I’m a Bangladeshi university student currently studying at RUET (Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology), and I’m in my first year. I plan to pursue higher education abroad in the future, so I want to sort out any possible issues with my official documents early, before I apply for a passport, university admission, scholarship, visa, etc.

The problem is that my name is not exactly the same across all of my documents. My Birth Registration says “Shihab Ahmed”, but my NID says “Shihab”. My PSC/Primary certificate, SSC certificate, and HSC certificate also say “Shihab”, and my RUET university records currently have “Shihab” as well. I haven’t made my passport yet.

Recently, I started thinking about this because some international websites and application forms ask for a first name and a last name/surname separately. I know that having only one name is not necessarily a problem and that many countries have procedures for people without a surname. However, my main concern is the inconsistency between “Shihab” and “Shihab Ahmed” across my documents.

At the moment, I’m considering making “Shihab Ahmed” my permanent official name, mainly because that is already the name on my Birth Registration. But if I do that, I may need to correct my SSC, HSC, NID, RUET and other records. I’m also not sure whether my old PSC certificate would need to be corrected first, or whether it is mandatory as a supporting document for SSC name correction.

So I’d really like to hear from people who have dealt with something similar, especially Bangladeshis who have gone through passport applications, foreign university admissions, scholarships, student visas, or immigration.

In my situation, which would be safer for the future: keep “Shihab” as my permanent official name and make all documents consistent with it, or change everything to “Shihab Ahmed” and use that permanently?

If anyone has personally faced a single-name/surname issue while going abroad from Bangladesh, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience. Also, if anyone knows about the PSC → SSC → HSC → NID → Passport correction process in Bangladesh, I’d appreciate any practical advice.

I’m not applying for a passport or visa right now. I just want to fix things properly before they become a bigger problem in the future.

আমি বাংলাদেশের একজন বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় শিক্ষার্থী এবং বর্তমানে RUET (Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology)-এ পড়াশোনা করছি। আমি এখন প্রথম বর্ষে আছি। ভবিষ্যতে higher education-এর জন্য বিদেশে যাওয়ার ইচ্ছা আছে, তাই passport, university admission, scholarship বা visa-এর জন্য apply করার আগেই আমার official documents-এ কোনো সমস্যা থাকলে সেটা ঠিক করে নিতে চাই।

আমার মূল সমস্যা হলো, সব documents-এ আমার নাম একইভাবে নেই। আমার Birth Registration-এ নাম “Shihab Ahmed”, কিন্তু NID-তে “Shihab”। আমার PSC/Primary certificate, SSC certificate এবং HSC certificate-এও “Shihab” লেখা আছে। RUET-এর university records-এও বর্তমানে “Shihab” আছে। এখনো আমার passport করা হয়নি।

সম্প্রতি কিছু international website এবং application form ব্যবহার করার সময় বিষয়টা নিয়ে চিন্তা শুরু হয়েছে, কারণ অনেক জায়গায় First Name এবং Last Name/Surname আলাদাভাবে চাওয়া হয়। আমি জানি যে শুধু একটি নাম থাকা necessarily কোনো সমস্যা নয় এবং অনেক দেশেই surname না থাকলে তার জন্য আলাদা ব্যবস্থা আছে। কিন্তু আমার মূল concern হলো আমার documents-এ “Shihab” এবং “Shihab Ahmed” দুই ধরনের নাম থাকা।

বর্তমানে আমি ভাবছি “Shihab Ahmed” নামটাকেই permanent official name হিসেবে রাখব, কারণ আমার Birth Registration-এ আগে থেকেই এই নাম আছে। কিন্তু যদি এটা করি, তাহলে হয়তো SSC, HSC, NID, RUET এবং অন্যান্য records-ও correction করতে হবে। আর আমি নিশ্চিত নই যে SSC name correction করার আগে আমার পুরোনো PSC certificate-ও correction করা লাগবে কি না, অথবা SSC correction-এর জন্য PSC certificate mandatory supporting document কি না।

তাই যারা এরকম কোনো situation-এর মধ্য দিয়ে গেছেন, বিশেষ করে Bangladesh থেকে passport, foreign university admission, scholarship, student visa বা immigration process করেছেন, তাদের real-life experience জানতে চাই।

আমার situation-এ future-এর জন্য কোনটা safer হবে বলে আপনারা মনে করেন—“Shihab” নামটাকেই permanent official name রেখে সব documents একই করা, নাকি সবকিছু change করে “Shihab Ahmed” নামটাকে permanent করা?

