8.5 months is long, especially if the USCIS processing-time page suggests around 6 months for that case type. If your H1B expired in April and you stopped working, you are doing the right thing by following up. I would submit an outside-normal-processing inquiry if eligible, continue the congressional inquiry, and consider an Ombudsman request if there is still no movement. If the H4 is pending and the H4 EAD is separate, the EAD often cannot be approved until the H4 is approved. - Attorney Rashmi Bishnoi (All information shared here is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney - client relationship. Your situation may require fact-specific guidance. For personalized legal advice, please consult an immigration attorney directly.)