USCIS applicants wait years for decisions controlling their lives
11 posts in the last 60 days, all from r/USCIS.
“So I submitted my application in March 2024 (usc dad filing for adopted child under 21) and since then I have not gotten any notices from uscis besides the receipts for all of the pending cases. My biometrics were also getting reused so I genuinely have not heard from uscis for…”
“hello, i filed for removal of conditions(divorce waiver) in June and haven’t received my original copy of the receipt notice/extension letter (the colored paper with the watermark). i have received theirs white one by mail and pdf attached to application. -for June filers who…”
“My I-601 waiver was received by USCIS on May 30, 2023, and the status has never changed from “Case Was Received.” It’s now been over 3 years. Anyone with a similar filing date? Have you received an approval, RFE, or any update recently? Just trying to see where May 2023 cases…”
Multiple posts express frustration and anxiety over lengthy processing times from USCIS, impacting people's ability to work, travel, reunite with family, or plan their futures. Applicants feel stuck in limbo while USCIS updates processing times without providing clear explanations or solutions. The lack of communication and extended wait periods are causing significant distress.
SOURCES (11)
“So I submitted my application in March 2024 (usc dad filing for adopted child under 21) and since then I have not gotten any notices from uscis besides the receipts for all of the pending cases. My biometrics were also getting reused so I genuinely…”
“My I-601 waiver was received by USCIS on May 30, 2023, and the status has never changed from “Case Was Received.” It’s now been over 3 years. Anyone with a similar filing date? Have you received an approval, RFE, or any update recently? Just trying to see where May 2023 cases are at. submitted by /u/Designer_Pressure609 [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, I’m filing a **K-1 visa petition (Form I-129F)** for my fiancée, and I’m trying to figure out whether the delay I’m experiencing is normal or if I should be asking more questions of my lawyer/paralegal. My application was submitted on **August 27, 2026**, and I’m still waiting for the filing fee to be withdrawn from my bank account. My understanding is that the payment needs to be processed before USCIS formally accepts the petition and issues a receipt notice. I’ve been communicati”
“So I have a pending petition since 2021 and the wait times has caused me into deep depression and it also has caused me to lash out at other people around me. I don’t even know if I will ever recover from it I also was a derivative on my parents petition which has caused me to age out. submitted by /u/HolidayNo9859 [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, my I-130 and I-485 were concurrently filed on September 17, 2026. My USCIS account currently shows the I-485 as “still being processed” and confirms that it was received. For those who filed I-130 and I-485 concurrently, how long did it take before you received the official receipt notices / receipt numbers? Just looking to hear about recent experiences. Thanks! submitted by /u/Brianca2024 [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, I filed my I-131 Refugee Travel Document on September 16, 2025 . My case is still pending. USCIS currently shows a processing time of around 16 months , and the inquiry date has also been moving forward. For those who filed their RTD around September/October 2025 : Have you received your RTD yet? What was your receipt date? When did you receive your approval? Did you have to submit an outside-normal-processing-time inquiry? How long did your case take in total? I’d really appreciate”
“Filed an I-539 to change from a work-authorized status to B-2 after my employment ended. Filed timely, within the grace period, receipt notice in hand. On the form I requested a stay a few months from now. USCIS hasn't adjudicated yet, and based on posted processing times for change of status to B, it might be unlikely they will before my requested date. My understanding is that while the application is pending I'm in a period of authorized stay and not accruing unlawful presence, so the”
“I already sent a case inquiry and talked to my congressman and nothing...worse thing of all is that it was a denial because of Uscis mistake (they misapplied the visa bulletin stating there was no visa available in December 2025 for my priority date, when they used dates for filliing and not final action date) im defeated. submitted by /u/Impossible-Jury-1728 [link] [comments]”
“At some point, “processing delays” stops being an excuse. USCIS can take months — sometimes years — to make decisions that control whether people can work, travel, change jobs, reunite with family, or simply plan their lives. And the people stuck waiting are often doing everything legally. File the forms. Pay the fees. Maintain status. Pay taxes. Follow the rules. Then wait. And wait. And wait some more. Meanwhile, USCIS just updates the processing time — as if moving the goalposts somehow makes”
“hello, i filed for removal of conditions(divorce waiver) in June and haven’t received my original copy of the receipt notice/extension letter (the colored paper with the watermark). i have received theirs white one by mail and pdf attached to application. -for June filers who have received theirs, what was your timeline like? -is there anyone else with a similar timeline as mine? i have an attorney and have not been told to contact uscis yet. filed in Texas. please comment, thanks. submitt”
“My K1 visa is in my passport associated with my maiden name, just like my passport. Upon entering the US, I decided to request a Social Security number (SSN), which is also associated with my maiden name. After a few days I got married, and upon marrying I removed my birth surname and changed it to my husband's surname. After a while, I submitted my petition for adjustment of status to USCIS, and this petition is associated with my married name. So all the mail with my address here in the US”