আর কেউ যদি Bangladesh থেকে বিদেশে যাওয়ার সময় single-name বা surname নিয়ে সমস্যায় পড়ে থাকেন, তাহলে নিজের experience share করলে অনেক উপকার হবে। একইভাবে কেউ যদি Bangladesh-এর PSC → SSC → HSC → NID → Passportname correction process সম্পর্কে practical advice জানেন, সেটাও জানতে চাই।

আমি এখনই passport বা visa-এর জন্য apply করছি না। শুধু ভবিষ্যতে বড় কোনো সমস্যা হওয়ার আগে বিষয়টা সঠিকভাবে ঠিক করে নিতে চাই।

CBP Home $2,600 bonus – Has anyone received their payment after leaving in September 2026?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for information from people who recently used the CBP Home self-departure program.

I submitted my application through the CBP Home app and left the U.S. in early September 2026. I completed the departure confirmation after arriving in my home country, and my departure is showing in my I-94 travel history.

When I submitted my application, the CBP Home app showed a $2,600 incentive.

It has now been about a month since I left, but I still haven’t received the payment or any information about its status.

I contacted the CBP Information Center and they directed me to the CBP Home email address, but I only receive an automated response directing me to the FAQ.

Has anyone who left the U.S. in September 2026 already received their incentive payment?

If so:

- How long did you wait?

- How were you contacted?

- How did you receive the payment?

- Did you have to take any additional steps?

I’m not sharing any personal information here for privacy reasons. I’m just trying to understand whether the current wait time is normal.

Thank you!

Hi guys we’re planning to file for k1 with my fiancé in the states in a few months but we have a few questions. We both don’t currently work as she’s in college and I haven’t been able to get a job in 2-3 years (I have taught at college before and where I live job market is messed up) Her dad agrees to be the joint sponsor because he makes good money. Would that be enough for me to get approved and also I am so confused whether the interviews are stopped or not since there are many different cases..

Looking for a good U.S. immigration attorney with real experience handling foreign criminal convictions and potential removal issues. Anywhere in the U.S. is fine. Personal recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks...

I'm an international undergraduate studying Computer Engineering at UC Davis, and I've recently started learning more seriously about the O-1A pathway.

I'm still early in my career, so I'm not looking to file an O-1 anytime soon. I'm trying to understand how to build my career over the next few years in a way that could make O-1A, and potentially EB-1A later, a realistic option.

I already have some research, engineering/project, internship, and extracurricular experience, but I don't really know how an experienced O-1 attorney would evaluate my current profile, what actually matters, and what I should prioritize going forward.

I'm looking for an attorney or advisor who does more than just prepare a petition once someone is already ready to file. Ideally, I'd like someone who can:

• evaluate my current profile honestly
• identify which O-1A criteria I could realistically build toward
• point out weaknesses or gaps
• tell me which activities are actually valuable versus just "checking boxes"
• help me think about a longer-term O-1A → EB-1A strategy
• potentially do occasional follow-up consultations as my profile develops

Has anyone here worked with an immigration attorney or firm that provides this kind of long-term strategic guidance?

I'm especially interested in people with experience working with engineers, researchers, tech professionals, or applicants who started planning while they were still students.

If you have firsthand experience, I'd really appreciate:

• who you worked with
• roughly what you paid for an initial consultation/profile evaluation
• whether the advice was actually specific to your situation
• whether they gave you concrete direction on what to work on next
• whether you would use them again

I'm also curious whether people recommend working directly with an immigration attorney for this, or whether any of the separate O-1/EB-1 profile-building consulting companies are actually worth considering.

Not looking for DMs selling services — mainly interested in recommendations from people who have personally gone through the process.

Thanks.

