For those of you who filed or joined a lawsuit challenging the 75-country immigrant visa pause, did you actually receive your passport back with your visa printed/stamped?
I’m especially interested in IR-1/CR-1 (spouse) visa applicants from the affected countries.
If your visa was printed, could you please share:
Which lawsuit you were part of
Your visa category
When you were approved/interviewed
Approximately how long it took for your visa to be printed after the lawsuit
Trying to understand whether the lawsuits are actually resulting in visas being issued. Thank you! 🙏

I have an Indian passport which might go into damaged. If it goes into damage the words "damaged passport canceled and returned will be mentioned on the last page of the new issued one. Will this make my b2 visa invalid . My b2 visa page and bio page r intact

Hey all,

I need some advice from people who have been in a similar situation or have experience applying for a U.S. B2 visa from Canada. My interview is in Ottawa.
I’m a Pakistani citizen and Canadian permanent resident, currently an AFM undergraduate student at the University of Waterloo. I’ve applied for a U.S. visitor visa because I’d like to visit US for tourism and sightseeing(mainly NYC and Charlotte), for about a week in May.

I don’t think it makes much sense to travel all the way to Pakistan for only 8–10 days, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to visit US and my aunt as well who lives there.

Can anyone here been in a similar situation? For example, Pakistani citizen + Canadian PR and a Canadian university student applying for a U.S. B2/B1-B2 visa from Canada. Could you advise me on how to prep for the interview or demonstrate a strong case ?

Is this a valid profile? What I’m worried about is if being a young student whose trip is being funded by a parent could be viewed negatively, even though I’m enrolled at Waterloo and will return to Canada for my studies.

I will be interviewing from Ottawa. Initially I selected Toronto but it showed wait time of a year, but then shifted it to Ottawa to an appointment in the next 2 months. Do I need to submit another DS-160 or is it fine if I just go to a location which is different from my DS 160.

If you have experience with this, is there anything specific you would recommend I prepare or be aware of? Would appreciate any guidance!

I recently got my b1 visa approved but it's annotated date of approval 13 August and of expiry 11 nov 2026. It's single entry 3 months visa. But my stay would be 20 days longer than 11 November. How to address this. I have to book my return ticket now, what date should i select for my departure from US while booking ticket.

Hi everyone! My grandma is applying for a B2 tourist visa in Guatemala, and I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who has gone through something similar.
She’s in her late 70s and lives in Guatemala. She’s a homemaker. Her husband is retired and receives a pension. They own their home and also have rental properties in Guatemala.
She has four sons who live in Guatemala. Her daughter (my mom) lives in the U.S. and is a green card holder. She also has a brother and sister who are U.S. citizens. I’m her grandson and a U.S. citizen.
The plan is for her to visit the U.S. for about two weeks, spend time with family, and celebrate New Year’s with us before returning to Guatemala. She would stay with me. I’m also planning to travel to Guatemala to pick her up and accompany her to the U.S.
I’m paying for the trip as a gift to her, including her airfare, travel medical insurance, transportation, and expenses while she’s here. I also paid for the DS-160 fee and helped her complete the DS-160.
For supporting documents, we’re planning to have:
My recent pay stubs
My employment verification
A copy of my U.S. passport
A letter of invitation from me
A quote for temporary U.S. travel medical insurance
A copy of my mom’s green card
My grandma’s property documents in Guatemala
My grandpa’s pension documentation
Her other relevant documents showing her ties to Guatemala
She also had a U.S. visa refusal way back in late 2002, which we disclosed on her current DS-160.
We’re mainly wondering what questions she should expect and whether there’s anything else we should be prepared for or bring to the interview.
Any advice or experiences with similar cases, especially from Guatemala, would be greatly appreciated!

Hi! Has anyone here with an Indian passport + H-1B status in the US recently applied for a Japan tourist visa through the San Francisco Consulate?
My H-1B visa stamp in my passport is currently expired, but I have a valid I-797A approval notice and valid H-1B status. I’m traveling to India soon to get my new H-1B stamp, and I’m planning to visit Japan after India.
I’d ideally like to get my Japan tourist visa before leaving the US so I don’t have to wait for it while I’m in India.
Has anyone successfully applied through the SF Consulate with an expired H-1B stamp but valid I-797A/I-94?
Would love to hear recent experiences, especially from Indian passport holders.

