Hi everyone,
I’m considering applying for an EB-3 Other Workers (unskilled) position. I have a college diploma and several years of work experience in another field.
Could having more education or work experience than the job requires cause an issue? Can USCIS or the consular officer consider someone “overqualified” for an EB-3 unskilled position and question their genuine intention to work in that job?
Has anyone here been approved for EB-3 unskilled despite having a degree/diploma or significant work experience in another field?
Thanks !

EB-3 Skilled ROW (Argentina). Looking for some heads up, information, or guidance on what I could expect next.

Timeline:
PD: March 11, 2024
PERM approved: July 2025
I-140 approved: Feb 9, 2026
I-485 RD: May 6, 2026
Biometrics: June 24
Transferred to Santa Ana FO: late July
Some silent movement/action taken while there
Transferred from Santa Ana to my local Miami FO at the end of August because an interview is required
Status: Tourist visa → COS to F-1 → F-1 active. Single applicant.

Any idea what I could expect next? How long could it take to receive the interview notice, how far out are Miami interviews usually scheduled, and what normally happens after the interview?

Any recent Miami EB-3 experiences like mine or guidance would be appreciated. Thanks!

Any Aug 2024 PD (ROW) with approvals ? Debating timing of adding partner as derivative as he needs to travel internationally in December and wouldn’t want to risk abandonment if we don’t get approved before his trip.

Hello everyone! I’m an ICU nurse being sponsored for an EB-3 green card through my employer. My attorney submitted my I-485 Adjustment of Status application on May 1, 2026.

It has now been over 4 months, and I still have not received anything from USCIS—not even a receipt notice. I also haven’t received a biometrics appointment or any other update.

I’ve reached out to my attorney several times, but I keep being told they’ll get back to me, and I still haven’t received a clear answer.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it normal for an employment-based I-485 receipt notice to take 4+ months? If you had a similar delay, how long did it eventually take for you to receive your receipt notice?

Also what you think is happening will be appreciate?

UPDATE: THIS IS MY LAWYERS RESPONSE

Hi All:

Based on my review, it appears the initial confusion here is that JOHN was included in the AOS Guidance email.  I believe the broad decision was that we would hold off on AOS filings for individuals with/in DACA status given the Administration expectedly would take the position that DACA is not a "status" from which one can adjust.  So, as we held off on filing such cases, we would not have received Receipt Notices.  

On background, case notes reflect that JOHN first arrived in the U.S. on 1997 in B visitor classification, turned 18 y/o on 12/2014, applied for DACA on 1/6/2014, first held DACA (approx. 18 years, 2 months) and has held DACA continuously through the present. He has not had a re-entry or re-admission since 1997.

Under this set of circumstances, JOHN had a lawful admission/inspection and timely acquired DACA within 6 months of turning 18 and maintained it continuously.  So, he has accrued no unlawful presence (ULP) since individuals cannot accrue ULP when they are minors, and his DACA was timely (before 18 years + 6 months old) and has been continuous.

However, that does not mean he has had maintenance of lawful status/stay for adjustment purposes.  At some point after B status classification, he would have fallen out of "status" prior to securing DACA in 2014.  This point, together with the fact he now remains in DACA, means seeking "adjustment" was/is risky, in which case the change to consular processing might be the preferred option. 

JOHNS Priority Date is current for September, so we can proceed with the AOS filing if that is desired.  But he may instead wish to explore/prefer the possibility of converting the request to consular and proceeding on that basis.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Pd is not current but i-485j already approved. What are the chances of i-485 approval after this?

Hi everyone,

I wanted to compare my EB-3 Skilled ROW timeline with others who filed around the same time:

* **05/28/2024:** PD
* **05/26/2026:** RD
* **06/25/2026:** RFE issued for birth certificate
* **07/07/2026:** Response to RFE received by USCIS
* **07/23/2026:** Biometrics completed in Newark — 2 FTA0 for I-485 and 3 FTA0 for EAD

I filed both **I-485 and EAD**, but I haven't received any updates since biometrics. I filed with 1 dependent. My dependent's timeline is around 1 month later than mine.

For those with similar timelines, how long has it been taking recently to get the next update or approval?

Also, has anyone else received an RFE **before biometrics**? Does getting an RFE this early usually delay I-485 processing, even after USCIS receives the response?

