NTA Hearing : J1 students had her master hearing at New York Immigration Court

J1 Student With 1 mistake missed RFE response mail for change of Status to F1 lead you to immigration court.

Yesterday was a long and emotional day.

One of my J1 students had her master hearing at New York Immigration Court. Her scheduled time was 9:00 AM  we weren’t called until 2:05 PM.

Her situation is complicated. She had originally filed an I-539 to change her status from J1 to F1 by herself  but having her EB-3 Unskilled PERM pending with our agency while she in process of change status . A Request for Evidence was sent by mail, but she never received it and without a response, her case was denied. By the time it reached me, she had just 30 days to file an I-290B appeal. Unfortunately, the previous law firm submitted the wrong filing fee, and USCIS mention that it over 33 days when Immigration attoney try to resubmit document with correct fees and it leaving her out of status. 

It’s very hard for me because I know she one of talented immigrants  I have and because if she out of status. I have communicated with her that we need to withdraw her PERM that pending  with our sponsor. 

In early January 2026, she planned to get married and I was genuinely excited, already picking out a dress 👗 to attend her wedding. Her marriage license appointment was set for February 8, 2026. Then the NTA arrived couple weeks before appointment for register married, and everything changed.

But she and her husband chose to fight. They got married, and together we filed an I-130 petition with a deportation defense attorney. Today, we appeared before the judge and presented her marriage to a U.S. citizen and the pending I-130 even without the I-797C receipt notice in hand yet.

The judge was patient, professional, and kind  among the best I have seen on the bench. 👩‍⚖️ She instructed us to upload the receipt notice once received.

We don’t have a final decision yet. But when I see a person of good character, I trust their judgment. I remain hopeful.

This story reflects a much larger crisis. Since January 20, 2026, more than 195,000 Notices to Appear have been issued across the country, overwhelming an already strained immigration court system. The U.S. has approximately 17,613 immigration attorneys as of 2025 a 7% increase from the prior year — but demand far exceeds supply. And many facing removal proceedings simply cannot afford legal help.

To every immigrant navigating this system — keep going. You are not alone. 🙏

Author : Elizabeth Maruyama

Founder : America Visa Advisory

Website : http://avamigration.co

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