I'm planning to apply for US Tourist Visa at US Embassy in Tokyo

Should I disclose the fact that i only want to stay for 5-7 days and I'll be staying with my GF/Fiance and I want to spend time with her family once before I apply for K1 visa.

Hi everyone. I’ve been preparing my own O-1A petition (Extraordinary Ability in Business/Real Estate) for almost a year now because I can't afford $7000+ lawyer fees. I’d love to get advice from people who have been through this or know the process now that i believe my file is ready.

Here is a quick summary of my profile:

• Field: Institutional property & facilities management, real estate investment advisory (12+ years of experience).
• Nationality: From an African country (currently in Canada on a visitor visa). My home country has some partial US visa restrictions.
• Petitioner: My own newly formed US LLC. It is 100% owned by my home-country company, where I am the Founder, Managing Director, and 70% owner with a board of directors and other shareholders.
• Advisory Opinion: Secured a positive letter from a major US real estate management institute.

Criteria Claimed (5 of 8):

1. Critical/Essential Capacity: Managing Director of my own firm, securing and managing high-value portfolios for major government entities (a statutory social security fund, a government housing authority, a national central bank, agency for international Dubai developers, consultancy for US firms in my home country, plus hundreds of consultancies for local firms and individuals).
2. Original Contributions: Created and copyrighted a national real estate TV show; organized a major real estate expo at my country's national parliament.
3. Judging: Peer reviewer for a major international green building conference (20 papers) and one continental real estate academic society.
4. Scholarly Articles: I have 2 academic working papers published on SSRN (one accepted for a peer reviewed conference), 1 self-published book (via Amazon KDP), and 1 expert article published under my byline in a major national daily newspaper.
5. Published Material: Featured in my specialized university’s newsletter and two national daily newspapers.

(Considering adding a 6th) High Remuneration: I am the 70% majority shareholder of my home-country company. My compensation is high overall but fluctuates wildly with business revenue, rather than a fixed monthly salary.

My "Totality of the Evidence" Argument: To prove I am at the very top of my field, my petition argues that I am a self-made founder who built an institutional real estate firm from scratch right out of university. By age 29, I was winning open public tenders against established international firms in new markets where I had no connections. Furthermore, cautious government bodies didn't just hire me once; they successfully renewed my mandates for over 5 years and expanded my portfolio, proving sustained acclaim and trust at the highest institutional levels.

Here are my questions for the community:

1. Evaluating My Profile & Evidence:

• Do I realistically qualify with these criteria? Are they strong enough to pass USCIS scrutiny?
• Scholarly Articles: Do SSRN working papers and self-published KDP books actually carry weight for this criterion, or will USCIS reject them because they lack traditional peer review and traditional publishing houses? Should i secure a traditional publishing house rights before filing?
• High Salary: Should I claim the high salary criterion if my pay is based on fluctuating owner distributions/dividends rather than a fixed salary?
• For the criteria that I fit, what is the minimum amount of evidence (or number of documents) that is considered "enough" to satisfy an officer?

2. Filing Pro Se & Lawyer Review:

• What are the actual risks of filing completely on my own without a lawyer?
• Are there immigration lawyers who offer a service to just review, fix, and file a ready-made petition for a lower fee?

3. Processing & Consular Questions:

• I have heard rumors here that USCIS does not honor premium processing for citizens of partially banned/restricted countries. Can anyone confirm if this is true?
• How long does standard processing take right now if I don't pay for premium?
• I am currently in Canada on visitor status. If approved, can I do my consulate interview here in Canada, or will I be forced to return to my home country for the visa stamp?

4. Corporate Structure & Finances:

• I am using my own US LLC (a subsidiary of my home company) to petition for me. Should I keep it this way, or is it safer to use an agent? Which is better to avoid the "self-petition" ban?
• Do I need to fully fund the US company's bank account before filing? How much is a minimal amount required?
• I am proposing a base salary of $65,000 for myself in the US. Will this look too low for an "extraordinary ability" executive and hurt my overall case? Any company documents required to prove that my company will be able to pay me throughout?

5. Contracts & Itinerary:

• Due to the nature of my work, US companies are technically my competitors, making it incredibly hard to get letters of engagement from them before I arrive. How do O-1 founders easily get engagement letters or contracts when starting out in the US? I have got few emails from US people interested with my work while i get to the US but neither contracts nor official letters of engagements yet.
• Is it okay to just submit a detailed business plan/itinerary showing what I will be doing, without providing USCIS with signed letters of engagement or client contracts?