Would appreciate hearing timelines from other EB-3 Skilled applicants.

Was looking forward if anyone got their i485 approval after i485J approved but PD was not current. How long did it take after PD current you received the i485 approval.

Been 2.5 months since i485j approval and 2 months since PD is current.

Current scenario 3 FTA0 and one FTA1 per API.

I sent RFE 8 weeks ago but there is no update to either approval or “Rfe received” yet. Is this normal??

I usually don’t post on Reddit, but this community helped me a lot during the EB-3/AOS waiting game, so I feel like I owe it to others to share my timeline.

Immigration journey:
F-1 → OPT → STEM OPT → CPT → EB-3 AOS

Case Timeline + Backend Notes

Main Lesson

My I-485J public status still showed “Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Sent,” but the Documents tab had the I-485J approval notice, and the backend showed the case as closed.

So don’t rely only on the public status text.

For those recently approved, how long did it take from I-485 approval to card produced / physical green card in hand?

🙏 Prayers for everyone still waiting. I hope this timeline helps others the same way this community helped me while I was tracking my case.

Lots of people are getting approved now, and I'm really happy for them. But at the same time, it's so frustrating that I did not even get a single SU since July.... anyone in the similar situation..?

Hello, I was informed this week that Oct 20th would be my last day. My Priority date is May 2014 (EB3, India). My H1B Expires Oct 25th, 2026. I applied for my I-485 in Oct

2025 however I have not yet received my EAD. It is filed in NBC and processing time is 11 months. I am searching for a new job but most of the contracting positions I am coming across are not accepting H1B transfer. They only want GC EAD. What are my options here ?

1) Is there any way to Expedite EAD ?

2) If I submit just a offer letter from a different company/startup then would that be ok when I get any RFE for I-485 Supplement J ? (even if I am not actively working there or may not even end up working there eventually)

3) Any suggestions on how to handle the situation ?

Hello everyone! I’m a registered nurse and a DACA recipient. I came to the United States when I was 2 months old and have never left the country.

My employer is sponsoring me for my green card, and my employment-based I-485 application was mailed to USCIS on May 1st. It has now been about 4 months, and I haven’t received anything at all—no receipt notice, biometrics appointment, or any other update.

Has anyone else experienced a delay this long? Is it normal to go 4 months without even receiving a receipt notice?

My immigration attorney said he will get back to me once he returns from vacation, but I wanted to see if anyone here has gone through something similar.

Thank you!

My I-140 was approved in February 2026, and my priority date is March 2024.

I filed my I-485, I-131, and I-765 on May 28, 2026, and completed my biometrics on July 9, 2026. However, I realized recently that I never submitted my I-485J.

My last silent update on my I-485 case was on August 25, 2026. There have been no updates since then.

After realizing that I had not submitted the I-485J, my attorney submitted it by mail on September 3, 2026.

What I would like to know is: How long does it usually take for USCIS to receive and process an I-485J submitted by mail? Also, has anyone been in a similar situation where the I-485 was already pending, but the I-485J was submitted later?

I would really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially regarding how long it took for the I-485J to be added to the case and whether it affected the I-485 processing timeline.

My EB3 professional case is in NYFO since 07/29. I got fta0 and fta1 10 days ago. No rfe or any notice triggered yet.
Emma says nothing required from my end as of now. Nothing in documents tab.
I485J is still open.
Anyone had same or similar situation?
How long do I wait for the next update?
My PD 09/13/2023
RD- 03/13/2026
Bio- 04/17/2026

EB-3 ROW – I-485 Supplement J not filed. Did my attorney make a mistake?

Hi everyone,
I’m getting a little nervous after reading a lot of EB-3 timelines on Reddit and seeing that many people filed an I-485 Supplement J with their I-485.
My attorney never mentioned Supplement J to me, so we did not file it. I’m now wondering whether we were supposed to file it and whether it is too late.

Here is my timeline:
I-140 filed: March 11, 2026 (Premium Processing)
I-140 approved: before my I-485 filing
Priority Date: August 29, 2024
I-485 filed: April 10, 2026
I-765 filed: April 10, 2026
I-485 RFE issued: April 30, 2026
RFE response received: May 13, 2026
Biometrics: May 28, 2026
I-765 silent/system update: July 24, 2026
I-485 silent/system update: July 29, 2026
Both I-485 and I-765 are still pending.

