Rosie Q
Aug 7, 2025
a few tips from an immigration legal assistant
Hi! I’m a legal assistant working for an immigration firm and an immigrant myself.
Here are some tips that i hope can help when filing your I-485 cases.
1. Check the USCIS Form I-485 page and review the 'Checklist of Required Documents' link. Try your best to provide all required documents when first submitting your case. This can save you from possible RFEs, which could cause long delays.
2. check the edition dates of the form and make sure you’re providing the right amount of filing fees. People often pay too much attention to other evidence and forget that the most important things are the forms and fees. Everything else can usually be resolved with an RFE, but having USCIS return your case due to outdated forms or incorrect filing fees could cost you a month—and potentially put you out of legal status.
—to be continued
ADVERTISEMENT
Ram SharAug 7, 2025
Hi— if I may ask for an opinion..
I had my employment-based I-485 interview back in October 2024. The officer was very kind and mentioned at the end that my application was approvable. Yet here we are, still waiting. I’m ROW and my priority date is current, so I’m not sure what’s holding things up. I tried reaching out to congressman and senator and both were cooperative. I have also tried sending a letter to the field office. All of which came back with a response that means that the application is not overlooked. what do you recommend I do next?
thanks!
Rosie QAug 7, 2025
@Ram Shar Hi, I’m sorry to hear that. I’m not an attorney, but I think it’s always a good idea to consult one when a case becomes complicated. I’m assuming you have a self-petitioned case; otherwise, it’s best to reach out to your employer’s attorney. From what I can think of, you could either submit an inquiry if your case is outside the normal processing time, or file a FOIA request to find out what’s going on. It’s also possible your case is going through a background check. Wish you good luck!
