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Case Stories
✅ EB-3 Spousal (IR-1) Approved - Brazil PD October 2025
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✅ **Case Status: Approved**
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A Brazilian national married to a U.S. citizen filed I-130 and I-485 concurrently in October 2025, navigated an early RFE on the I-864 (Affidavit of Support), and was approved following a 40-minute USCIS interview in Norfolk, VA. The total process from filing to card production took approximately 5 months. The case initially faced uncertainty due to potential immigration restrictions related to country of origin, but was ultimately approved.
Case Type: Immediate Relative (IR-1) - Spouse of U.S. citizen
Filing Method: Concurrent filing (I-130 + I-485 together)
Field Office: Norfolk, VA
Timeline:
- Oct 2, 2025: Case received by USCIS
- Oct 7, 2025: RFE issued for I-864 (Affidavit of Support)
- Oct 30, 2025: RFE response submitted
- Oct 31, 2025: Biometrics scheduled
- Dec 1, 2025: Interview notice received
- Jan 20, 2026: Interview conducted (40 minutes)
- Jan 21, 2026: I-130 approved
- Feb 20, 2026: I-485 approved
- Feb 26, 2026: Green card produced
- Feb 27, 2026: SSN arrived
Interview details: The interview was conducted in English by the applicant despite bringing an interpreter for precaution. Questions covered relationship authenticity (finances, cohabitation details, daily routines, shared living space), and a traffic violation disclosed on the application was resolved with supporting documentation. Officer verbally indicated approval at the end of the interview pending country-of-origin review.
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**[📎 View Original Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/greencard/comments/1rgx35y/i485_approval/)**
*Source: Reddit GC timeline*
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*This post was automatically curated from online sources to share real case experiences with the community.*
This case resolved in approximately 5 months from filing to card production at the Norfolk, VA field office — notably fast for a spousal green card with an interview. Key observations for similar cases: (1) An I-864 RFE was issued just 5 days after filing, suggesting early document review at this office — have a fully documented I-864 with tax returns, pay stubs, and employment letters ready to expedite RFE response. (2) The gap between interview (Jan 20) and I-485 approval (Feb 20) was exactly one month, likely due to the officer's stated concern about country-based immigration restrictions — applicants from countries on executive order restriction lists should anticipate a post-interview administrative processing delay even after a successful interview. (3) Biometrics were scheduled the day after the RFE response was submitted, indicating the office moves quickly once paperwork is in order. (4) From interview notice to interview date was about 7 weeks. Spousal IR-1 cases at offices currently scheduling interviews are seeing 4-6 month total timelines when filed concurrently.