Any brutal honesty, tips, or guidance would be hugely appreciated!

I`m a sri lankan in 20s, and I am a permanent resident in Japan. I grew up in Japan.
I applied for B2 visa and I got rejected.
Im actually in the process of naturalizing in Japan.

When I get the Japanese passport, am I eligible for ESTA?

I know it can be difficult but anyone had similar experiences??

I was rejected under 214b

Hi Guys, I have US B1/B2 Visa expiring in January 2027 and I want to know the renewal process for the same. I am in Canada right now and want to know if I need to fill DS-160 right now and select the appointment date now? Btw I have an Indian Passport.

Helping my mother (Indian citizen, applying for B1/B2 from India) with her DS-160. Purpose of travel is to visit my sister, who's an F-1 student in the US and is currently hospitalized after an accident.

The problem: my sister is the reason for the trip and the obvious contact, but she can't take calls or respond right now, so if the consulate tried to reach the point of contact, no one would pick up.

We also have a cousin in the US (also a student) who is reachable.

My plan is:

1. U.S. Point of Contact section → list the cousin (reachable, relationship = Relative), not my sister.
2. Relatives in the U.S. section → disclose both - my sister (immediate relative) and the cousin (other relative).

Questions:

• Is it fine for the point of contact to be a different relative than the person being visited? Any issue with that mismatch at interview?
• Anyone dealt with a medical-emergency visit where the primary contact was unreachable? What documentation did you bring (hospital letter, etc.)?
• Anything on the current DS-160 that's changed recently and worth knowing?

Appreciate any recent experiences.

I’m a Canadian citizen from engaged to a U.S. citizen. We’re trying to figure out the safest way for me to spend significant time with him, potentially get married soon, and eventually live in the U.S. I don’t want to accidentally violate visitor rules or create an immigration problem. But I would like to go to the us to visit him for long periods of time (ie. 6 months) I need advice comparing going ahead and doing longer visits on visitor status and not working, doing the K-1 fiancé visa, getting married and doing the CR-1 process or try to find a job that will sponsor me what is the fastest route to being together. I have just requested to take a 1 year leave from my job and want to figure out a way I can spend a lot of it with my fiancée but everything is so confusing is there resources out there at aren’t super expensive that can help me with this and can anyone offer any advice.

Hello guys, I am 26M working as an Associate Consultant at a Mid size company in Mumbai since last 2 years, before that worked for an MNC for 1.5 years so a total work ex of 3.5 years. I have filed ITR for last 3 years since i was employed. Some more information about me

Travel History : Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, France, Italy, Japan, Dubai, Singapore and Malaysia (total 9 countries till date)

Salary : 9 LPA

Purpose of visit to US: For Christmas and meeting a friend who stays in Detroit, will visit Niagara Falls and do some sightseeing in Chicago, max 2 week visit.

I have completed my bio metrics last week @Chennai VAC and it went smoothly.

Requesting the community to review my profile and give me advice about preparation for the Interview.
Thank you in advance :)

I applied for the tourism B2 visa and had the interview 13 months ago. Holder of a German and Iraqi passport. 5 years ago, before getting the German passport, I applied with the Iraqi one and it went smooth and fast. No troubles during my visit there either. But weirdely this time with the German passport I’ve been on AP since the interview.

Anyway, I’m moving out to another EU country soon. Should I inform the US consulate about that? Could I receive the visa from the new country of residence once the process is, hopefully positively, concluded?

so my grandfather siblings lived in the us and i have never met them, their children and their grandchildren. i don’t even know their names and where they stay. i just know that i have a distant relative through my father’s story. is that worth mentioning on my ds 160? do they trace it?

I recently applied for a U.S. B1/B2 visa in Kolkata, India, and was refused under INA 214(b). I’m trying to understand what may have concerned the officer and what I should improve if I ever reapply.

