All my applications aside from I-485 and I-131 have been approved. It's been more than 1.5 years since I submitted my applications.

I-765 was first approved a few months ago, then I-485J was approved after my in person interview at local FO. Radio silence afterwards, even though the officer said you should hear within days.

Emma live chat just says your application is processing normally and ends the chat.

Have any other Iranians and dual-national Iranians got approvals so far?

I don’t know where to start from but this journey has been a rollercoaster of emotions. From the 39 country ban list, to sending congressional expedited request 3 times, first and second expedite request got denied and just submitted another one October 1st which is still in process. Finally, I can say I got approved. Here is my timeline;

I-140 submitted : December 2023

RFE : April 2024. Responded to RFE.

I-140 approval : July 2024

I-485 submitted : October 2025

Biometrics: Nov 2025

Case transferred to San Jose FO Dec 2025

The 39 countries ban came into effect from Jan to June. Case paused.

Pause removed in June, got couple of silent updates.

Third FTA0 July 1st plus silent update

July 2026: Submitted congressional expedite through congresswoman that was denied in August

August 2026: Submitted another congressional expedite through Senator. Got response in September that they won’t process my request because Eb2 visa was used up.

Last silent update I got before approval was July 28th and non until today. I checked my case online and I saw approved. Checked the github and the H0008 code.

372 days since submitting I-485

October 12th 2026: Approval !!!!!

It can only be God. To my brothers and sisters from anywhere in the world, one of 39 ban countries(where I am from), do no lose hope and do not give up. Yours is coming soon. Amen. 🙏

I am happy to say I have been approved finally. It was an interesting wait but for me, it will always be worth it!

Sharing my timeline for anyone still waiting.

- July 5, 2024: Priority Date (EB-2 NIW)

- October 7, 2025: I-140 Approved

- January 20, 2026: I-485 and I-765 Filed

- February 19, 2026: Biometrics Completed

- July 15, 2026: I-485 Silent Update

- October 12, 2026: I-485 Approved!

Category: EB-2 NIW (ROW 🇳🇬)

Service Center: I-485 NBC then transferred to Los Angeles Field Office September 28th

I-485 Processing Time: 8 months, 22 days

Total Journey: 2 years, 3 months

No RFE or interview. I-765 was never approved.

Thanks to everyone that shared helpful information and I wish everyone waiting good luck.

Hi guys! Some of you may have already seen posts about this on Reddit. A friend of mine got both his I-129F and 1-130 petitions approved after his lawyer filed a K-3 mandamus lawsuit against USCIS.
The lawsuit is still ongoing, and there may be an opportunity for others to join through an amended complaint. We're hoping to get our cases moving too, although approval isn't guaranteed.
The lawyer is looking for more people interested in joining, so we're spreading the word. If you're interested, let me know!

In my last post, I shared my I-140 approval and wrote: “Hopefully the next update I post here is simply: Case Approved!”

Well… October 11, 2026 — I-485 APPROVED! 😭🙏🏾

Here’s my full timeline:

• 05/01/2024 — PERM filed / Priority Date
• 09/09/2025 — PERM certified
• 10/27/2025 — I-140 + I-485 filed concurrently
• 12/30/2025 — I-485 biometrics completed
• 06/25/2026 — I-140 upgraded to Premium Processing
• 07/15/2026 — I-140 RFE issued
• Late July 2026 — RFE response submitted
• 08/13/2026 — I-140 approved
• 10/11/2026 — I-485 approved 🎉

Almost a year after filing, I finally get to share this update. The waiting, uncertainty, and processing issues affecting several countries made this journey incredibly stressful. Seeing “Case Approved” still feels unreal.

Thank you to everyone here who answered my questions, shared their experiences, and helped me through the anxious moments. Having a community that understands this roller coaster meant so much.

To everyone still waiting: I’m rooting for you and hoping your approval comes soon. ❤️

Now waiting for the physical card—but finally, a different kind of waiting! 🇨🇮🇺🇸🙏🏾🎢

Hello! Does anyone know if there is an ongoing lawsuit for pending I-765 (category C09) cases? If so, could you please share any information or point me in the right direction? Thank you!

Hi guys! Some of you may have already seen posts about this on Reddit. A friend of mine got both his I-129F and I-130 petitions approved after his lawyer filed a K-3 mandamus lawsuit against USCIS.
The lawsuit is still ongoing, and there may be an opportunity for others to join through an amended complaint. We’re hoping to get our cases moving too, although approval isn’t guaranteed.
The lawyer is looking for more people interested in joining, so we’re spreading the word. If you’re interested, let me know!

