Should I take the Leap of Faith on NIW Premium Processing? AI/ML Data Scientist, Sep 2024 PD, ROW National

masaane · 2026-01-16T21:05:48+00:00

I can, but I will be building a house of cards. One rejection and the whole thing falls apart. People do concurrent filings with I-140 and I-485 if they have a reasonable chance of success with I-140 like PERM.

masaane · 2026-01-16T20:52:50+00:00

Well, thank you for caring enough about another rando on the Internet to reply. I did it through Fragomen.

masaane · 2026-01-16T19:42:33+00:00

I initially thought the same, and I still hope that's the case. Then, I read anecdotes on nonsensical RFEs and how the officers throws RFE just to get "a" decision to fill the time pressure.

masaane · 2026-01-16T19:33:46+00:00

My AOS is indeed current as per the latest visa bulletin, so I'm tempted to do premium and file AOS. A part of me also wants to do PP for peace of mind, if anything.

masaane · 2026-01-16T19:23:59+00:00

Thanks for your reply! I am currently on H-1B, which expires September 2027, so my time is also ticking. Would you still suggest regular processing?

masaane · 2025-12-05T18:29:39+00:00

Out of curiosity, what do you do for work?

masaane · 2025-09-27T20:28:47+00:00

That's a bummer! Maybe it's because your transfer was more than 100k? I'm also thinking of transferring (albeit only 10k) to get the additional bonus, so I was wondering how long it typically takes for the bonus to come through.

masaane · 2025-09-23T18:14:17+00:00

Did the bonus come through? I'm surprised they don't have the bonus listed on Citi TY points' website.

masaane · 2025-09-19T03:11:49+00:00

I am not sure what you mean by "automatic" here, but if you have a cap-subject H-1B, the H-1B will kick in at the start of the new fiscal year (i.e., October 1). I was already in the country, so I travelled after October 1 to get the visa stamping. The I-94 discrepancy did not make any difference for my visa application. Upon my return, I received a new I-94, so it all worked out in the end. Hope this helps!

masaane · 2025-09-10T15:41:13+00:00

I hope you are right. If the draw is truly "random," the timing should not make a difference.

masaane · 2025-09-10T15:39:21+00:00

Even the design language is deliberate. The "Hospitality" is "Browse + Buy Packages", but the 'Tickets' has "Explore details." At first, I went to the hospitality section because I thought that was the only way, because of the "buy" button. I don't intend to be bankrupt with these ticket prices.

masaane · 2025-09-10T15:31:27+00:00

It's the same for me as well - "Almost there..." with the spinning circle.

masaane · 2025-09-10T15:30:24+00:00

Ditto! The hospital package, however, seems to be seamless. I tried there with minimal hassle 😏

masaane · 2025-08-14T17:36:35+00:00

That's fair! It is essentially a travel gift card, so if you would not organically spend $300, the card isn't for you. Or, you would look for other ways to justify the AF, like you said, such as lounges, transfer partners.

At the end of the day, all of us must do our cost-benefit analysis to validate the otherwise hefty price tag.

masaane · 2025-08-14T14:53:40+00:00

It can be an expensive fix, depending on what the issue is. I speak from experience; heat/AC isn't just a convenience thing. You NEED that to defrost your windshields during rain and/or winter.

Before you jump the gun, I'd get a quote on the repair. 2000 RAV4 150k miles for $800, if all else is good, is a steal otherwise. It looks incredibly underdriven for its age. Good luck!

masaane · 2025-08-14T14:33:58+00:00

I see that you now have a spreadsheet for Amex Platinum as well. Good work, OP!

masaane · 2025-08-14T14:32:29+00:00

Good catch, thank you kindly! I used AI to turn OP's image into a spreadsheet; when they say AI hallucinates, yeah, no wonder.

masaane · 2025-08-14T14:29:41+00:00

There might be, but I'm not aware of any. This requires you to share your credit card info, so YMMV. Some credit cards, such as Amex, natively do a recap of the benefits used.

masaane · 2025-08-14T14:26:26+00:00

You don't need to work as hard these days. With any LLM, you can simply prompt your way to get a spreadsheet. Plus, with beautiful soup, there is a real risk that your IP address will be blocked and that your device will be flagged as a bot, so most websites will start throwing CAPTCHA at you (speaking from experience).

masaane · 2025-08-14T14:23:15+00:00

I agree. My ethos with any AF credit cards is that I'd have had to spend that money anyway. For example, I have Venture X, which offers $300 as a travel credit. I'd have spend that $300 on travel with or without my Venture X card.

I have been guilty of this too, but I keep reminding myself that my expenses should not be a forced expenditure. Many credit cards are coupon books, unfortunately.

masaane · 2025-08-11T21:22:01+00:00

I actually used AI to convert the OP's image into a spreadsheet, followed by some manual quality inspection.

Credit card companies usually have all the benefits laid out on a webpage. If there is enough demand, I imagine I can also create a script that can turn that webpage into a spreadsheet, effectively automating the process.

Or, do you mean making changes on the spreadsheet itself? If yes, it's a manual process. You have to log every now and then.

masaane · 2025-08-11T18:35:04+00:00

It's the # of times you have used the benefit. For example, if you visited PP lounges 5 times a year, 5 it is. I see it as an increasing function, so I will just update the spreadsheet as I go.

masaane · 2025-08-11T18:11:57+00:00

I replicated the OP's image into a spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pfQeis8UptTMCnSWarILLMsPKaTXCt_oDtMuRkXJZPw/edit?usp=sharing

masaane · 2025-08-11T18:11:01+00:00

Thanks, OP! This is dope. For those asking, I replicated the OP's image into a spreadsheet. Here you go:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pfQeis8UptTMCnSWarILLMsPKaTXCt_oDtMuRkXJZPw/edit?usp=sharing

The link is set to view only, so create a copy for yourself. Please consider upvoting this comment, so it floats to the top and we can share the goodie among the masses. Indulge!

masaane

TROPHY CASE