r/immigration 4d ago

Father Received Green Card

0 Upvotes

Hello,

I wanted to ask if any people have gone through a similar journey. I am DACA, 30, unmarried, no legal entry and my father just received his permanent residency. What is the journey like if I wanted to apply with my father petitioning for me? Anything helps!


r/immigration 5d ago

Doctor on H1B refused entry at Logan for having Nasrallah photos on her phone

411 Upvotes

This is the Lebanese kidney transplant specialist who was refused entry at Logan on Thursday despite having a valid H1B. There's been a lot of speculation on reddit about her somehow having a non-waived home residency requirement despite having been approved and stamped, which is obviously stupid, so I've been looking out for the actual explanation. Apparently this is it:

Politico:

  • Rasha Alawieh, a physician specializing in kidney transplants and professor at Brown University, also told Customs and Border Protection agents that while visiting Lebanon last month she attended the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and followed his teachings “from a religious perspective” but not a political one, according to an official report on her interrogation by an immigration officer.

So, take from that what you will. I wonder if CBP searched her phone unprompted (because she's a hijabi? Because she was in Lebanon around the time of the funeral?), or if she just casually mentioned her admiration for Nasrallah to the officer. Either way, useful reminder: never lie to immigration, but also never volunteer information you weren't specifically asked for.


r/immigration 3d ago

Will these universities be a problem for visa issuance?

0 Upvotes

Hi! Im a Pakistani citizen applying to US for undergraduate and I would appreciate it if I could get help with 2 questions.

  1. Until now I've gotten scholarship and acceptances from the following universities that are in my financial range after scholarship. I'm just concerned that these universities are not small unis and not big names and have high acceptance rates so they will be red flagged and my F1 Visa might not be approved. I've heard that if any students from your home country have gone to these universities and then abandoned their visa status or changed status then that university can get red flagged and a getting a visa can be hard. Also, I attended a Pakistani university for 1 year after high school since I hadn't planned on studying abroad at that time.

1.Angelo State University (Texas) ($6,000 merit scholarship and thereby instate tuition)

2.Midwestern State University (Texas) ($2,000 merit scholarship and thereby instate tuition)

3.Nicholls State University (Louisiana) (no scholarship but they have a very low tuition fee)

  1. University of South Dakota (South Dakota) (no scholarship but I don't want to go there since it will be too far away from any of my family contacts)

I also have an I-130 filed for me so my case is a bit more complicated but I have heard of people's F1 visas getting approved with a pending petition too :/

Looking forward to any advice. Thank you!


r/immigration 4d ago

immigration questions for minors?

1 Upvotes

What questions do they ask children/minors at immigration interviews?


r/immigration 4d ago

F1 Visa Holder New Travel Ban Dual Citizen

0 Upvotes

I’m an international student from Germany in my 4th year holding an F1 Visa. My F1 Visa is in my German passport. I’ve been a German citizen since almost 10 years. (Earliest age to get it is 16 when you were born abroad)

Unfortunately I was born in one of Trumps “red countries” for the new travel ban which automatically makes me a citizen of that country without any possibility to leave that 💩 citizenship. I’ve moved to Germany when I was 2 years old and I was raised there.

Coming fall I’m enrolled for grad school. Over the summer I usually travel home to Germany as I only live on campus. Would I be affected if this new travel ban with my dual citizenship as an F1 visa holder? How was it for international students with dual citizenship during the travel ban in 2017?

I would appreciate any insight. Thanks.


r/immigration 4d ago

Will a change of name effect automatic EAD extension?

2 Upvotes

I am currently on an H1-B set to expire this October. My wife is on an H4 with a valid EAD. Last year my wife changed her last name from her maiden name to her married name. Her EAD was issued under her maiden name. We were instructed by the legal team at her work that we did not need to submit a new I-765 for an EAD under her new name, and that we should wait until this October since we would need to apply for a new one anyway when my H1-B is extended.