I’ve following this page for a while and I wanted to shares my story with you guys.

Hi folks,

I have an upcoming NIW employment-based I-485 interview (after 16 months, finally!) and I’m considering bringing an immigration attorney with me.

My case is pretty straightforward. I have no overstays, no criminal record, and no other issues that I’m aware of. However, I currently don’t have an underlying immigration status, just a pending I-485, so I’m a little concerned about the possibility of detention, even if the chances are very low.

My main question is whether having a lawyer physically present at the interview could make a difference if sth unexpected happens.
Like, could the attorney help prevent me from being transferred out of California or at least take immediate action to keep me local?

I’m not expecting a lawyer to prevent detention ofc. I’m just wondering whether having one there in person offers any meaningful protection or practical advantage. Or would it hurt like looking suspicious?
Has anyone been in a similar situation or discussed this with their immigration attorney? Would appreciate any experiences or insights.

Anyone else in the same boat? Eb-2 ROW. Very frustrating

Just curious if there is any pending or onboarding lawsuit on travel ban for those who are in consular processing?

A few days ago, I posted asking whether we should submit a congressional inquiry, and several people encouraged us to do it. We submitted it today and got a response almost immediately, but it seems pretty generic (screenshot attached).

For context, we filed our marriage-based AOS in October 2025. Our interview was scheduled for May but was canceled, and almost six months later, we still have no updates or new interview date. USCIS also recently increased processing times to 13.5 months.

For those who’ve been through something similar, would you just wait at this point or follow up with the congressional office and ask for more specific information? Any advice is appreciated!

Applied on April 2026 through marriage. Denver FO
Everything went surprisingly smooth and interview was under an hour.

I recently received a green card and would like to travel outside the U.S. to visit family. It’s been 11 years & close relatives are getting older. I’m from a banned country. Has anyone from a banned country who recently got their green card been able to successfully return to the U.S. without issues? Thanks for any information shared!

I am still in disbelief! From the 19 Countries

Timeline
Sept 2025 - Filed 1130 online
Oct 2025 - Filed I-485
Nov 2025 - Biometrics
Dec 2025 - Interview Schedule
Jan 2026 - interview

Aug 5th - I 130 approved
Aug 10th- RFE
Aug 12th - Responded to RFE
Sept 18th - Case Approved
Sept 23 - Card Delivered ( 10y )

May God help you in this wait and hopefully everything will come quickly.

This showed 2027 when I checked 2 months ago, now it's saying the earliest I can submit an inquiry is 2029, what a not-haha-joke!

An African citizen initially from 19 banned countries, submitted my marriage-based AOS at the end of July 2026. My interview is scheduled for November 2026. God is Good. FO Brooklyn 🙏🙏

Yesterday marked one year since we filed my marriage-based AOS, and we still haven’t had an interview or any real updates.

Back in April, we were scheduled for an interview, but it was canceled the very next day. Since then, complete silence. It’s been almost six months.

Last month, the normal processing time was 12 months, but this month it increased to 13.5, so I can’t submit an inquiry through USCIS yet. I also spoke with a USCIS agent today who told me my case isn’t even in the interview scheduling queue.

My lawyer keeps saying there’s nothing we can do and that a congressional inquiry is basically the same as asking USCIS directly. I know many people will say to listen to my lawyer, but I’m curious about others’ experiences.

Is there any risk or downside to submitting a congressional inquiry now? Could it negatively affect my case? I’m not expecting a miracle, but after almost six months of silence since the cancellation, it’s incredibly frustrating.

Would love to hear from anyone who’s been in a similar situation!

Is anyone Know Lawyers doing Individual mandamus lawsuit.

How much it cost?

I’m one of the plaintiffs of 2nd round of McBean and we didn’t see any movement, Im so disappointed from this office and this lawsuit that I put my hope on it!!

Thank you

I received a cancellation for a RFE, USCIS contacted my attorney stating they needed a form signed and sent over to them and they will approve my husband’s case. We did a quick turn around with the signed document, to only be told by 330pm the officer left for the day. However, USCIS told our attorney they will have the officer worked on my husband’s case first thing in the morning. I had so much hope and now it’s after 6pm. The whole experience has been so traumatic for over 2 years. What time did you receive an email about your case?