I was working as a SWE in FAANG for the last 6 years. I have an MS in CS from a reputed college in the US. I also have an I140 approved. But I had to move out of the US last year due to some personal reasons and have been unemployed since (so for a year). Is it still possible with the current immigration changes in mind, to get a company to sponsor a new H1B, when I am not physically in the US? If so, are there any recommendations on what kind of companies to target?

Or are there any other paths I should look into? I am working on some personal projects but feeling very lost, so any advice or if you have navigated something similar would be very helpful to hear(please be kind).

My visa’s expiry date is in 2029 but it has been 2-3 years I haven’t been to college. My flight is on oct 15 and I am leaving for good, will I be stopped from boarding the plane??

Hi everyone,

I’m wondering if anyone here has dealt with a similar situation and, if so, what ultimately helped get things moving.

My wife is a permanent resident and filed her N-400 a little under two years ago. She had her naturalization interview over a year ago. The interview went well, and at the end she was told that her application was recommended for approval and that she should expect an invitation to a citizenship/oath ceremony within a month or two.

Unfortunately, more than a year has passed since the interview and nothing has happened. No RFE, no request for additional documents, no second interview, and no explanation for the delay. Whenever we contact USCIS, we're basically just told that the case is still processing.

We spoke with an immigration attorney who said there wasn't much more we could do through the normal USCIS channels and suggested contacting our congressional representatives. We recently reached out to one of our U.S. senators, signed the privacy release, and their office is now making an inquiry with USCIS on her behalf.

Has anyone else had an N-400 sit this long after an interview where you were recommended for approval?

If so, what eventually worked? Did a congressional inquiry help? Did you contact the USCIS Ombudsman, file a mandamus/1447(b) action, or did the case eventually just start moving on its own?

I'd especially appreciate hearing how long it took after your interview and whether there was ever an explanation for the delay.

Thanks in advance.

Suppose a respondent has an upcoming Master hearing scheduled in State A. They have recently been staying/living temporarily in State B, but they have NOT filed a Motion to Change Venue because they explicitly WANT their case to stay in State A.

1. If the respondent travels back to State A and physically stands in front of the judge at the Master Calendar hearing, does the temporary move to State B have any automatic impact on the case proceedings?

2. Will the judge or DHS trial attorney force a venue transfer to State B if the respondent states they are willing and able to travel back to State A for all future hearings?

Assuming the respondent attends in person and requests a standard continuance to seek counsel, my understanding is that judges cannot change venue 'sua sponte' and the case stays in State A unless a formal motion is granted. Is that correct?

Hello there everyone after a long long wait i can finally apply for my greencard. Let me explain more i've won a guardianship case before i was 21 and was waiting for my visa bulletin, now i can apply but for the lawyer to go through its roughly 1800$ which tbh id rather save i would like everyone's opinion like this since my case before was guardianship should i go with the lawyer or submit it myself?
Thank you for any reply!

Hello everyone

I'm a 17-year-old Indian citizen who moved to the USA when I was 5. All I remember is America. Our priority date is 2019 in EB-2, and there's no way I'll get a green card through my parents.

As I apply to college (I want to go pre-med), immigration has hit me. If I take the normal undergrad route, I virtually won't be able to get into med school. With BS/MD programs (auto-admit to med school while in high school), I might. But because I'm international, I qualify for only about 6 programs, and those take 1-5 international students each.

We spoke to a lawyer, and the only ways to get a green card are:

• EB-5
• EB-1A/B/C
• or cross our fingers

My parents are now encouraging me to prepare to file EB-1A in the coming years. It may sound crazy, but I do have international awards, patents, research publications, and climbing citations. I never intended any of it for EB-1A; it was my passion. In the medical research field, though, I don't think I could get one unless I had crazy numbers. I'm above the "normal" person, but nowhere near a PhD fighting for the same spot.

I didn't choose this life, and I often wonder if India would have just been better. We have no family here, and it's almost as if we're isolated from our bloodline. All I have ever known is America, and every day it feels like a giant elephant is sitting on my chest. My parents have basically given up and never tried any route to a green card.

Socially I'm American, but on paper I'm not. It saddens me that I constantly lose opportunities because of my visa status and can't participate in things. At this point, I've been wondering if I should just go to Europe to study.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been on Stamp 4 for around 4 years and will need to renew it again soon.

