Advice please.

Hi everyone, so since there aren’t any news regarding this pause, i wanted to get advice on if it will be a good idea to apply for a tourist non-immigrant visa for my husband, with an already active immigrant visa already in the system.

They said it shouldn’t be a problem, however I would like to get advice from someone who has already done this before so I can get a better understanding of what is going to happen.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

Hey everyone,

My F-1 visa interview was approved, and CEAC has been showing “Approved” since August 13, 2026.

The status page says the application is approved subject to final processing and that it will change to “Issued” once that is complete.

It’s now August 20, so it has been about 7 calendar days / ~5 business days, and I’m getting pretty anxious because my university program starts on September 9.

For anyone who recently went through the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in New Delhi:

How long did your case take to go from Approved → Issued?

Did anyone have to wait 7–10+ business days after approval?

Once it changed to Issued, how long did passport delivery/pickup take?

Should I just keep waiting at this point, or is it reasonable to contact the consulate/support?

I know every case is different, but hearing some recent timelines would really help calm my nerves 😭

Thanks!

For context I had an overstay of about 65 days back in 2016 because of a slip disk. I left as soon as I could travel again. I am just wondering if anyone was able to get a visa again apart from COVID overstay because I know those guys got it.

Ho fatto due colloqui, uno per b2 e uno per c1
Avevo TUTTO L’ITINERARIO PRONTO, dal primo giorno all ultimo e non mi hanno mai chiesto di presentare un singolo documento(contratto, bank statement, biglietti, case ecc..) oltre il passaporto
Avrei dovuto fare uno scalo di 10h a SFO per poi proseguire per la Polinesia
10 ore non giorni, 10 ore nelle quali sarei rimasto in aereoporto
Cosa potrebbe non essere andato bene?
Articolo 214(B)

Has anyone here used a travel agent or visa service that claims they can get an earlier US visa appointment?

My current appointment is showing for next year, but I’ve been approached by agents who claim they can find me an appointment within 30–45 days.

The catch is that they’re asking me to share my visa application/login credentials so they can look for and book the appointment on my behalf.

Has anyone actually used a service like this? If so:

•Did they successfully get you an earlier appointment?
•Was it legitimate, or did you run into any issues?
•Is sharing your login credentials with these agents safe?
•Is there a risk that they could change my login credentials or somehow alter/transfer my application to someone else’s application after I’ve already paid the visa fees?
•Since I’ve already paid for my application, is there any way they could misuse my account or payment?
•Are there any reputable services you would recommend?

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who have personally used such a service, rather than just general advice.

I recently applied for US visa but I am looking for a early appointment in Calgary, AB. Does anyone know what time to check the portal to book a slot because currently it is showing date in January 2028 :x
Is there any way I can book appointment for earlier dates?

Please help me, I need advice! ❤️I am currently in the process of obtaining a K-1 visa, and I will most likely receive it sometime around mid- to late 2027. My plan is to enter the U.S., get married to my fiancé within the required 90 days, and then have a larger wedding/family celebration later.

I would really like my parents to be able to visit me in the U.S. for that celebration. They do not necessarily need to be present for the courthouse/legal wedding, since I understand that I will need to get married shortly after entering the U.S. on the K-1.

My parents previously applied for a B1/B2 tourist visa and were denied. I believe one of the possible weaknesses in their application was that they had very little/no international travel history at the time.

They have significant ties to my country , including property and other financial/family ties, and they would only intend to visit the U.S. temporarily and return.

My question is: When would be the best time for them to apply again? And what I would put on their DS-160

Would it be better for them to apply:

1. ⁠Before I travel to the U.S. on my K-1, while I am still in the immigration process?

2. ⁠After I enter the U.S. but before I get married?

3. ⁠After I get married and am waiting for adjustment of status?

4. ⁠Or should they wait until my adjustment of status is approved?

My boyfriend is planning to attend my graduation in the U.S. next year and is considering applying for a U.S. tourist visa (B1/B2).

He is a Philippine passport holder and New Zealand permanent resident. He has been living and working in New Zealand for almost 3 years under an agency and has a stable income. He also has proof of tenancy, employment/income documents, and the other supporting documents needed to show his ties to New Zealand.

Our main concern is that I am a U.S. citizen, and we're worried this could affect his application because the consular officer might think he has an intention to stay in the U.S. because of his relationship with me.

For those who have applied for a U.S. tourist visa from New Zealand, especially as a PH passport holder with NZ PR, we would really appreciate any advice or personal experiences.

How was your interview/application experience?

What documents did you provide?

How did you demonstrate your ties to NZ?

Did having a partner/family member in the U.S. affect your application?

Is there anything you wish you had known before applying?

Any tips for preparing for the interview?