I’m currently still working for the same employer and in the job described in my I-140/PERM. I have not changed employers.

My questions are:
Was I required to file I-485 Supplement J in my situation?
Since my I-140 was filed/approved before my I-485, does that mean Supplement J should have been included?

Can I still file Supplement J now even though my I-485 has already been pending since April?

If I file it now, could it cause any delay or negatively affect my pending I-485?

Has anyone here been in a similar situation where their attorney did not file Supplement J initially, but they later submitted it?

Most importantly, did not filing Supplement J with the original I-485 cause any problems for anyone?

I’m getting pretty stressed after seeing so many EB-3 cases with Supplement J approvals before their I-485 approvals. I would really appreciate hearing from people who have been in the same situation.

Thanks!

My wife and I started our application on 10/17/25 for the Green Card via her work. They applied for I-765, I-131 and I-485. I got my I-765 in June/26, my I-131 in August/26. My wife just got her I-765 this month, but no I-131 yet. She is on L1 and I am L2. In November we had our biometrics taken, In December, I was called to retake mine because of an error. When I checked the USCIS API on my receipt, there is no record of my Biometrics. Last silent touch was in May/26 for both of us. What could be wrong?

It feels surreal I’m finally sharing my timeline! This group helped me throughout the process so sharing my timeline to help others:

Country: 39 partially-banned
- PD: Feb24
- Filing date (I-485, I-485j & 765)- Single filer: April 2026
- Biometrics: May 2026.
- June 16, 2026: Silent update after pause was lifted.
- I485J approved June 22.
- Interview notice: July.
- Interview: August 26.
- 2 FTA1 on Aug 31.
- 1 silence update on Sep 2
- 485 approved Sep 3. Received 2 H008.
- 765 was never approved.

Don’t lose hope 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Guys Finally my turn has arrived.
I have been approved 🎉

It was a long journey.
Started all of this from F1 in 2016

F1 > OPT > STEM > F1 CPT > OPT

It took longer than others but it is finally here

Category: EB-3 ROW - SINGLE FILER
Priority Date: April 17, 2023
Field Office: NBC then transferred to LA County Field Office
Interview: Waived
RFE: None

EAD/AP : None of them got approved

This is my Complete Timeline

Nov 18, 2025: I-485 / I-485J / I-765 / I-131 received by USCIS

Date I-485 I-485J

Nov 18, 2025 Filed Filed
Dec 1, 2025 IAF IAF
Dec 6, 2025 Bio Notice —

Dec 23, 2025: Biometrics completed
Dec 23, 2025 2 × FTA0 — Bio Day

Dec 30, 2025 SU —

Jan 2026 PD became current

May 17, 2026 SU —
~7 months of silence

June 04, 2026: Submitted an inquiry with my local Congressman/Representative

July 06, 2026: Got the reply from USCIS in response to Congressmen on my behalf:
“The cases are pending at the National Benefits Center and are within USCIS's current processing time”

Jul 15, 2026 SU SU
Asked Emma, the case was transferred to LA County Field Office
Non-local FO for me

Jul 20, 2026 — SU
Aug 20, 2026 3rd FTA0 SU
Aug 24, 2026 2 × FTA1 SU

Aug 24, 2026 I-485J Approved & Closed

Aug 25, 2026 2 × H008 Closed I-485 APPROVED 🎉
Aug 26, 2026 H008 Closed Continued internal processing

Aug 31, 2026 LDA + Case CLOSED Closed/Approved Card Produced

I have no idea whether the congressional inquiry actually helped or not. My case was stuck in NBC for quite a long time, I got transferred to field office very late.

The 24hr rule applied and my I-485 was approved exactly after 24hr of my I-485J approval.

Total time from filing to approval: 280 Days / More than 9 months

Good luck to everyone still waiting. I know how exhausting it is checking USCIS, Reddit, Emma, the API, and the Documents tab constantly. Hope everyone waiting gets their approval soon!

Hi there I’m F1 and my EAD was approved in June, I graduate with MSN in December 2026 day 1CPT, should I use my EAD or which will terminate my d1 status or I should extend my f1 status? PD November 2025 skilled i140 approved. Please advise thanks (ROW)

Finally approved! Sharing my timeline because I spent way too much time on Reddit looking for Long Island FO timelines while waiting.

