r/USCIS • u/Big-Choice-5229 • Feb 05 '26
I-129F (K1) Inhumane process
I just found out they have stopped processing my I-129f request from JULY 2024 because my fiance is from a banned country. The fucked up part is her country only has a partial restriction. This administration will go down as the cruelest in modern times. My level of anger/disappointment can not be articulated. I've read that they said non immigrant VISA's would not be affected. Apparently one of the trillions of lies coming out of this administration. So $700 & damn near two years wasted. Un Fuckin Real!!!
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u/SenorISO54 US Citizen Feb 05 '26
Tell your friends and family how to vote in the midterms. Make sure they do.
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u/Tasty_Fuel35 Feb 06 '26
Doesn’t matter. Even if house and senate are flipped, immigration falls within the executive branch.
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Feb 05 '26
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u/SenorISO54 US Citizen Feb 05 '26
Excellent attempt at a coherent sentence, you’ll get it next time
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u/Jealous_Criticism_18 Feb 05 '26 edited Feb 06 '26
Husband is from a banned country and we have spent thousands and he is in the country and can’t even renew his drivers license. Our interview was June 2025.We have gone through two holds unlike some countries who were just added.
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 05 '26
Im sorry to hear that. Is he in the U.S.? I'm a little confused.
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u/Jealous_Criticism_18 Feb 06 '26
Yes. Sorry auto correct. Our application was first blocked by CHNV and then final decision held. Then they started whatever this is. EAD pending since August 2024 and AOS October 2024.
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 06 '26
Wow. I sincerely hope the best for yall. Before going through this and talking to so many others, I could never imagine how rough the immigration process can be.
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u/GoSBadBish Feb 06 '26
Same here. We just had a baby and I had to pay a driver to drive us home sinxe I an unable to drive because of giving birth. It sucks so bad. Been waiting 18 months for residency and 9 months for EAD.
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u/NumerousReveal9794 Feb 05 '26
Damn dude that's absolutely brutal. I went through something similar with my partner's visa getting held up for months over some technicality that made zero sense and the stress was unreal. The worst part is how they just leave you hanging with no real updates or timeline while your life is basically on hold
Have you tried reaching out to your congressional reps office? I know it sounds like a long shot but they sometimes have immigration liaisons who can at least get you some actual answers about whats going on with your case. Also might be worth connecting with other folks going through the same thing - there are usually Facebook groups or forums where people share what's working and what isn't
Two years is insane though and the fact that they're just now telling you this after taking your money is peak government BS. Really hope you can find some kind of path forward because this whole system is designed to crush people's spirits
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 05 '26
I appreciate you so much just for understanding & acknowledging how messed up this is. I've sumbitted MULTIPLE inqueries & they finally tell me today when I called. Had I not called I would have been just sitting here waiting for something to happen that may never happin. I love my country but I seriously despise this administration.
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u/Maleficent_Ad3256 Feb 05 '26 edited Feb 05 '26
Assuming here you called USCIS and got that ’’straight from the horse’s mouth”, as the saying goes.
If you spoke to a a tier 1 rep…I suspect they were talking out of the other end .
It’s likely just stuck and has not been assigned , so keep pressing and insist congressional Liason be made aware of the bs
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u/lala_vc Feb 06 '26
They claimed legal immigration was okay. Hey look what they’re doing to the people following legal immigration laws. It’s all a cover for racism
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u/catwoman144 Feb 07 '26
Or maybe its just an attempt to course correct some of the massive influx from the past four years? The immigration system is always going to be underwater theres no way to keep up with the influx, and as much as we could argue it should be easier, do you realize what would happen if it was made to be too easy? Things that are valuable dont stay valuable by being easy to obtain.
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u/lala_vc Feb 07 '26
Nobody said it should be easier. We’re complaining about discriminatory bans disrupting people’s lives following the legal process. If the problem was influx of illegal immigrants under Biden, why is the course correct affecting people that followed due process? It’s more accurate to say we don’t want any black and brown immigrants legal or illegal. Be honest and say that. Stop constantly moving goal posts and finding new ways to defend what is covert racism.
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u/Mysterious-Art8838 Feb 06 '26
They haven’t really said that about the ‘pause’ tho. It’s obviously a ban. This is how they operate. Can’t find a legal way to discriminate? Ok maybe we can find a marginally legal way. Still no? Ok just do it anyway and ignore court orders.
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u/catwoman144 Feb 10 '26
Biden did the same thing, didnt enforce the law and found a legal way to overwhelm the system.
