I get sent to secondary inspection almost every time I enter the U.S. Is there anything I can do?

A: Yes. If you are continuously referred to secondary inspection and believe the referrals may be caused by incorrect or mismatched information in government systems, DHS TRIP is the formal redress process for travel-screening problems. A successful TRIP inquiry does not guarantee you will never be sent to secondary again, because CBP can still refer you for other reasons.

My visa expired, but my I-94 is still valid. Am I out of status?

A: No—not because the visa expired. Your visa is what you use to ask for entry into the United States. Once you are here, your I-94 controls how long you were admitted for, unless your record shows D/S. You still have to follow the rules of your status. You can check your latest I-94 at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/search/recent-search. If you leave the United States, you will usually need a valid visa to come back unless an exception applies.

I filed my N-400 under the three-year marriage rule, but my U.S.-citizen spouse and I may divorce before the oath ceremony. Can USCIS still approve me under that rule?

A: No, not under the three-year spousal provision if the divorce becomes final before the oath. The applicant must remain married to the U.S. citizen through naturalization, and separation can also affect the marital-union requirement. You may still qualify under the regular five-year rule if all of those requirements are independently met, but USCIS must be told about the change.

My OPT already ended and I was in the 60-day F-1 grace period when my employer filed a cap-subject H-1B change of status. Does cap-gap let me work again?

A: No. A qualifying cap-gap filing can extend your F-1 status during the gap, but if your OPT work authorization had already ended when the H-1B petition was filed, there is no employment authorization to extend. You can remain in status under the cap-gap rules if you qualify, but you cannot restart work just because of the cap-gap.

I filed an I-130 for my spouse. Does that mean my spouse can stay in the U.S. and work while we wait?

A: No. The I-130 is the family petition that proves the qualifying relationship. Filing it—or even getting it approved—does not by itself give your spouse immigration status or permission to work. Whether your spouse can stay, adjust status, or work depends on separate filings and on the spouse’s immigration history.