Joan T
3h
EB-2 NIW (ROW) — sharing our timeline and asking if anyone has seen something similar
We are currently current for I-485, and according to a USCIS Emma agent our I-485 is at a field office. We were also told early on that the case moved to “case decision” shortly after biometrics, which made us think it might be close to adjudication.
However, something happened recently that confused us: the principal applicant’s I-765 was just approved, even though he already has a recently approved H-1B. Earlier, my derivative I-765 had already been approved shortly after his H-1B, but at that time the principal’s I-765 was not.
So we are trying to understand what this new movement might mean.
Could this indicate that our I-485 is actively moving and maybe close to approval, or could it simply mean the case may still take longer and USCIS is just finishing pending benefits?
Timeline:
- PD: June 2024 (EB-2 NIW ROW)
- I-485 / I-765 filed: October 2025
- Biometrics: completed → case moved to case decision 10 min after
- Dec 2025: Principal applicant H-1B approved
- ~1 week later: Derivative I-765 approved
- Early 2026: Emma agent says I-485 at Providence Field Office
- March, we became current
- Now: Principal applicant I-765 approved, despite already having H-1B
We are mainly confused about the timing: if the principal’s I-765 was going to be approved anyway, why wasn’t it approved together with the derivative EAD shortly after the H-1B?
Has anyone seen cases where the principal’s I-765 was approved shortly before the I-485 decision?
Any similar timelines or experiences would be very helpful.
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Tong Po2h
there is no correlation between the processes, which are independent with a different queue and processing time. your H1b status remains valid until you use your EAD to get a new job.
