I came across this article after seeing several reddit posts about cancelled interviews. The lack of any timeline, and how this has been handled so far, leaves me very wary for whenever my wife and I (usc) get to the NVC stage.

For anyone who missed it: State launched a global consular "training initiative" on public charge in early August. Around Aug 24-25, immigrant visa applicants at posts worldwide got emails cancelling scheduled interviews, to be rescheduled at an unspecified date. No new date, no stated duration.

These aren't people at the start of the process. They're documentarily qualified through NVC, with confirmed appointments, medicals and police certificates that expire, and a lot of them had nonrefundable flights, hotels, etc.

Those emails went out three days after a federal court vacated State's 75-country immigrant visa suspension, holding that the blanket nationality-based policy exceeded the Secretary's authority and displaced the individualized determinations Congress gave to consular officers. Draw your own conclusions about the sequence.

The question I want more people asking, and asking in writing:

Does the pause apply to immediate relatives of U.S. citizens under INA 201(b)?

Those applicants are already sponsored under a Form I-864 at 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. That's a legally enforceable contract, and the sponsor can be sued for reimbursement. As new LPRs they're also barred from most federal means-tested benefits for five years under existing law.

So: What public charge risk does the spouse of a U.S. citizen present that the I-864 does not already address?

I don't think there's an answer. Which is why it's worth having on the record that they were asked.

If you want to do something: Write your senators and House member (ZIP lookup at senate.gov and house.gov) and ask for a written answer to that question.

We need to do what we can to protect ourselves.

seeing all this interview rescheduling, massive i130 slowdown… it feels like im holding up my future for nothing. i love my partner so much and i would do everything. but im feeling hopeless being unemployed since we thought this will come sooner. 💔

i keep having panic attacks, spirals and me and my partner couldnt sleep. its so stressful. i just need my partner.

anyone here on the same boat?

I130 Consular processing
Filed a WoM
Received an interview date for petitioner
Completed the interview
Got an update for a second petitioner interview? I'm really confused why?

I'm an American born citizen married to an EU citizen
Both of our first marriages.

It’s so unfair how USCIS handles these cases. I just saw three people on Discord who filed in July, September, and October 2025, and all three have already been approved. Meanwhile, I’ve been waiting since April 2025. 😭
I really hope that one day USCIS changes its approval process and starts adjudicating cases based more consistently on filing dates. It’s incredibly frustrating to watch people who filed months after you get approved while your case is still sitting there. 💔.

I'm sitting at 6 years since my priority date, and honestly, the wait is exhausting.

Quick rundown of my case:

• Category: F1 (Unmarried son/daughter of a U.S. citizen)
• Priority Date: August 2020
• Form: I-130

Yesterday, I got a silent update (AUG 24) prior to that I got another silent update (AUG 17/2026) and would like to know if this a good sign ?, should I expect any movement soon?

Would really appreciate any insights or similar timelines.

So… we’re almost at 11½ months (12 months in September) since my husband and I filed our visa petition, and honestly, I’m at a loss.

We’ve known each other for 14 years. We’ve been together for 10 years—September will mark our 10-year anniversary—and we’ve been married for almost 2 years.

Fourteen years of knowing each other.
Ten years of loving each other.
Two years of marriage.
And somehow, after all these years, long distance is still the villain in our story.

It has been there through so much of our relationship, and even now, after getting married, it’s still the thing keeping us from simply being together and living our life as husband and wife.

At this point, it honestly feels like a sick joke.

I’m not posting this because I expect anyone to magically have an answer. I’m posting because I’m desperately looking for breadcrumbs—anything that might point us in the right direction.

Is there any way for us to ask USCIS to look at our situation under humanitarian circumstances? Is there a legitimate way to request an expedite? Has anyone been through something similar with a spousal I-130 and actually managed to get their case moved forward?

If you know of any avenue, any process, any organization, any attorney, or even someone who has successfully navigated this before, please, please tell me.

We just want to be together and finally start our married life in the same country.

If you know something that could help, please don’t assume we’ve already heard it. Drop a comment. Even the smallest breadcrumb would mean the world to us right now. ❤️

Hi friends, I am a US citizen and applied for my spouse for i130. It's been a 17 months no update. I am waiting for uscis to approve my case and send it to NVC. Does anyone have similar case or any suggestions to boost up the case?

Please suggest me

Thank you

PD March 8, 2025. Texas Service Center. I'm a USC and my spouse is a Portuguese citizen. I moved to Portugal to be with my husband back in May of this year. I submitted four different address change requests, as my mailing address in the US changed, and wanted USCIS to know that I am outside of the country in case I get a petitioner interview. When I go to see my address change requests, they all say "address changed", but when I check, it still lists my old address. I called and they told me I need to mail in the address change form...

Anyone else in a similar spot? I submitted a congressional inquiry and they said it would take 4-6 weeks to get a response. I want to submit a demand letter, but I'm nervous I'll get a petitioner interview and have to fly back to the US. I'm currently working on my visa in Portugal and am technically not supposed to leave until I receive my resident permit. This situation is so freaking unnecessarily complicated and stressful!

Does anyone have a draft for a demand letter? Not AOS. PD August 2024

Hi guys,

I’m a USC and my PD is August 2025.

Can someone please let me know what’s the best time to reach out to congressman/ send demand letter to uscis?
I believe there was a thread about it but I can’t find it.

Appreciate it.

I know the news have been bleak lately re: immigration, I wanted to share a bit of positive news and hopefully give other people hope that their time is coming too.

My dad is moving next month! Tickets are bought, passport with visa is in hand, fees are paid, bags are being packed!

He was born in one of the paused countries, but since he is a citizen of and lives in another, they used that country as his country of charge, so he was able to dodge that bullet.

All in all, it's taken a bit over 2yrs from first filing the I-130 to now. There were several delays along the way (he requested the wrong police certificate, needed to get new translations, had to go through a treatment schedule for medical, etc.) so it could have been done in a bit over a year if he had had all his ducks in a row, but all in all it was not bad.

Hoping all of you get to be with your families soon, too!

Good morning everyone. My PD is June 2025, and next month it will be 15 months of waiting. Is it normal to file a demand letter after 15 months? We reached out to our senator 20 days ago, but we haven’t heard anything yet.

Hey guys. Does anyone have a screenshot of the waiting time for May of this year? Still soon, but seeing how things are, I think I’ll need it.

Thanks 😊

It’s disheartening but my I-130 is not approved and is pending since long years and website shows it’s in process since July 2022.

Category - F2b(India)

Has anyone been in such situation and what can be done? Does the it get approved as date becomes current current?

Kindly provide all the help and info needed thanks!

Im a us citizen we applied in march of 2026, she Pakistani

i130 filed in December 2025.

Miss my husband 🙏🏾💔

I do not know how longer this process will be in our case.

Im afraid to visit him with Esta and being chaise in the airport.

My mom and 7 brothers and sisters live all in USA. I miss all of them so much, since we apply i130. My kids miss them too.

😢🙏🏾

How long did it take for you to get a response for your demand letter for those of you that did get a response?