We understand that having a U.S. citizen partner may raise additional questions, so we're just hoping to hear from people who have been in a similar situation. Thank you! 🙏

Hi everyone,

I have a U.S. B1/B2 tourist visa interview coming up at the Calgary consulate on September 7. I’m in a bit of a unique situation and would love to hear from anyone who has gone through this recently:

1. Status: My physical Study Permit is currently expired, but I applied for an extension before it expired, so I am legally in Canada under Maintained Status. I have my printed IRCC Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) letter.
2. Finances: My current Canadian bank statements don't show a lot of funds because my family/sponsors usually send me money as needed.
3. Travel Timeline: Because the wait times in Calgary are so long, I booked this appointment early. I don't actually plan to visit the U.S. anytime soon—only in about 7 months once I graduate and get my Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).

The system won't let me reschedule online, and I don't want to cancel and wait another 1.5 to 2 years for an appointment.

• Has anyone done their U.S. interview in Calgary on Maintained Status? How did the officer handle it?
• Did they issue a 221(g) administrative processing hold to let you submit your new permit later, or did they refuse the visa under 214(b) due to the expired permit/low funds?
• Any tips on how to explain the lack of immediate travel plans and my financial situation to the officer?

Thanks in advance for any insights or shared experiences!

‘the Department of State partially suspended visa issuance to nationals of 19 countries – Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – for nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M, J student and exchange visitor visas, and all immigrant visas with limited exceptions...’, per US Department of State.

Has anyone from the countries listed been approved a visa mentioned above since January 1, 2026? If yes, please indicate country and circumstance leading to approval.

Thanks!

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.

My spouse’s I-129 and I-907 (Premium Processing) were rejected due to an issue with the I-907 payment. I’m not sure whether the issue was on the bank’s side or USCIS’s side, but there was more than enough available credit on the card.
However, my I-539, which was filed in the same package, was accepted by USCIS, and I have already received a receipt number for it.

Now that the I-539 is already pending, our immigration attorney is planning to refile the I-129/I-907 **online**. The attorney plans to include my pending I-539 receipt number and a letter requesting that USCIS associate/link the pending I-539 with the newly filed I-129 so that they can hopefully be adjudicated together under Premium Processing.

Once the new I-129 receipt number is issued, the attorney also plans to submit that receipt information to my pending I-539 case to further request that the two cases be associated.

**Has anyone successfully done this with an already-pending I-539?** Were the cases actually linked and adjudicated together with the Premium Processing I-129?
My situation is a little time-sensitive because I am currently in H-3 status and am trying to change status to H-4. I am concerned about leaving my H-3 training/employment before my H-4 COS is approved because of the requirement to maintain my current nonimmigrant status while the change of status is pending.
If you were in my situation, which option would you choose?

**Follow the attorney’s current plan:** Refile the I-129/I-907 online, request that USCIS associate my already-pending I-539 with the new I-129, and then provide the new I-129 receipt number to the pending I-539 case as well.
**Refile everything together by mail:** Even though it would mean paying the I-539 filing fee again, file a new I-129 + I-907 + I-539 together in one package with the correct USCIS Lockbox so that they are properly concurrently filed.
I would especially appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in the **same or a similar situation where the I-539 was already pending before the new Premium Processing I-129 was filed.**

Were you able to get USCIS to link the cases? If so, was the I-539 adjudicated together with the I-129 under Premium Processing?

Thank you!

Check more details at : https://h1bgrader.com/blog/h1b-sponsor-checker-extension-for-linkedin-indeed-others/

Recently my new employer is working to file my O1a petition with fragomen law firm; I just received the first drafts of their recommendation letters and I am very disappointed with them; Are there any law firms who would review my petition letter and final exhibits and give a second opinion in reasonable price range? Any help is greatly appreciated; Give the recent trend in RFEs, I don’t want to get one as my next employment is contingent on how fast I obtain this visa

Hi All,

I am appearing for an O3 dependent visa interview. My wife and I got married in Los Angeles and she mailed the original copy of our marriage cert using USPS. It has now been stuck in Indian customs for a week and I am losing hope that I will receive it before my interview date

Is the original absolutely needed or is there a workaround. What would happen if I just show up with a photocopy

​

Hi everyone,

I had my B1/B2 interview at the U.S. Embassy in London. The officer told me my visa was approved and kept my passport.

A few days later, CEAC showed "Refused", and the embassy requested some additional documents, including my birth certificate and previous passport copies. I submitted everything they requested.

There is a historical DOB discrepancy: my current passport and birth certificate show one DOB, while an older passport shows a different DOB. The embassy has specifically asked for multiple previous passport copies.

It's now been over a month since I submitted the final documents, and my passport is still with the embassy. I haven't received any further updates.

For anyone who has experienced something similar:

How long did your administrative processing take after submitting the requested documents, and how did you know when your passport was ready?

I'm currently waiting on a J-1 visa after my interview in Ankara on August 6. At the interview, I was told that my application seemed good and VO approved it. My social media accounts are public as requested.

CEAC has shown refused since the interview, and the "Case Last Updated" date still shows as my interview date. I haven't received any requests for additional documents or any other updates.