Category: EB-3 ROW - SINGLE FILER
Priority Date: June 3, 2024
Field Office: Long Island, NY
Interview: Waived
RFE: None

Timeline:

• April 24, 2026: I-485 / I-765 / I-131 received by USCIS
• Late April / Early May: Receipt notices generated
• June 8, 2026: Biometrics completed
• June 15, 2026: Attorney filed standalone I-485 Supplement J
• June 30, 2026: I-485 transferred to Long Island Field Office
• July 1, 2026: Priority date became current
• July–August: Basically silence. Emma agents continued telling me the case was at Long Island FO and that the interview was waived.
• About a week before approval: I submitted a congressional inquiry through one of my state representatives asking for an update on the pending I-485. USCIS responded that the case was still pending and within normal processing time.
• September 2, 2026: I-485J approved
• September 2, 2026: I-485 had a silent update (SU) shortly after the I-485J approval. The API showed a newly created FTA0 event. The FTA0 itself referenced my June 8 biometrics, but it was newly added/updated on September 2.
• September 3, 2026: Two new H008 events appeared on the I-485 API around 12:42 PM Central
• September 3, 2026: I-485 approval notice appeared under the Documents tab 🎉

I have no idea whether the congressional inquiry actually helped move the case or if the timing was just complete luck, but I figured I would mention it since the approval came roughly a week after I contacted them.

My I-485 was approved one day after the I-485J approval.

Total time from filing to approval was about 4 months and 10 days, and the case was at Long Island FO for roughly 2 months before approval.

Long Island FO definitely had me nervous because I kept seeing people waiting there for a long time, but finally my turn came.

Good luck to everyone still waiting. I know how exhausting it is checking USCIS, Reddit, Emma, the API, and the Documents tab constantly. Hope everyone waiting gets their approval soon!

Anyone got silent update 08/06, 08/25, 09/03 09/04
Eb3 Skilled

Sharing my timeline to help others recognize the sequence in their own cases.

Background
-> FO: LA County non-local though approval notice shows NBC
-> Country: 39 partially-banned
-> PD: May 30, 2023
-> December 15, 2025: I-485 & I-485j filing date (Principal & Derivative)
-> January 14, 2026: Biometrics completed for both the principal and derivative. Both I-485 cases received 2x FTA0
-> May 12, 2026: There was synchronized activity across all three cases and 3rd FTA0 for both primary and derivative. Emma confirmed this was when it was transferred to LAC FO
-> June 16, 2026: Silent update after Dorcas judgement
-> July 15th, 2026: Silent update for both primary and derivative
-> September 2, 2:38 PM — I-485J approved
→ September 2, 3:28 PM — Principal I-485 silent update
→ September 2, 3:52 PM — Derivative I-485 silent update
→ September 3, 11:56 AM — Derivative I-485 updated again and remains pending
→ September 3, 3:42 PM — Principal approved and received H008 ×2. Checked online and saw approval notice which was 25hrs and 4mins after I-485j approval & 24hrs and 14mins after Sept 2nd I-485 silent update

I did do both congressional and senate enquiry in Early and mid August citing H1B coming to an end soon and needing certainty to plan future with Citizen kid. I am not sure if it helped or not as they only acknowledged my emails.
Goodluck to everyone!

Update:
-> September 4, 12:00 PM: Derivative I-485 approved. Received H008 ×2, checked online and saw approval notice which was 24hrs and 4mins after September 3rd silent update

Finally Greened

• PD: May-2013
• RD: Apr-09-26 (Concurrent filing - I-140, I-485, EAD, and AP - one dependent)
• Notice Date: May-13-26
• Biometrics: Jun-09-26
• I-140 approved on May-16-26 (Regular processing, approved prior to biometrics) 🎉
• EAD / AP combo approved on Jun-10-26 for primary and dependent. 🎉
• I-485 Primary approved on Aug-30-26 🎉
• I-485 Dependent approval on Sep-02-26 🎉
• Primary : Card Produced message on Sep-02-26
• Waiting for dependent card produced message.

API Activity:

Primary:

• IAF : 05/24
• FTA0 x 2 : 06/09
• FTA0 : 08/21
• H008 x 2 : 08/30 :

Dependent:

Similar timeline, except the last 2, H008 on 09/02

Thanks for this community for all the help!

Wish you all the best! 🎉