I-485 Approval: EB-2 PERM with Cross-Chargeability from Mexico

A community member on Reddit's r/USCIS forum has shared a detailed I-485 approval timeline for an EB-2 PERM case utilizing cross-chargeability with a Mexico-born spouse. The priority date was October 3, 2023, and the receipt notice was sent on November 24, 2025. The case progressed through biometrics for both the primary applicant and derivative in early January 2026, followed by a Request for Initial Evidence (RFIE) for a marriage certificate on January 9, 2026. The RFE response was received by USCIS on February 2, 2026. Notably, the case was transferred to the Queens Field Office (a non-local office) on February 17, 2026, which is a routing pattern some applicants experience when cases are adjudicated outside their home jurisdiction. Silent timestamp updates preceded the transfer, a commonly observed indicator of backend processing activity. The I-485J supplement was approved on March 12, 2026, with both the primary and derivative I-485 applications receiving final approval on March 13, 2026, within a 30–40 minute interval, confirmed by the H008 approval event code. This timeline is particularly relevant for EB-3 and EB-2 applicants exploring cross-chargeability as a strategy to use a spouse's more favorable country of birth for visa bulletin purposes. The relatively swift adjudication after RFE response — approximately 40 days — may offer benchmarking insight for similarly situated applicants.