E-Paper
Family self-deports from US after 11-year wait for Green Card, details 'stressful' experience
Family chooses to self-deport from the U.S. amid prolonged immigration backlog after more than a decade in limbo.
A family that spent 11 years in the U.S. waiting for a Green Card has decided to self-deport, a member said in a Reddit post. In the post, the Reddit user called the experience “stressful” and emblematic of frustrations facing many immigrants today.
The family shared the decision in a post on the USCIS subreddit detailing the emotional and bureaucratic toll of the process.
Read more: Green card update: Any relief for Indian applicants? All on new visa bulletin
“Today, this country is all about wars, terrorism, taxation…”
The user described having their asylum approved after eight and a half years, only to continue waiting for the Green Card (Form I-485) for months after an interview.
They wrote that after nearly 11 years of living in the U.S. with lawful status but without permanent residency, their family chose to “self-deport” due to urgent personal circumstances and the psychological toll of the wait.
The post read, “We can not wait any longer, we don't want to die by waiting for a green card, we are not animals, we are human beings, please understand us... The immigration system is rigged and corrupt.”
The user further criticizes the stress of living in the country and writes, “Many people died to build a good country, but when we look at today, this country is all about wars, terrorism, taxation without representation and so on. It's very sad to see ...”
Read more: US Immigration lawyer explains how couples can get Green Card under new rules
USCIS backlog and immigration delays
Visaverse reported that more than 4 million people were waiting for immigrant visas as of November 2023. These long waits stem from annual visa caps, per-country limits, and administrative slowdowns that leave many applicants in limbo.
Since May 2025, immigration processing delays and family separation have been worse due to visa interview freezes in Mexico and Colombia.
Mexico accounts for the largest portion of the backlog (1.2 million), followed by India (291,000), the Philippines (288,000), the Dominican Republic (251,000), and China (231,000).
USCIS has made an effort to expedite the process. After processing close to 11 million filings and completing 10 million cases since 2022, USCIS projected a 15% reduction in its internal backlog by early 2025.
However, Green Cards (Form I-485) and some other forms still have longer wait times than the USCIS target set for 6 months.
