1R-1/CR-1 Spouse Visa

[Diane Owino 2]

Hello all,

I am new to the forum.

I am a U.S. citizen who got married last August, 2021 to my husband in Kenya. I came back and found an immigration lawyer in St. Louis, Mo who filed our I130 petition in September, 2021. The case started in the Potomac Service center but according to the lawyer was transferred to the Texas Service Center. When I look our case up on the USCIS website, it says as of March this year it is under review. But it does not tell me the service center it is in. I sent a inquiry to USCIS last night to obtain this information. They will get back to me near the end of September.

Is there another way I track this and see the information? How long will it take for us to get our approval letter?

 

Next, the lawyer  filed the I-485 application to register permanent residence or Adjust Status in December, 2021 after the I130 petition. My husband was denied obviously because he has never been to the United States.

Can we apply again for this application once he comes to the United States? Will this hurt our chances of him getting a Green card? Finally, because the lawyer started this process how long should I stick with this lawyer?

 

Thanks,

Diane

[powerpuff 6,697]

You can try the Emma chat to get a live agent and ask them about the service center.

 

5 minutes ago, Diane Owino said:

How long will it take for us to get our approval letter?

Sorry, nobody here can predict that, it’s different for everyone. You can find processing times on USCIS.gov and also see immigration timelines here on Vj.

 

5 minutes ago, Diane Owino said:

Next, the lawyer  filed the I-485 application to register permanent residence or Adjust Status in December, 2021 after the I130 petition. My husband was denied obviously because he has never been to the United States.

Can we apply again for this application once he comes to the United States? Will this hurt our chances of him getting a Green card? Finally, because the lawyer started this process how long should I stick with this lawyer?

Wow, the incompetence of some attorneys is just mind boggling. He just made you throw 1300$ in the wind for absolutely nothing. Why do you need to apply for that at all if your spouse will become a green card holder the second he enters the US on his spousal visa?

Edited August 29, 2022 by powerpuff

[Timona 4,207]

Hehehehe a lawyer filed I-485 for your spouse who hasn't even stepped in US yet? Additionally, having filed an I-130, he doesn't need to file I-485 upon landing. 

 

My advise: Fire that lawyer today. But before you do, make sure you gather all your documents from him and do AR-11 to change address to yours IF he had the USCIS correspondences going to his address. 

 

Next, it takes 1.5 to 2 years, 1.5 if you're lucky, from filing to interview. So do not bother USCIS with unnecessary inquiries. You cannot jump the queue. 

 

Fire that attorney ASAP. He just proved he doesn't know anything about immigration. People here on VJ did or are undergoing the process by themselves. If you have questions, post and you'll be guided, free of charge. 

[SalishSea 17,828]

15 hours ago, Diane Owino said:

Hello all,

I am new to the forum.

I am a U.S. citizen who got married last August, 2021 to my husband in Kenya. I came back and found an immigration lawyer in St. Louis, Mo who filed our I130 petition in September, 2021. The case started in the Potomac Service center but according to the lawyer was transferred to the Texas Service Center. When I look our case up on the USCIS website, it says as of March this year it is under review. But it does not tell me the service center it is in. I sent a inquiry to USCIS last night to obtain this information. They will get back to me near the end of September.

Is there another way I track this and see the information? How long will it take for us to get our approval letter?

 

Next, the lawyer  filed the I-485 application to register permanent residence or Adjust Status in December, 2021 after the I130 petition. My husband was denied obviously because he has never been to the United States.

Can we apply again for this application once he comes to the United States? Will this hurt our chances of him getting a Green card? Finally, because the lawyer started this process how long should I stick with this lawyer?

 

Thanks,

Diane

Sounds like you got scammed by a lawyer who doesn't know even the basics about US immigration.

 

I suggest you start educating yourself about spousal visas.  Not doing so costs time and money, as you've found out.

[roxydye 22]

Oh I feel so bad for you, I think we’ve all been in that position at one point in our journey when we just wanted someone else to deal with it instead.

I will give you the same advice as the rest of the people, get rid of your lawyer. I’m a very anxious person that second guessing myself every step of the way but we did our paperwork our self’s just digging on this forum and google.

[pushbrk 12,882]

Not just fire the lawyer but get reimbursed for any fees associated with filing the I-485.  (Fee to him AND fee to USCIS)  If this isn't immediately refunded, hire another lawyer to sue him on contingency.

Edited August 30, 2022 by pushbrk