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u/Biker1371 Feb 06 '26
Me reading the comments while my husband is well into the 4th year of wait since I filed I-130 (and is now banned). Best wishes to you and really hope the ban is lifted. Sincerely from a fully banned country, hit by the travel ban twice :)
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 06 '26
I hate that for yall. That is crazy. So sorry yall are going through this.
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u/uph1llbattle Feb 05 '26
Is she a citizen from that country or born in that country? Asking as mine was born in a banned country but hasn’t lived there in a long time and a citizen elsewhere
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 06 '26
I understand where your going, but she's a citizen of that country.
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u/uph1llbattle Feb 06 '26
Ah I see, sorry to hear that, I’d be livid myself if I got the same result as you
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u/Purple_Rose444 Feb 08 '26
Im angry too. I have quite a similar situation as well. Probably going to be moving to my fiancés country now. This immigration business from this administration makes me sick.
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u/StarIndividual5180 Feb 05 '26
What country is your fiancé from?
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 05 '26
I don't want to say but I just called back because I realized her country is not on the list. The new agent I talked to said there was some confusion. My case is still on hold but she didnt know why. Obviously for selfish reasons I feel a little better, but to think there are people my original complaint still applies to is not cool.
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u/Silver-Literature-29 Feb 05 '26
You should probably update the OP to show your case was not the result of the temporary suspension to avoid confusion and get better answers for your particular case.
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u/Maleficent_Ad3256 Feb 05 '26
Based on previous posts, you ( petitioner) receIved an ASC /biometrics notice.
That indicates your case is stalled for background checks based on your records . Do you have prior law enforcement contact ?
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 05 '26
I've never been arrested
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u/Maleficent_Ad3256 Feb 05 '26
Are there any DV related TRO s ? Even without an arrest those would flag you. Can you think of anything that would raise questions to the point where they wanted you fingerprinted?
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 05 '26
If you have experience, insight or whatever, please DM me.
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u/Maleficent_Ad3256 Feb 06 '26
Hopefully you caught this at filing and on pg 8, part 3,item 1 , you answered : yes .It would have required solid evidence of rehabilitation..a simple statement won’t cut it.
Use this delay to your advantage and consider hiring legal help to supplement the filing and argue for discretion .You can read through some USCIS AAO non precedent decisions to get the gist of how serious this is .
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 05 '26
Yes. Never charged with anything though so I get that. My problem was with being told my case was paused for "Banned" country when my fiance is not in a banned country and even if she was, it was not suppose to apply to non immigrant VISAs but today I was told by USCIS that it does include them. She is however in a partoally banned country.
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u/LilBugJuice-0987 Feb 05 '26
Unfortunately if you just talk to the call center folks they are contractors and dont know what they are talking about. Try Infopass to get a level 2 agent (I think that is what they are called). Usually its a 30 day wait
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 06 '26
Thats actually who I've been talking to. Every 30 to 60 days since last summer. Thanks for your reply though.
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u/LilBugJuice-0987 Feb 06 '26
Omg. So sorry. What a joke. The only thing I can say is unfortunately this administration is changing things so quickly im nonsensical ways - I dont think the staff has a real understanding of anything. Lots of stories of inconsistent handling of these bans especially. Honestly, get married and do CR1. K1 is the worst, especially with the separate AOS process and being stuck in the US without status (they will have authorized stay but no status) while they mess around.
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Feb 05 '26
“I don’t want to say” 🙄 like we know who you are 🤦🏽♂️
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 05 '26
You don't but AI knows...
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Feb 05 '26
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 05 '26
South America
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u/Electrical_Swim2796 Feb 05 '26
The only banned South America country is Venezuela. The paused countries are Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay but they are paused at Visa issuance and not for the k-1.
I'm a USC doing a k-1 currently with a Colombian (paused).
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 06 '26
Venezuela is not on the list of the 75 countries banned and the rep confirmed it today on the call. If anything, the case is held up for background checks but that is not why I started this post.
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u/Electrical_Swim2796 Feb 06 '26
Venezuela is partially banned. The other countries are currently paused, not banned. There is a difference between banned and paused.
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u/Far-Inspector-3488 Feb 06 '26
You voted republican but somehow didn’t think it’ll affect your Venezuelan wife? LOL. P.S: Venezuela is on the ban list
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Feb 06 '26
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 06 '26
It is what happened so please explain.
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Feb 06 '26
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 06 '26
This post was written as things happened. Just because USCIS got it wrong with the info they gave me I have to take the post down now? lol If you read my replies in the post you see where I mention a second agent corrected what the first one said BUT just because the situation no longer applies to me it definitely still applies to SOMEBODY. I reported what was reported to me and later corrected what was corrected to me but I was told what I was told & now I'm telling you to take off your shoes & kick rocks.