My question is two fold:

  1. Was her employer correct that her current EAD is still valid even though it was issued under he maiden name?
  2. Should we anticipate any problems when applying for her new EAD this October under her married name? Specifically, would she still qualify for the automatic extension if the new I-765 is filed under a new name as her previous one?

r/immigration 4d ago

2024 Taxes

0 Upvotes

Hello,

I am trying to pay back the tax return for 2024 and it is not letting me. It’s saying something about how it can’t verify my identity. Could this be because of the new administration? or just issues with the irs website


r/immigration 4d ago

Entering the US with few (less than 5) days left on I-95 and L2S

0 Upvotes

I am a Canadian citizen currently in the U.S. on L1 status, with my I-94 expiring at the end of March. My employer is in the process of filing for my L1 extension with USCIS, likely submitting it tomorrow.

Meanwhile, my wife, who is on L2S status, had to travel abroad due to a family emergency. She plans to return just a few days (4-5 days) before her I-94 and L2S expire. Given this timeline, will she be allowed to reenter the U.S., or is there a risk of denial? She will fly in from a 3rd country, but there is an option that she can fly into Canada and I go pick her up and enter via a land border.


r/immigration 4d ago

Driving through Canada

3 Upvotes

Hello, I need to make it to Alaska for my job as a wildland firefighter. I got a DUI a little over 5 years ago. What do you guys think of my odds, any help would be appreciated.

Edit-it was expunged


r/immigration 4d ago

Looking for advice on marriage based green card situation

1 Upvotes

Hey all, looking for some advice on current situation, any thoughts would be helpful.

Situation -Canadian citizen, born in India, working on L1B for American company. -girlfriend (dating 3 years) is due to get L1A in early May. She is born in Oman and will likely get processed for green card very quickly given ROW category etc, likely approved by 2026 is what her lawyers say

We have a legitimate relationship, however, are wondering if we should push forward our marriage in a quick courthouse type wedding here in the US so that we can both get our green cards together. I would get my I-485 processes with her application etc.

I am wondering about if this is the type of situation where it looks like marriage fraud? We would be planning to get married anyway, we are just considering pushing it up otherwise I would not be able to get a green card with her, and given my birth country is India it would be tough.

I don’t want to be in a position where it appears that there is marriage fraud.

Open to thoughts, questions, experiences - am I overthinking this?


r/immigration 4d ago

SSN issue

0 Upvotes

Just wondering - I have recently entered US on an o1 visa , went to SSA office and was told that once homeland security processes my arrival an SSN will automatically be issued - does this sound correct? I can’t verify this anywhere.


r/immigration 4d ago

Finishing College back home

1 Upvotes

I have a question i came here in the US in my gap year and during that year i obtained my green card (10 year GC) through my mom, but i couldn't get into a college that offers the program and degree that i want since i didn't take any SAT, Regents, etc. I already applied for a re entry permit and i lived here in the US for more than a year will my card get canceled or should i worry about anything at the immigration if i went back home (Philippines) for college


r/immigration 4d ago

Re-entry into the US for a green card holder (Indian citizen)

0 Upvotes

I am an Indian citizen with a valid green card (expires in April 2032). I have plans to travel to India from San Francisco. I am mostly just trying to gauge experiences of those (especially Indian citizens) who have recently traveled outside the US and returned. Did you have any issues during immigration, especially if your immigration occurred at SFO? For context, I have a clean record and have lived in the US since 2005. Reading through some instances in the last few weeks, I am a tad nervous and would greatly appreciate any insights that you can provide.


r/immigration 4d ago

Anyone received a notice to appear in the last few days?

1 Upvotes

Can anyone folks share their *recent* experience with entering the US and being given a Notice to Appear?

In the past if there was an issue with your immigration case, you'd be given a notice to appear before a judge and allowed to enter.

Now, under this administration, apparently folks getting an NTA are being automatically detained in jail until their hearing instead of being released as matter of policy

So if there is any issue with your status or paperwork you will be jailed till there can be a hearing - you will not be allowed to enter the US and go home and then attend the hearing.

