for another place for me to live. At the same time, he has threatened to end my green card process.
I’m feeling trapped because I don’t have an independent income right now, I’m still waiting for my immigration process to move forward, and I don’t know what my legal rights are in this situation.
I have a few questions:
Immigration: If my husband withdraws his support for my marriage-based green card application, what options might I have? Could this affect my ability to remain in the United States?
Housing and abandonment: If I leave our apartment because he is pressuring me to leave, could he later accuse me of abandoning the marital home? Could leaving affect my rights in a divorce or legal separation?
Financial support: Given that I currently cannot work and have been financially dependent on him, could I qualify for temporary spousal support in California?
Legal representation: I’m worried about the cost of hiring both a family law attorney and an immigration attorney. Are there affordable legal aid organizations or attorneys in the San Francisco Bay Area who could help someone in my situation?
I’m not looking to attack my husband or start a fight. I genuinely need to understand my rights and protect myself before making decisions that could have serious consequences for my future.
If anyone has experienced something similar, navigated a marriage-based immigration process during a separation, or knows reliable legal resources in California, I would be incredibly grateful for your advice.
Thank you for reading.

Hey! Disclaimer: if I ask it is not because I want someone else to choose for me. I want to see other options which I didn't think about first. And also, because maybe you have another point of view or experience in a country that could be relevant.

I was living in Canada the last three year and I have found community and friends there, but due to immigration issue, I had to leave.

I'm now back to Europe, and I'm a dual citizen (UK/France) I don't want to stay in France and decided to move to England but... I don't feel at home and I terribly miss my life Montréal.

I'm looking for a place to live, I'm 33y (F) and I can do another working holiday visa in Australia or Argentina, or I can stay in Europe... Maybe other country but with a permit or visa?

I want to find a place I can call home and settle on a long term. This is why I'm asking the question.

For my background:
-I'm a skater (longboard, cruiser, and also roller, inline and quad...) I love sport (surf, snowboard, hike, slacklime, climbing) I love being part of community.

- I have a big interest in craft, art and being part or sustainable project. I would love to find a job in a eco-friendly place.

- I have cat (yeah i know, Australia is a no go with a cat) he is Canadian but currently in France with my parents and he has all his paper ready for traveling.

- I have a master in digital design and an MBA in marketing. I speak French, English and I am ready to learn a new one.

The country I am interested is:

-Portugal: already been there and i love the place but i know working there is not easy and there's a big housing crisis. And i don't speak portuguese yet.

- spain : same as portugal

-Germany: the sustainability mindset seems strong and community of skater are dynamic. But i don't speak german

-Australia: Melbourne seems to have some similarities with Montreal but I know that my two biggest issue will be my cat and the difficulty to obtain a PR after a whv.

Do you have other country in mind?

Hello everyone,

My H-1B was approved last year, and my employer is now initiating my PERM process.
While reviewing the resume I had submitted to my immigration attorney for my H-1B, I found a few unintentional mistakes:

1. One of my previous internships was listed as “Present” instead of its actual end date.

2. For one of my previous employers, I mentioned my designation as “Executive Engineer,” whereas my official appointment and relieving letters mention “Sales Engineer.”

I’ve corrected these discrepancies in the updated resume I submitted to my immigration attorney for the PERM process to ensure the details match my official employment records.
Also, while preparing my PERM resume, I refined and reworded the descriptions of my previous job responsibilities to make them more concise and relevant. As a result, the descriptions are worded differently from those in my earlier H-1B resume.
I’m not sure whether my original H-1B resume was actually submitted to USCIS or was only used by my immigration attorney.

My main concern is whether USCIS compares the resumes submitted during H-1B and PERM/I-140 processing. Could these differences raise questions, trigger an RFE, or create any issues with my already-approved H-1B or future immigration applications?

Has anyone experienced a similar situation? I’d really appreciate any insights or personal experiences.
Thank you!

my brother applied for asylum in Germany this year, I want to study in Germany or another Schengen country. Will I automatically be refused a student visa because of my brother’s asylum case? Some people told me not to even bother applying. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

Currently applying for physician J1 waiver through SCRC for 2027. Had perfect immigration record and never had any violations except one thing. I came to US on b1/b2 in 2020 for observerships and step 3 and got stuck due to covid and there were no flights back so had to apply for extension of i94 before authorized period was over. I found a flight in 2 weeks since my original 180 days of stay was over and my application was pending and i took that flight and left US before any decision on my extension application.

