F2A takes around 3,5 to 4 years to get approval. Your case is processing normally.

@Felipe T R Thanks for sharing that perspective — it’s true that F2A processing times can stretch out, especially with backlogs. But just to clarify: my I-130 was filed in August 2023, so it’s been over two years, not three or four. And while long waits are common, USCIS is supposed to make decisions within a “reasonable time,” which is why I filed a mandamus. The goal isn’t to rush the process unfairly — it’s to hold USCIS accountable when delays go beyond what’s reasonable, especially when the visa bulletin is current and there’s no RFEs or complications. I respect that not everyone takes this route, but for me, it felt necessary. Let’s see what the court says.

@ayoub mokhtari good luck! My PD is Feb 2023, I-130 approved in March 2024. Current since Oct 1, 2025 but no news on I-485. I did a service request as it is now outside of normal processing time. They replied to a service request in 2 days saying that it is not outside of normal processing time which is non sense since I would not be able to send a service request if it was not. I will wait another 2 weeks and will contact a congressman

@Ivan R Thanks for sharing your timeline — that’s definitely frustrating. If your PD is current and your I-130 was approved back in March, it makes no sense for them to say your I-485 isn’t outside normal processing time, especially if the system let you submit a service request. That’s usually a clear indicator it’s overdue. Waiting another two weeks sounds reasonable, and contacting a congressperson can sometimes help move things along. They can at least get a more detailed response from USCIS than the generic ones we get. Keep pushing — you’re doing everything right. Let’s hope you get good news soon. Keep us posted!

@ayoub mokhtari Looking forward to your update.

in sha Allah

@F2A (April 2023) i hope so

@s s inshallah

wow

I hope you get some good news as soon as possible. If you don't mind, I want more details to do the same procedure, thank you