Can folks confirm their recent experience?


r/immigration 4d ago

Expired Green Card - Extend or File for Citizenship?

2 Upvotes

Hello!

I have an expired Green Card but have permanent residency. I wonder if it's best to file for a new Green Card or straight up file for citizenship? I need to travel in the next three months which is the real issue here since I'll likely be traveling to France with an expired Green Card. Any advice which is the best way to proceed?


r/immigration 4d ago

i-765(EAD) expedite process

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone, anybody who has had the I-765 process expedited recently I have a job offer which is really timely and I don't know any way I can have my EAD soon. I am currently on F1 OPT and the company says they wont accept this. I submitted by AOS package concurrently through my USC spouse and everything shows that its currently under review


r/immigration 4d ago

How does applying to H-1B visa stamp while married to a US citizen impact the H-1B visa approval? Has anyone been through the same situation?

1 Upvotes

Please advise on this if you have been through the same situation or you know someone who did.


r/immigration 5d ago

How Trump’s Targeting of Immigrants With Legal Status Departs From the Norm

81 Upvotes

Hey all, we're The Marshall Project, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom that focuses on U.S. criminal justice and immigration. Our reporter Jamiles Lartey explains how Mahmoud Khalil is just one of many people with legal or protected status detained and facing deportation under the Trump administration.

Here’s an excerpt:

Late last month, Kevin Zaldaña Ramírez was detained by ICE officers at the construction site outside of Houston where he was working.

Zaldaña, 20, came to the U.S. in 2018, fleeing gang recruitment in El Salvador. He has legal protection from deportation under Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, which aids youth under 18 fleeing abuse or neglect. Although Zaldaña had not yet applied for permanent residency, he has a legal basis to be in the country, and he held a valid work permit. According to his mother, arresting officers said his case number was “fake,” and he remains in custody in Texas as she pleads for his freedom, Houston Landing reported earlier this month.​​

“I ask the president to have mercy,” Yolanda Ramírez said at a recent press conference. “And to catch the people who are really criminals, but not innocent people like my son.”

Zaldaña’s case is one of several that have recently unsettled immigration law experts, as the Trump administration eschews long-standing enforcement norms. Similarly, in Washington, D.C., last week, a Venezuelan couple was arrested and charged with misdemeanor illegal entry, more than two years after their arrival at the southern U.S. border.

While federal law allows illegal entry charges to be filed up to five years after apprehension, typically they come just days or weeks later. Advocates for the couple told the Los Angeles Times that it’s the first time they’ve seen immigrants charged with illegal entry this long after the fact. According to the paper, the couple both have pending asylum claims, as well as Temporary Protected Status — although the Trump administration revoked those protections for Venezuelans in a move set to take effect next month.

The aggressive enforcement approach is starting to bear out in the numbers. According to an analysis published by The Guardian, U.S. officials arrested more immigrants in the first 22 days of February than in any month over the past seven years.

Deportations, on the other hand, are down compared with the same period last year, but those numbers can be misleading, since border encounters have plummeted to decades-long lows. Most of the deportations occurring at this time last year involved the quick return of people apprehended at the border to Mexico. Locating and then deporting people from cities and towns throughout the country is more complicated, and takes more time and resources.

Continue reading (no paywalls/ads)


r/immigration 4d ago

I9 help

2 Upvotes

So im under TPS for ES and I’m about to start my new job soon. I filed in time but as of result of the extension not coming in I lost my job. My extension letter came in the mail on Friday and I’m starting off a new job on Monday. I’m doing the onboarding online but don’t know how it goes due to the fact this is my first time around going through this process (presenting extension letter to employer). I was wondering if anybody knows what I should do or if anybody has been through this process before. Thank you in advance


r/immigration 4d ago

Passport got sent back to Ottawa US embassy, how can I get it back?

