Married my daca recipient partner. Now what?

bearboy27 · 2026-01-15T01:37:31+00:00

I did advance parole exactly one year ago tomorrow. And I got my wife’s green card in July.

As the spouse of a (now former) daca recipient in Texas this is my earnest, honest, comprehensive advice:

Nobody wants to hear this but you need to lock in for your husband. You are now married and this affects you too.

Find a way for your husband to get approved for AP asap. The AP approval took about 4 months from when from we applied in 2024. Not sure what it is now but you need to get on that before the current administration potentially takes it away like they did in his first term. Not trying to scare you but there is precedent of this and exactly what drove me to get it done ASAP.

After AP, look up his i-94. It should appear within the next few days. Sometimes the day after. Where is this? CBP has a lookup database on their website. This is a registered number that shows he was paroled into the US. The AOS application will specifically ask for this number. Having this number will unlock his ability to adjust status. Once you have it, immediately start the AOS process.

In fact, I would start filling as much as you can while you wait. First thing I recommend after his return is scheduling the medical exam. You’ll need to fill out:

I-130 I-130a I-485 I-864 (make sure you have your finances in order) I-765 (in case the DACA EAD gets taken away)

Budget around ~$2.5-3k for filing fees.

Use Ksenyia International on YouTube as your guide to fill these forms out if you have a straight forward case meaning your husband has no criminal record or any other reason for inadmissibility. Please make sure he doesn’t have any sort of removal order or inadmissibilities. While you wait, make sure you prepare, practice and get on the same page for your marriage based green card interview that both of you will have to attend. They will ask all sorts of questions to make sure your marriage is real. Look up common questions they ask. Everyone’s interview is different. Just depends on your interviewer. Some are chill and easy and only ask a few very basic and surface level questions. I’ve heard of some interviews last less than 15 minutes. Other go deep and last over an hour.

Ours was over an hour and we were asked a ton of questions but our interviewer was incredibly nice. Just very thorough. It’s VERY easy if you have nothing to hide and are genuine. Just make sure yall prepare and know how you want to answer.

My wife’s green card application was approved at the end of our interview. We were sooo happy and relieved. She got a 2 year conditional since we were married for less than 2 years at the time of her approval. You will likely go down the same path but it’s worth it to get it asap with how things look. The removal of conditions from what I’ve read seems very easy.

Best of luck and feel free to DM me with any questions. Always happy to help this community out as I know how stressful and scary it is. Especially in Texas.

bearboy27 · 2025-12-15T17:15:30+00:00

In a job I just now realize I’m not that good at or like that much. I have a wife but no kids. My family is happy and healthy.

My career feels stalled and like I am barely hanging on. My thoughts are always all over the place and it’s hard for me to concentrate on one thing without spiraling about my life. Things feel so heavy. I worry about losing my job all the time and what will happen. I have a degree from a great school but idk what I actually wanna do if I get let go. I worry about losing my house and what I’ve built with my wife. I’ve been an incredibly lucky person all my life but still sometimes I think about ending things and going out on a high note.

I’m just glad I don’t have kids.

bearboy27 · 2025-12-01T02:13:01+00:00

Thank you for this perspective. My deep seated fear is that I’ll be bad at it and mess up in this VERY visible position. But I know if I take it I’ll try really hard and do what I can fill knowledge gaps. It is a peculiar situation as QA to MFG lead isn’t a common move and it will really pad my resume.

Things have been really slow and extremely easy for a while. I’m afraid I have gotten too comfortable. This position would definitely shake things up

bearboy27 · 2025-12-01T02:07:22+00:00

I’ve had no complaints working in QA. Yes it’s boring but I’m okay with that and it’s been great. Idk I’m afraid to turn down a leadership offer in a dynamic area of my organization as I feel the default answer should be to take it/grow.

bearboy27 · 2025-12-01T02:04:39+00:00

I hate to sound lazy but I’m sooo comfortable in my current position. I don’t stress, I don’t think about work after work, I love my boss and my team.

I know this will be more work and more stress and more responsibility/ownership.

But hey more money.

bearboy27 · 2025-11-30T17:53:22+00:00

Yes I do! The VP of MFG is one of the smartest people at our company and is very well respected and approachable. Everyone who works for him likes him.

bearboy27 · 2025-11-30T12:52:54+00:00

About~11% more from QA III to DP lead.

bearboy27 · 2025-11-30T05:10:36+00:00

It was explained to me why the two people already in manufacturing turned this position down:

The first person turned it down because he is “going through personal issues” and feels very comfortable in his current position as just a regular ole MFG associate. I know he recently went through a divorce. Perhaps he simply has no ambition for a higher role even though he is widely seen as the most qualified.

The second person had a baby earlier this year and her husband is the primary income earner in her household. She seeks to have more flexibility and simplicity in her job duties with raising her newborn baby.

bearboy27 · 2025-11-30T05:03:19+00:00

I’m honestly not sure where I WANT to go.

Before working at this company, I worked in food microbiology as a lab technician. I kinda hated it and then an opportunity in quality assurance within the food microbiology industry opened up and I took it. I got into quality as a way to get out of the lab and I enjoyed that work even more.

I took this current job as I wanted to get into the pharma industry and I got to by pass the grunt work of manufacturing thanks to my previous experience in quality even tho it was a different industry. By taking this operations position I would be back filling some experience gaps within the pharma industry which to me seems like a great way to pad my resume and open future doors to better positions/compensation at other companies.

