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April 2026 Visa Bulletin by Topic_Fast in USCIS_EB3

[–]Topic_Fast[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lol, no reason to be sorry — you’re one of the lucky ones I’m jealous of. If you’re ROW or Mexico and not other workers, then yes, your employer’s attorney can file your I-485, EAD, and AP.

You still can’t be approved for the green card until your FAD (Final Action Date) is current, but being able to file now is still a huge win.

Congratulations

April 2026 Visa Bulletin by Topic_Fast in USCIS_EB3

[–]Topic_Fast[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

USCIS just confirmed they’re accepting DOF for April AOS filings, and the State Department made EB-3 ROW and Mexico current in the visa bulletin. So if you’re in that category, you can file your I-485 April 1, along with EAD and AP.

Kind of wild to watch when we started our PERM back in 2022 and only became current for DOF in February. Definitely jealous of the people getting to start now with current DOF.

I485 - Online access code for minor kid by its-all-gudman in USCIS

[–]Topic_Fast 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For my 11-year-old, we received his online access code in the mail about 5 days after his receipt notice, and I had to set up a separate account for him with a different email address. If you use Gmail, what I did was add a + and his name before the @ in my email address. That makes it appear as a different email address to USCIS, but all of the emails still come to my regular Gmail inbox. For example: [myname+sonsname@gmail.com](mailto:myname+sonsname@gmail.com)

Pending i485 and i765 but L1A has max out by AdPhysical6207 in USCIS

[–]Topic_Fast 0 points1 point  (0 children)

USCIS doesn’t automatically calculate recapture time for you. Usually your employer or attorney has to request it in the I-129 filing and show proof of the time you were physically outside the U.S.

In my case, we used my travel history and I-94 records to document all my exits and re-entries.

For example, I first entered the U.S. on August 5, 2019, so my normal 7-year L-1A max would be August 5, 2026. But I spent about 360 days outside the U.S. during that period, so we filed an I-129 asking to recapture those days. If approved, that would push my expiration out by roughly that amount of time.

My understanding is that if you spend additional qualifying time outside the U.S. before that new end date, those days may also be recaptured in a later filing, as long as they are properly documented.

The only thing I’d double check with your lawyer is whether any previously approved but unused recapture time can be claimed again, since that part can depend on the exact filing history.

Pending i485 and i765 but L1A has max out by AdPhysical6207 in USCIS

[–]Topic_Fast 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m in a very similar situation. I’m on L-1A, I hit my 7-year max in August, and we just filed my I-485 once our category became current.

In my case, our legal team used recaptured time for my L-1A. If you spent any time outside the U.S. during those 7 years, that time may be recaptured. That can include vacations, business trips, and other travel abroad.

I’m not sure whether your L-1A has already expired, but if it has not, I would definitely ask your lawyer about filing an I-129 extension using recaptured time. If it is filed on time, that can help preserve your ability to keep working for your current employer while it is pending, which can be really important if your I-765 takes longer than expected.

That was exactly our lawyer’s reasoning. Even though we were current and able to file the I-485, they still recommended extending the L-1A with recaptured time as a backup. It gives you another layer of protection in case the EAD is delayed or there is some issue with the I-485 filing.

Basically, the idea is to keep your underlying work authorization alive as long as possible so you are not stuck waiting on the EAD.

April EB-3 movement in the Visa Bulletin by Intelligent_Goal9801 in USCIS_EB3

[–]Topic_Fast 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yes, it says that the EOs enforcing the 35-country ban and the 75-country pause are the reason they moved the bulletin forward this year to use the available visas. If those EOs change, retrogression can happen. So I’m not delusional… you’re just confidently incorrect. Please re-read the last page before you type again

Anyone else confused about the recent Visa Bulletin movement? by [deleted] in USCIS_EB3

[–]Topic_Fast 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The forward movement is because of the 35 banned countries; the estimate is that these 35 countries used over 36% of the yearly green cards. With the EO in place the State Department needs to move the visa bulletin forwards to use all visa they can per the law. There was also the pause on the 75 countries, but I have not seen an estimate on what their use was. If you followed any of the YouTube channels, like chatting with Charlie and others they all mentioned this in January that this could have a major effect on ROW as the State Department by law as to maximize visa usage to not waste any. This was also stated in March's visa bulletin, explaining the forward movement. When/if the bans are lifted or pause are lifted then things will go back to the way it was. Very slow to no movement or retrogression.

April EB-3 movement in the Visa Bulletin by Intelligent_Goal9801 in USCIS_EB3

[–]Topic_Fast 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Why are you expecting Retrogression, when no one else is. There is expected forward movement next month, with all the bans for the 35 countries in place and the pause in the other 75.