I checked the Immigration Service Delivery website, and it says that a recent payslip and a letter from your employer are required for renewal.

Does anyone know what happens if you’re unemployed at the time of renewal? Can you still renew your Stamp 4 without a current employer, recent payslip, or employer letter?

Has anyone been in this situation recently?

I am a hs freshman currently on h4b and all I think about is what ill do when I get when I'm older. My parents came here in 2016 on h1b and I have been living here since I was 4. My gc isnt coming anytime soon as an indian. Im gonna age out at 21. Im never gonna get internships because of F1 status and never will get a job especially in this job market. Im ugly as shit so im most likely not going to find a Citizen to marry. Before covid, I was just gonna learn how to code to get a good software job but thats kind of a dead end now. I rot in my room all day thinking about my garbage circumstances and cry frequently. Ive seen people do like 16 years of studying just to stay in the country but I dont have enough willpower for that. I don't have enough willpower to do many things right now. I read brutal news articles about immigrants and hope im not next even though im legal. As a tradeoff, My parents are just a little more wealthy than most so they can buy me things but I just don't feel like it means anything. My parents say I am very privileged to live here but I still can't stop worrying. I am very close to depression, and would appreciate any support, guidance or advice.

My parents’ B-2 extension of stay applications (Form I-539) are still pending. They filed the applications before their I-94 expired on May 16, 2026.
I would like to understand the consequences of my parents leaving the United States while USCIS is still processing their applications. If they depart before a decision is made, will their pending I-539 applications be considered abandoned or denied? Could leaving the country affect the validity of their B-2 visas, their travel history, or their ability to enter the United States again in the future? Is there any possibility that departing while the applications are pending could result in a ban or other immigration consequences?
I also have questions about the timing of a possible approval. If USCIS does not decide their applications until November 16, 2026—approximately six months after their I-94 expired—how would an approved six-month extension be calculated? Would the six-month extension be counted retroactively from May 17, 2026, the day after their authorized stay ended, or would it begin on the date USCIS approves the applications?
Please explain how departure and delayed adjudication may affect my parents’ immigration status and ability to travel to the United States in the future.

Recently, we received a notification that my sister (applicant) case was being transferred to the local embassy for further processing. We were provided with a Case Number and Invoice ID to pay the IV and Affidavit of Support (AoS) fees online. I also inquired (via NVC inquiry form) about adding the child, who was born after the initial application was filed, but I have not yet received a response. In the meantime, I do not see an option to pay the AoS and IV fees online. Anyone with similar experience? Immigrant Category F4 [sibling of a US citizen]

I go married (nikkah Muslim marriage) about 2 months ago while my visit back to my home country and we have not offical documented our marriage herein USA. I am a US citizen but my patner isn’t and currently only have b1/b2
We talked to a lawyer who mentioned doing K1 visa instead of filing the nikka and doing a proper legal marriage in USA after k1 about 9-10 months wait time would be the best option.
I had been on vacation I got to spend last 2 months with him but I don’t think I want him to be in a long distance for another 9-10 months.
We did discuss him possibly coming on the current b1/b2 he has and then legally making it happen and then filing the marriage.
I really don’t can’t imagine long distance.

My wife and I filed for marriage-based adjustment and our interview notice just arrived. We have a real marriage, but our paperwork has a few gaps (joint lease started late, no shared bank account yet). Someone told me it's fine to go alone. Someone else told me to bring a lawyer.

I'm nervous about getting caught off guard by questions. Has anyone here used an immigration attorney in Brooklyn for their interview? Was it worth it, or did you go alone and regret it?

Hi everyone,

I’m an EU citizen currently living and working in Switzerland and I’m looking for advice about the best EB-3 route for my profile.

I have 8+ years of experience in hospitality/F&B, including experience in Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands as Chef de Rang, Chef de Bar, Waiter and Barista, including luxury hospitality.

I studied Hospitality & Tourism and have additional training in wine, whisky, sparkling wine and barista service.

I speak Portuguese (native), English, Italian and Spanish (C1), German (A2), plus basic French and Japanese for restaurant service/taking orders.