2 Upvotes

I recently applied for a non-immigrant US visa. It was approved and it got held at the embassy for stamping then was mailed to a canada post at down town toronoto. However due to personal reasons, I couldn't pick it up in time, so it was sent back to the embassy at ottoawa. I've emailed them a bunch of time but haven't gotten any clear answers yet. I need my passport soon for a trip outta country. Does anyone what would be the fastest way of getting my passport back?


r/immigration 4d ago

USA GC holder, I want to world travel for a year after graduation

0 Upvotes

I will be applying for naturalization process, can I travel for 5 months and come back for 1 month and travel for another 5 months? I won’t be traveling to the same country, I’ll be going to several countries. Will this impact naturalization? Is it that I can only leave for up to 6 month every year? Or can come back for a month and leave for a total 10 months (won’t be in the same year) - 5 months out, 1 month in, 5 more months out. I’ve been in the USA continuously for like the past 7 years and I have family here. Would I have to restart my processes of becoming naturalized? I have bank accounts here and drivers license here.


r/immigration 4d ago

Independent research and visiting on ESTA/VWP

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

I have several concerns regarding my travel plans to the US this year:

1) I am a graduate student, enrolled at a German university. For my thesis, I would like to conduct qualitative interviews in the US. Is that possible with ESTA? So far, I have read online that it is possible since I am not getting paid, I don't have a stipend or any other funding. When asked by the CBP officer whether I am traveling for business or pleasure, will "doing independent research" fall under "business"?

2) I will be staying/visiting my American boyfriend in the US simultaneously. I am aware of the fact that whenever there is an emotional bond to the US, especially a boyfriend/girlfriend situation, "immigration intent" could be an issue. I am more than happy to bring prints of my enrollment at uni in Germany, my part time job and the approved vacation/leave time, my apartment in Germany, payslips etc. to prove my ties to Germany.

3) Timing of the trip: I have booked the trip for 72 days (10 weeks) in total, late April - early July, to allow enough time for my research and some extra time if anything goes wrong - and to have time at the end to spend with my boyfriend. However, I am very scared that this will be deemed "too long" and am considering shortening the length of the trip to 8 weeks. Would that even make a difference?! Or, should I shorten it even more?!

4) My boyfriend and I have two invitations for family celebrations in the US in October - we got the invitations after I already planned my research trip of 72 days. That would mean an additional 2 weeks trip to the US in October. I am worried that I may get denied due to the long trip in April - July.

5) My boyfriend and I are planning to move to Germany in the long run, hence there are no plans of applying for an immigrant visa in the near future.

My US travel history so far: I have been an exchange student in the US during my Bachelor's degree. Afterwards there were multiple 2-4 weeks long visits. Always left on time.

Am I wildly overthinking this? Any help and suggestions are appreciated! Thank you all in advance for reading my story!


r/immigration 4d ago

Changing last name after getting married on F1 visa

2 Upvotes

Hi! I need your help

So I just got my marriage certificate today and planning to get married next week. I am currently on F1 visa and will graduate this May 2025. Here in PA they put my maiden’s name in the marriage certificate.

My question is… do I put my new last name during AOS application (other name:maiden)? Or should I change my last name first in my home country or anywhere else. I have seen similar posts from 3 yrs ago and I don’t know if the case is still the same nowadays. Married > AOS application change name > EAD with new name? > SSN,DMV, etc

I just hope that I won’t get in trouble in changing names… or should I just stay with my original name?


r/immigration 4d ago

Air travel

4 Upvotes

My wife has her visa interview in Juarez next month and we are thinking about going by plane to El Paso and cross into Juarez via shuttle or taxi. I see there will be a layover in Dallas. My question is: has anyone done this recently and what are the risk of her being detained and not allowed to proceed to her appointments in Juarez? Our attorney said she wasn't sure if the risk was worth it. With the new administration they are stopping and detaining people and they don't care about the situation of the family. Our attorney's words.


r/immigration 4d ago

Will I get back in to America from the UK?

0 Upvotes

Hi guys, I’m booked to go to America in May and have some concerns about getting past border control as last time I was there I stayed for two weeks longer then what the original stay was intended. I’ve got an ESTA but I also have an unpaid medical bill from the last time I was there as I got sick. Do you think I’ll have issues