My question is that will those 2 weeks affect my J1 waiver application at DOS or USCIS level? It was not unauthorized period as i applied for extension. And i came twice after that on b1/b2 visa and never had issue and even didnt have issue while applying J1 visa.

Has anyone been in this similar situation? Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

Hello everyone,

this post is about a question for one of my friend who was previously put with thief charges. They are an immigrant in NY, America, their green card was going through renewal during their pending case. It was on pending for a several months and was recently approved, the criminal case has not ended yet, and my friend is worried about getting deported. Does the approved green card mean anything, or there’s still chance for them to get deported?

Hi community,

Colombia-based USC here. My wife and stepson went for their tourist visa interview last July (a time of heightened diplomatic tensions between Colombia and the US). My wife had a valid tourist visa at the time.

She studied an LLM in the US and has had a successful career in the judicial system in Colombia, however, at the time of the interview she was unemployed and pregnant with our (now 13 month old) USC baby. We were legally married for only 5 months at that time.

We now own a home and a car here, she is still not yet stably employed, I am, however, employed here.

She was denied on the basis of not demonstrating her non-immigrant intent, despite being very clear that none of us have any desire to live in the US, our only intention was, and remains, to visit my family in Massachusetts and her aunt in Illinois.

She and my stepson have now reapplied. We are also seeking an emergency expedited interview on the basis of my stepfather's complex cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Do you have any advice for my wife going into this eventual interview? Beyond having copies of bank statements, property records, my employment records, etc. (all of which she had with her last time and they had no interest in reviewing).

Thanks in advance!

Hi, i want to know if we can change locations of the consulate, if we are called to be appointed a US immigration interview.
Has anyone done the interview? If so, from where and what do they ask?

I’m hoping immigration attorneys or anyone with experience in INA §245(i) cases can help clarify my wife’s eligibility.
My immigration timeline:
1996: Entered the United States without inspection (EWI) at age 12. Have remained in the U.S. continuously.
1997: My U.S. citizen uncle filed an F4 I-130 petition for my father. I was included as a minor derivative beneficiary.
2010: My parents received their green cards through that petition. I had aged out but understand that I remained grandfathered under INA §245(i).
Before August 2015: Married my wife, who also entered the United States without inspection.
August 3, 2015: My U.S. citizen mother filed an F3 I-130 petition for me as her married son. I was already married when the petition was filed, and my marital status was disclosed.
December 2015: My F3 I-130 petition was approved.
October 2026: My F3 priority date is current for adjustment filing, and I’m preparing to file Form I-485 under INA §245(i).
My main question:
Since I am grandfathered under INA §245(i) through the 1997 petition, can my wife, whom I married before my mother filed my F3 petition in 2015, adjust status alongside me as my F3 derivative beneficiary under INA §245(i), even though she entered the United States without inspection and is not independently grandfathered?
From the online research I’ve done, it appears that she may qualify to adjust status along with me as the spouse of a grandfathered beneficiary. However, I want to make absolutely sure I’m interpreting the law correctly before we file our applications.
I’d especially appreciate input from immigration attorneys or anyone who has handled a similar case, preferably with references to USCIS regulations or actual case experience.

Thank you!

I'm currently in the process with Shamayev Business Law for an O-1A petition and wanted to check experiences before I sign anything.

A few things I'm unsure about:

1. Fees: I was quoted a base package (around $11k for O-1A), but then government filing fees and some additional fees were added on top. I had assumed the package price would be all-inclusive. Has anyone had extra fees pop up mid-case with SBL? (11K + 5000 + Govt. filing fees)
2. Criteria: They assessed me as meeting 4 criteria, but honestly the criteria feel weak to me based on my own profile. Is it common for firms to be optimistic at the assessment stage, or should I treat their read as genuine if it was strategiese by the attorney himself?
3. Deadline pressure: They're offering free expedited case prep if I start quick. Does that sound like a real deadline or a sales tactic?
4. General experience: If you've worked with SBL, how was it overall? Communication, transparency on fees, petition quality, and what happens if the case is denied (refund or refile policy)?

Any experiences, positive or negative, would really help. Thanks!

Is it acceptable to be visit home country on L1 visa for 45 days? I had to visit for stamping but had to stay back a couple weeks extra due to personal reasons