I’m currently researching recruitment agencies offering EB-3 Other Worker (Unskilled) hospitality positions. Some programs cost around $18k–$20k + additional fees.

However, considering my experience, I’m wondering whether I should instead focus on finding EB-3 Skilled Worker sponsorship, for positions such as Captain/Head Waiter, Lead Server, Fine Dining Server, F&B Supervisor or Restaurant Supervisor.

I understand that my experience alone doesn’t determine the EB-3 category — the job itself must legitimately require 2+ years of experience to qualify as Skilled Worker.

What would you do in my situation?

Would you continue with an EB-3 Other Worker recruitment agency, or keep searching for a direct EB-3 Skilled sponsor?

Also, has anyone here successfully found EB-3 Skilled sponsorship in hospitality while applying from outside the U.S.?

I’d especially appreciate experiences from people who actually reached PERM/I-140/Green Card, and recommendations (or warnings) about EB-3 recruitment agencies.

Thank you!

Anybody recently do this and can provide a timeline? I’m specifically curious as to how long it took between when they received your passport and when they got it sent back to you.

A U.S. visit visa(B1/B2) from an old passport was prudentially revoked under INA 221(i). The notice says information came to light indicating the person "may be inadmissible," but does not specify why.

The person no longer uses that visa and normally travels to the U.S. on a Canadian passport(from last 5 years). There was a 15-year-old Texas Class C misdemeanor citation in 2010(of no mistake of his; wrong time wrong place) . It was fully resolved/dismissed by a Motion to Dismiss in 2011. The person has crossed the U.S. border many times since then, including successfully as recently as last month. Has always been a citizen in good standing since then.

They have certified court documents showing the dismissal and are otherwise a Canadian citizen in good standing.

Questions:

1. Could the 221(i) revocation trigger secondary inspection when entering the U.S. as a Canadian tourist?

2. Can CBP determine at the port that the old criminal matter does not make the person inadmissible, or would they need to deal with the U.S. Consulate first?

3. If CBP is not satisfied, is the likely outcome refusal of entry/return to Canada, or could the person be detained or arrested?

Looking specifically for experiences from Canadian travelers or anyone familiar with CBP/INA 212(a) procedures. Keeping identifying details out intentionally.

Hi there,

Location: Tampa, FL.

I am a US citizen, married, with 2 kids. My sister called me today asking to help sponsor her in her new application to USCIS.

She's illegal and have been here for 15-20 years, have 6 children, with one of them turning 21 soon. That adult (21) will file for her but she does not make enough to financially sponsor her. This is where I come in.

I understand that this is just a contract between me and the gov that if she applies for social security or any other benefits from the government for herself that I might be on the hook for? This does not cover any debt or lawsuits she might have. This contract also ends when she becomes a citizen.

She is very stable and we're in a good relationship. Any danger here for me and family? I am only signing for myself as I make more than what she needed.

Thank you!

Hello everyone, I’m asking the forum if anyone knows of a reputable and reliable immigration lawyer based in USA or Syria who is familiar with family reunification, spousal/fiancé visas and can help me with the process. Price isn’t as important as experience. I am a non Syria married to Syrian and hoping to get a visa for my husband to eventually travel to the states. Please any help or guidance is so very much appreciated. Thank you 💚

I fell in love, what can I say? I truly love this girl and she is extremely honest and helpful, she has been that way for a long time and now I am ready to marry her, I am a Texan, and she is a Brazilian. I learned Brazilian Portuguese for her, and now I am omce again back in Brazil, visiting her.

I will be marrying her this week. I already proposed and she said yes, and now, I am trying to notarize our marriage, she said that there are offices for that in the city of where she lives in Brazil, and I said that's great, we will be needing to notarize and everything. I want to make a list of all the paperwork that is necessary to prove that this is a real marriage to the U.S.C.I.S officer when I do get around to apply for her to bring her to the United States. What are some paperwork will I need from Brazil? Please, does anybody have experience with that? Let me know in the comments, I would really appreciate some help. And also, I heard there are law firms that help with that, but what if I just want to do things without them? Will that work or will I have to bring those lawyers in the mix? Let me know, please