@Salima nedjma this guy explained everything in Reddit Notice: I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. This is my personal story on how I filed a writ of mandamus. After searching the internet long and hard, I found no detailed step-by-step guide on how to do it (does not exist). So here it is, absolutely free—no $5,000 to $10,000 lawyer fee. I will include my writ of mandamus template at the end of this guide (with red notes i made to help you), which you can view, copy, and edit, but please read everything first. What is a writ of mandamus and what it isn't: For my situation, my I-485 (adjustment of status) was stuck. By stuck, I mean after having my in-person interview as an adjustment from K-1 status, I was told by the interviewer (Miami Field Office) that I passed and should get my green card in a month. Well, 2 years later and nothing. The status is just pending. Did they forget about us? Lose our file? I don't know. After contacting congressmen and opening service requests with USCIS and getting generic responses to keep waiting, the only thing left to do was a writ of mandamus. A writ of mandamus is meant for stuck cases where the suit will pretty much tell the government they have 60 days to respond or go to court. A writ of mandamus is not an appeal and is not a guaranteed approval. It is just to speed things up when you are in a similar stuck position as me. I read people on this subreddit complaining about 7 months of waiting after their interview, and here I am 2 years in. (My work authorization and parole got approved a day after my in-person interview—possible error?—but at least I had that and could work, though it expires in a couple of months.) Common question: How long to I have to wait to file a writ of mandamus? Answer: As you read I waited 2 years after my interview when its suppose to take 1 month. So it's obvious something is wrong and taking very long. So if it's obviously taking too long, file it. If you just want it be faster but its not way over normal processing time than its not for you. There is no rule for an exact time to have passed it's if it is obviously taking WAY too long. Step-by-Step Guide on How to File a Writ of Mandamus by Yourself: Step 1: I used AI (Microsoft Copilot, to be exact). It's free and comes with Windows computers. I asked it to write me a writ of mandamus. I knew just AI wasn't enough, and I know nothing about law, so I did step 2. Step 2: I went on Fiverr and messaged several immigration lawyers. I found one who was very knowledgeable. I told her I made a writ of mandamus and needed her to edit it and make it worthy enough to take to court. She charged me $150. (If you want to double-check with another Fiverr lawyer after your own edits, it should not cost you more than $150—some people tried to charge me thousands.) She did an amazing job. I did a few more edits after her, and it was perfect. I will include it at the end redacted. I'll even mark places where you need to put your personal info and what to do. Feel free to make edits if you like. Step 3: On the top of the writ of mandamus, you will see the defendants. The following people are included as defendants: • ⁠United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) • ⁠Merrick Garland, Attorney General of the United States • ⁠Ur Mendoza Jaddou, Director of USCIS • ⁠Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security • ⁠Markenzy Lapointe, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida For the last one, you would put your US Attorney in your federal court district; that was just the one for mine. If you’re filing a writ of mandamus for a case stuck in consular processing, we also include the consul general of the Embassy in the suit. These are the people you are pretty much suing/telling to hurry up in a serious manner that works. Step 4: On the bottom, you will see evidence. After printing out the writ of mandamus, attach evidence that you tried to contact USCIS, and they didn't help you, along with your original receipt notice. You will see in my writ of mandamus that I listed all the evidence I used. You can add or remove some. Make sure you contact congressmen, senators, and the CIS Ombudsman to show you made every attempt and get proof of these contacts. If you chat with USCIS, get screenshots of your conversations. You can use Emma, their chat bot, to ask why it's taking so long. To attach the evidence to the back, it's simple: for exhibit A, make a paper that says "Exhibit A" in big letters on Microsoft Word, and then behind it, attach the evidence. Do the same for exhibit B, exhibit C, and so on. Step 5: Your writ of mandamus and your evidence together form your complaint packet. You will need 6 copies of this packet—all identical. One copy for the court to keep, and the other 5 for each defendant. You can make an extra one to keep for your records or just take a bunch of photos. It's a lot of papers, so be organized. Step 6: Take your 6 packets to the clerk's office at the United States District Court in the district where you live or where the relevant USCIS field office is handling your case. When you get there, the clerk will give you a few things to fill out and you will pay a filing fee (the government love their fees). First is a civil cover sheet (JS 44), which you can fill out at home before you go (you can get this paper online) or fill it out at the clerk's office. Faster to do at home. You only need one. Then you have to fill out a summons form (AO 440)—you will need 5 of these, one for each defendant. The civil cover sheet (JS 44) is not easy to fill out, so I'll explain how to do it in the next step. The summons form (AO 440) is very easy to fill out, but make sure you write the defendants' full names and titles exactly as in your writ of mandamus complaint paper. Here's how to fill out the summons form: 1. ⁠Write the full name and title of each defendant exactly as in your writ of mandamus. 2. ⁠In the "To" field, address it to the respective defendant. 3. ⁠In the "Plaintiff" field, write your name and address. 4. ⁠Leave the "Date" and "Signature of Clerk" fields blank for the court to fill in. The clerks at the courthouse are very helpful, so don't worry if you make a mistake—they can guide you. Step 7: How to fill out the civil cover sheet (JS 44): 1. ⁠On the top where it says "Plaintiffs," write the person filing the suit. In my case, the applicant of the I-485. For a different type of case like a K-1, the beneficiary would file the suit. For I-485, there is only an applicant. 2. ⁠Under that, write your home county. 3. ⁠Under "Defendants," just list the main defendant. Write "USCIS." 4. ⁠Under "County of Residence of First Listed Defendant," write "Prince George's County" (the county USCIS headquarters are in). 5. ⁠Leave the attorneys part blank. 6. ⁠Under "Basis of Jurisdiction," draw an "X" under "U.S. Government Defendant." 7. ⁠Leave "Citizenship of Principal Parties" blank. 8. ⁠Under "Nature of Suit," draw an "X" by 465 "Other Immigration Actions." 9. ⁠Under "Origin," put an "X" where it says "Original Proceeding." 10. ⁠Date and sign at the bottom where it says "Signature of Attorney of Record." Step 8: After filing, you need to serve the defendants properly. Attach one stamped summons to each packet. The court will also give you a case number for your record. Write the case number to the right of "Case No.: [To be assigned]" on the writ of mandamus using a pen. Now, the full packet with the case number and summons attached to the front and evidence attached to the back—clip it together and put each one in an envelope. Serve your defendants using either certified mail or overnight if you want it to get there fast. The address for each defendant is on page 2 of the writ of mandamus. Just change the last one to your US Attorney in your federal court district. Those same addresses go on the summons forms as well. Ensure you save the tracking numbers for proof of service. Additionally, serve USCIS by emailing the writ of mandamus and related documents to uscis.serviceofprocess@uscis.dhs.gov. Attach the USCIS summons, writ of mandamus, and evidence as a compressed PDF you can convert an image to a compressed pdf google how. Step 9: Track all the tracking numbers and when all the documents are delivered, file a proof of service with the court by going back to the clerk's office with delivery evidence. Just click proof of delivery on USPS, and they give you the confirmation. Attach it to the proof of service document. I will attach my proof of service outline. Include the email proof to USCIS as well as they should of sent you an auto confirmation email. Attach evidence with a cover paper for each piece of evidence, just like in the writ. What happens next: After filing, you can expect the court to make a decision within 20-60 days. This is based on general timelines I’ve read about, and it can vary. Writ of Mandamus Template: I have redacted my personal information from the document. In most places, I used red letters to indicate where personal information was removed and what you should put instead. If you don't understand what to put in the red sections, you can find a Fiverr lawyer for around $150 to help—though it should be simple. You can view and download the template from the following link: • ⁠View the template on Google Drive - Here is my Writ of Mandamus • ⁠View Proof of Service on Google Drive

@Salima nedjma https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/s/Zbefxpjxhn

let us know how that works out for you.

thank you for sharing this I really need to see something like this. am waiting on my case for 2 years and 7 months U.S citizen filing and am hurting it's way too long

@shenni law you should do the same thing you may get to get some results

please keep us updated, lets hope for the best!

@magda jak yea

please keep us posted, 4 years now my I-130 still pending, 2 years since I did my interview still waiting nothing

thanks bro

@Bon Bagay if you remember is current, you should file a lawsuit

bro used AI for everything, even this post :)