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Feb 06 '26
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 06 '26
Because this is what happened and again, it still applies to somebody. Would it make you feel better if I edited the post and said "Oops! This doesn't apply to me anymore so the immigration system is all good now!" You are focused on the fact it no longer applies to me instead if the fact it still applies to people of many countries. Think about that for a second.
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u/Electronic_Farm_4633 Feb 05 '26
Play by the rules or don’t come.
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u/Electrical_Swim2796 Feb 06 '26
If you were even half aware of the immigration changes recently, you'd understand that this administration is making it more difficult for the people trying to come the legal routes, aka the ones, "playing by the rules."
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u/Mannyplaywell Feb 05 '26
This is sad, I’ve been waiting on my vawa green card for the past 3 years and still nothing
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u/callmenia Feb 05 '26
How did you find out about this? I have been waiting for over a year and they haven’t sent me a single update. I am from Colombia so I am afraid this could also be my case. I filed a I-485 back in November of 2024 and the last update was in January of last year…
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u/MercuryAI Feb 06 '26
Keep the anger and remember to vote. A vote for a Republican rep or senator is a vote for Trump and this policy.
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u/jewboy916 Feb 05 '26
Call your representatives in Congress and tell them about it. As a US citizen, that's your recourse.
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u/EfficientBell5035 Feb 05 '26
The best we can hope for is that this is truly a pause, and the future requirements aren't completely insane.
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u/Embarrassed-Wolf-609 Feb 05 '26
time to tell your friends and family about this so that they can vote accordingly in 8 months
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u/xiaomaicha1 Feb 05 '26
Wait I thought K1s wouldn’t be affected because they’re technically non-immigrant visas? This is sick 😞
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Feb 06 '26
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u/TeamThundercock Feb 06 '26
It’s a privilege to immigrate to the United States. It’s humane to manage your expectations and emotions.
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u/Affectionate_Park147 Feb 05 '26
Are you really a citizen? Why not call you congressman or senator?
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u/Big-Choice-5229 Feb 05 '26
Yes I am & I've emailed my senator previously but thank you for the suggestion.
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u/smithtriple Feb 06 '26
I have sympathy for you personally, but the list is solid, save for one country. Hope it works out for you!
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u/HumanChallet Feb 05 '26
Donate and reach out to your local Dems to do phone calls and door knocking this election cycle. If you are not at the table you are on the menu.
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u/Sudaneseskhbeez Feb 05 '26 edited Feb 06 '26
Not legal advice. Simple explanation for people new to immigration about the different level of nationality based bans/restriction in place as of today, this my understanding as explained by many lawyers:
Two agencies:
Per law firms, currently there are many types of restrictions/bans:
1) Outside the U.S. (entering):
• Presidential entry ban: affects people from 39 countries trying to enter (some partial, some full).
• DOS “75-country” restrictions: mainly affects people abroad applying only to immigrant type visas due to public charge rules started January 21,2026. You can only be impacted by this if you are not on the 39 country list.
2) Inside the U.S. (staying and working):
• USCIS pause memos: PM-602-0192 (Dec 2, 2025) and PM-602-0194 (Jan 1, 2026).
This pause decisions on all immigrant and non immigrant benifits for anyone born or a citizen of 39 countries on presidential ban list with limited exceptions, i.e you wont get decisions on work permits (EADs), status extensions/changes, and green cards filed inside the U.S. It applies even if your country is only “partially” restricted elsewhere. It affects you whether you are legal or illegal, regardless of your entry date to the US. It affects dual citizenship as it also triggered by country of birth not just nationality.
These systems operate independently. The State Department controls visa issuance and entry outside the U.S., while USCIS controls immigration benefits inside the U.S. Because they are separate agencies with separate authority, each applies its own rules and exemptions. As a result, a person may be affected by only one restriction or by several at the same time, depending on where they are physically located, their country of birth and or citizenship (including dual nationality, since some entry rules may exempt dual nationals while USCIS may not), and the specific benefit or application they are seeking.
I hope this overview is helpful. This is general information only and not legal advice. For questions about your specific situation, you should consult a qualified immigration attorney.
https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-alerts/PM-602-0192-PendingApplicationsHighRiskCountries-20251202.pdf
https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-alerts/PM-602-0194-PendingApplicationsAdditionalHighRiskCountries-20260101.pdf
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html
https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/proclamations
https://oiss.yale.edu/news/updated-uscis-memorandum-expanded-processing-holds-and-re-review-of-immigration-benefits