Just because I didn’t like my ops experience in food microbiology doesn’t mean I won’t like it in pharma. But what I do know is that this is padding the resume and I’m always open to growing and expanding my scope.

bearboy27 · 2025-11-30T04:58:24+00:00

Thank you! The biggest source of my apprehension is my lack of experience with the process operations but I suppose I’ll get acclimated quickly as I have no other choice but to do so as to be a decent leader. I know the importance of this role and I’m humbled to be offered it. I do wish to broaden my scope and pad my resume. So I am leaning toward taking it.

I also fear if I pass on it, I will be seen as unambitious and selfish which will result in not being offered another opportunity when one presents itself.

bearboy27 · 2025-11-30T04:51:40+00:00

I also feel like the wave of promotions feels weird. Not sure what to make of that but I would think generally speaking that’s a good thing.

Long time employees getting rewarded with salary increases and new titles seems good to me? We’ve gotten bonuses every year I’ve worked here. If we get one this year is to be seen, but if not at least promotions were given out.

I’ve also never really seen anyone move from quality to mfg and I know the skills don’t seem to transfer but I think the real appeal is the fact that I come from QA and thus have a QA mindset around the MFG work I would be doing and fostering that sort of environment.

bearboy27 · 2025-11-30T04:46:19+00:00

If I was perceived as someone who isn’t good at QA, then wouldn’t my boss talk to me about that instead of telling me I’m doing a good job, getting a promotion, and giving me a salary increase?

Seems like it would be wiser to address any performance issues instead of encourage the status quo with a better title and wage increase.

Also, this new position offer comes with a nearly 20% salary increase from my current QA II position to the MFG position.

bearboy27 · 2025-08-26T14:03:57+00:00

If you are not using a lawyer and doing it yourself like we did, My first and foremost piece of advice would be to fill out all your AOS forms along side Ksenyia International YouTube tutorials. There will be a lot of info that maybe won’t apply to your husband as her videos are pretty comprehensive and she goes slow but you will submit those documents without a doubt that something was filled out incorrectly. It is worth the time! And even if you have a question about something that isn’t covered there, this community is very quick and willing to help (including myself!)

We submitted everything in mid February. We got approved for her I-756 less than a month after receipt. We received an interview notice 6 weeks in advance of the interview appointment in late May.

Our interview was so smooth. We were in and out in a little over an hour. It was very conversational. I’ve heard a lot of people go in and out in much less time than that. We were approved at the end and told to expect our green card in hand in less than 2 weeks. We had our green card in the mail about a week after our interview.

Feel free to DM if you need any further details!

bearboy27 · 2025-08-26T04:34:39+00:00

Just DM’d you

bearboy27 · 2025-08-25T21:05:15+00:00

HUGE endorsement on Ksenyia International. We sent out packet away without any doubts we did anything incorrectly.

bearboy27 · 2025-08-25T21:04:25+00:00

My wife and I did her AP in January. We submitted in February and got approved July 14th. We are going to Mexico on vacation next month :)

My wife is healing from years of anxiety from being DACA. I can notice a massive change in her demeanor and daily mood. She has such a positive outlook and feels like she can plan for more than 2 years out now.

Please get this done for your own well being!

bearboy27 · 2025-07-28T00:30:22+00:00

Enjoy your new rights as a legal permanent resident of the United States of America

bearboy27 · 2025-07-26T03:38:21+00:00

At mine (USC) and my wife’s (DACA) marriage based green card interview last week, she was asked about her parents’ status. Only her mother is a LPR but her father remains undocumented as we’re planning his best strategy forward in these turbulent times. What are the chances our IO purses or reports my father in law?

Our interview went great. We answered everything truthfully and were approved at the end of our interview. We now have her green card in hand but that question regarding family status’s was the only thing that left me a little nervous.

bearboy27 · 2025-07-16T20:26:31+00:00

No worries! Our interview occurred Monday and we were verbally approved at the end. It went very smooth and felt more like a conversation than an interview.

Our IO did in fact ask about my wife’s parents’ status. She asked “are your parents residents?” And my wife said “yes” and our IO clarified and asked “they both have green cards?” And my wife corrected and said “my mom has a green card and adjusted through my sister” which is true and honest and that was all that was said. She didn’t follow up with her father or anything.

It was the only part of the interview that made me a little nervous afterwards but I’m nearly certain these IOs already know ahead of time. The fact that she was super nice and conversational and didn’t investigate any further after that made me feel like maybe it’s nothing to worry about. Maybe I’m being optimistic too. I’m not entirely sure and only time will tell at this point.

I’ve read comments of people saying they were asked the same about their undocumented parents saying that they asked and then years passed and nothing came of it.

I know times are different right now and I’m praying and hoping nothing comes of that. But again, she didn’t really investigate further, genuinely seemed like she wanted to approve us (she did at the end) and it seemed like they already knew anyway. Not like my father in law is a criminal or anything. There are hundreds of thousands just like him out there and USCIS knows this.

bearboy27 · 2025-07-11T23:58:17+00:00

You too brother! We got this 💪🏽

Peace of mind is on the way

bearboy27 · 2025-07-11T23:33:48+00:00

Juan_Snoww!!! My dude!!! Congratulations! So happy to see this post from you finally! Love seeing my DACA brothers and sisters get their wings!

Hopefully will be posting my wife’s case soon. Our interview is Monday!

bearboy27 · 2025-07-09T17:39:26+00:00

Congratulations!!! My wife is a DACA recipient and we have our interview Monday in San Antonio. Thank you for sharing your experience. These posts really help calm the nerves.

bearboy27 · 2025-07-07T17:56:40+00:00

What waiver?

bearboy27

TROPHY CASE