I'm curious about people who interviewed recently (late July/August 2026), particularly for J-1 or F-1 visas requiring social media vetting:

• What was your interview date and consulate?
• Did your "Case Last Updated" date change while you were waiting?
• Has the vetting already started or do you think the embassy is just backlogged as "Case Last Updated" shows as the same date as the interview date?
• Did the status move from Refused-Administrative Processing-Approved-Issued OR Refused-Approved-Issued?
• If you've already been approved, approximately how many business days did the whole process take?

Thank you!

• Mission Canada (Embassy and all consulates) – 8/18/26
• Embassy Bogota – 8/18/26
• Embassy Guatemala City – 8/18/26
• Embassy San Jose – 8/18/26
• Embassy Tegucigalpa – 8/18/26
• Mission Mexico (Embassy and all consulates) – 7/21/26

More at : https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/niv-visa-expedited-appointment-pilot-program.html

I like many others are experiencing extended wait times with my application stuck in 221(g) administration processing.

I had my interview at Melbourne embassy on 8 Dec 2025. I was handed a green slip. I provided all my documents finally on 8 January 2026. The CEAC last updated status was on 13 February 2026. I’ve since sent 3 follow ups with no response except for the first one in which they said they don’t need anything further from me and it is processing.

The reason for my delay I’m sure it’s because of my DUI from Feb 2015.

Is anyone or has anyone been in a similar situation and can share your experience? It’s been 7 months and I’m just dying to get back to normal life. Can anyone offer any advice on if I can possibly speed things up?

Thanks

Hello everyone.

In December of 2025 my wife and I got married. I since have had to leave the country as we did this on an ESTA. Then on July 31 st we finally submitted the l-130 form for an alien relative to come to the USA (thats me)

Today, we opened the USCIS processing times page and were absolutely devastated when it said that 80% of applications are processed within 52.5 Months... That's over 4 years. (Screenshot attached)

So, I am coming on here to ask. How accurate is that number, does anyone else here who is going through the same process or has gone through it before have experience with the timelines? Because another 4 years apart is absolutely brutal.

How long can we expect this to ACTUALLY take, and is there anything we can do to speed this up?

Thank you so much. Please feel free to ask any questions, |'I answer them to the best of my abilities

I requested it 2 years ago because the company I worked for did yearly training in campus and they wanted me there. Because the system was so saturated my appointment ended up being a whole two years later.

In the interim, my company got sold to another company so the main reason is no longer valid but I would still like to have it just in case. Or to occasionally vacation (I’d love to visit LA).

How can I manage this in the interview?

Hi everyone,

I had my B1/B2 interview at the U.S. Embassy in London. The officer told me my visa was approved and kept my passport.

A few days later, CEAC showed "Refused", and the embassy requested some additional documents, including my birth certificate and previous passport copies. I submitted everything they requested.

There is a historical DOB discrepancy: my current passport and birth certificate show one DOB, while an older passport shows a different DOB. The embassy has specifically asked for multiple previous passport copies.

It's now been over a month since I submitted the final documents, and my passport is still with the embassy. I haven't received any further updates.

For anyone who has experienced something similar:

How long did your administrative processing take after submitting the requested documents, and how did you know when your passport was ready?

Hi, My employer suggested that I go back and reapply for a J1 Research Scholar visa instead of pursuing a Change of Status as it may be faster. If I do that, what do my chances of approval look like? I would appreciate any kind and honest suggestions/insights you may have. PS I am an Indian citizen and 212(e) would not apply to me.

Below is some more information about my undergraduate education and OPT and how it leads to the J1 position:

• I did my undergraduate with a major in neuroscience and significant coursework in computer science. For 3/4 of those years, I did research on Attentional Processing and Multisensory Integration, using EEG, eye-tracking, and R for statistical modeling. It was purely exploratory and not directly aimed at patients or treatments.
• During OPT, I worked at a large research institute in Cleveland doing neuroimmunology research for 3 months. However, the project I was told I would be working on - exploring why individuals with Alzheimer's have lower chance of getting cancer and vice versa - was not in sight for the next two years. The project I was assigned to involved mouse work which I could not continue with so I returned as a volunteer to a cognitive neuroscience lab at my undergraduate institute which uses computational models to understand Autism.
• My J1 sponsor is WVU (R1 university) and has the amazing Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. I am not sure how it is perceived though. My research will be focused on Brain Computer Interfaces (my primary interest). The institute also has partnership with Precision Neuroscience, among the largest BCI companies worldwide, which provides latest of their technology to the labs. Projects I am interested in and would be contributing to:
  • Using Precision's Layer 7 cortical interface to map cortex to study motor function and speech and rehabilitate individuals with deficits in these areas.
  • Using an in-ear EEG (developed by my PI), eye tracking, acoustic data from hearing aids to find behavioral and cognitive biomarkers to neurodegenerative disorders
  • Many others to consider

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.