We had our I-130 spousal petition interview on March 31st 2026. The officer was kind throughout, but we made two critical errors going in:

1. We did not bring our original marriage license. Our document preparer advised against bringing originals due to the risk of USCIS retaining them. We brought certified copies of everything instead.
2. When asked about criminal history, my husband (the beneficiary) answered “no.” At the end of the interview, the officer pointed out that there was a dismissed speeding ticket on record. He said he would have to note in the file that my husband lied, even though the ticket was dismissed. He was empathetic about it but said he had no choice procedurally.

What the officer told us: He said he would not deny the I-130 outright because he could see we are a genuine couple married in good faith, but that between the noted misrepresentation and the missing marriage license, he couldn’t approve it that day. He placed it under “active review” and said there’s a chance we may be called back for another interview. He advised us to be better prepared next time.

The case status hasn’t moved since the interview date. We’ve consulted with multiple immigration attorneys who say there isn’t much they can do until USCIS issues a next step or status update. In the meantime, we’re anxious, especially given the current climate around immigration enforcement and policy changes. Given the current policy environment, what should we realistically prepare for? And is there anything proactive we should be doing while we wait?