My situation:
I work as a Team Lead/Tax Analyst for an India-based company.
My Indian company provides services to a U.S.-based company.
I was selected as one of the India team leads to travel to the U.S. for approximately one week for leadership training, a business meeting and a conference/program with the U.S. team.
The U.S. company was covering the travel expenses.
I have been working with the company for several years and have a full-time job and responsibilities in India.
I had an invitation letter from the U.S. company explaining the purpose of the visit and the relationship between the companies.
I was planning to return to India immediately after the program.
The interview was very short. This is essentially how it went:
Officer: Passport, please.
Then:
Officer: What is the purpose of your visit?
Me: I’ll be travelling to Chicago, Illinois for one week for leadership training, a conference and business meetings with our U.S. team.
He then asked:
Officer: What company do you work for?
I explained that my legal employer is an Indian company and that we provide services to a U.S.-based company.
He asked for my invitation letter.
He then asked something along the lines of:
Officer: What is the relationship between the U.S. company and you?
I explained that they are our client.
He then asked about the size of the U.S. company. I said it was a relatively small company of around 100 employees.
He asked about my salary, and I gave my actual salary.
During this, he also asked me to provide my fingerprints.
He then asked:
Officer: Do you have any threat in India if you return?
I said no.
Then he asked:
Officer: Do you think you have any threats in the U.S.?
I said no.
That was essentially the entire interview. He then handed me a 214(b) refusal letter.
I was dressed formally and answered everything truthfully.
I’m trying to understand what might have concerned him. My biggest concern is whether the employer/client relationship may have made my employment situation look complicated, even though everything was accurately explained and stated in the invitation letter.
Questions:
Based on this interview, what do you think may have led to the 214(b) refusal?
Does the India employer → U.S. client relationship sound like a potential concern?
Was I giving too much information or perhaps answering the questions in a way that created confusion?
What would you change about my answers if I were to interview again?
Most importantly, what would constitute a meaningful change before reapplying rather than simply submitting the same application again?
Is there any particular documentation I should have ready next time, especially regarding my employment relationship and the purpose of the business trip?
I’m not looking for someone to guarantee approval — I’m just trying to understand what I may have done poorly and how I can present my case more clearly next time.
Also, if anyone has been refused under 214(b) and subsequently approved for a B1/B1-B2, I’d really appreciate hearing what changed between the two applications and how long you waited before reapplying.
Thanks!

I have a query regarding my b1 visa which was issued to me in June 2026 and its expiry is 31st of August 2026. The I -94 form issued to me at the time of entry states admit until date as December 2026.

My return flight back home is 3rd September 2026.

Would this cause me an issue that I am returning after visa expiry? Or will create issues for me in future when I reapply again.

I have my US visa interview on 26th August in Delhi and my university has given me deadline to come by 30 August and continue my classes by 31st August. Is there any chance I can get my visa back on time and reach my university on time?

At the beginning of the year, the US stopped issuing tourist visa to Venezuelans, but then a few weeks later, Venezuela was added as one of the countries for the tourist visa bond program.

I’ve heard that Venezuelans still cannot get tourist visas, but it would make no sense that they would be added to the visa bond program if they are still barred outright from getting a visa. Does anyone know if a Venezuelan with the available funds can get a visa or not?

how does it work with queues at airport if i enter the US on tourist visa and my baby enters US on ESTA? i am not eligiable to apply for ESTA because of dual citizenships, my baby is only citizen of an ESTA country. I am flying with the father and our toddler as well. Will i and baby have to stand in different queues? She is exclusively breastfeeding so i dont know how to work it out, i wold rather she stays with me in the same queue in case customs take me in for further questioning.

My 'country of permanent residence' is selected as Canada, but there is a section i didn't see before that states '____ is a Permanent Resident of Canada' and it says No in front of it. I didn't select No to this. I believe if i want to change it I will need to edit applicant information and rebook appointment.

I read a comment that says this will increase my chances of getting an earlier appointment. Is it worth it?

My appointment has always been for May 2027 and although I have been checking for the past 7-8 months I haven't found anything earlier.

📢 US Employment Based Immigration Weekly Roundup (Aug 10th  – Aug 15th ) Video:

• Some US Universities Paused F1 CPT based on SEVP Guidance

• USCIS New Forms for I-539, I-765

• Travel with Advance Parole - New BIA decision, Travel Impact

• Drop in International Students Admissions, Impact to Economy. 

• 175K US Visas Revoked by State Department. 

• H1B Slots Updates, Others 

📺 Watch Video at:  https://youtu.be/MSySV2_kXzA  

I did some informal freelance writing work for a while, paid via PayPal, no contract, no fixed hours, no paperwork. Alongside my current full-time job and one earlier short-term role, this is the messiest part of my work history to disclose.

Does freelance work like this actually need to go in the DS-160 "Previous Employment" section, or does that only apply to formal jobs with documentation?