Why Many Green Card Cases Stall and How Experienced Counsel Keeps Them Moving

Understanding the causes of delays and the value of strategic legal planning for permanent residence applicants.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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For applicants pursuing a Green Card, delays can feel indefinite as months stretch into years, case status updates remain unchanged, and uncertainty begins to overshadow long-term plans. While some delays are systemic, others arise from preventable structural issues. This article explores the common reasons why Green Card cases stall, including visa retrogression, requests for evidence, administrative processing, employment changes, and interview complications. It also highlights the importance of proactive case management and the value that experienced immigration counsel can provide in diagnosing the cause of delays, communicating effectively with agencies, advising on interim status protections, and identifying strategic alternatives to maintain forward momentum.

Why it matters

Permanent residence is a structured, multi-year journey that requires active management. Understanding the common causes of delays and having strategic legal guidance can help transform uncertainty into forward progress for Green Card applicants, ensuring they remain positioned for eventual approval despite systemic backlogs or procedural challenges.

The details

The article outlines several key reasons why Green Card cases can stall, including visa retrogression, requests for evidence, administrative processing and background checks, employment changes and portability issues, and interview complications. It emphasizes that permanent residence is not a passive process and requires proactive case management by experienced legal counsel to monitor case status, track regulatory changes, identify abnormal delays, file service requests, evaluate mandamus actions, and prepare supplemental evidence. The article also stresses the importance of maintaining compliance with status renewals, travel authorization, employment continuity, and address reporting requirements during periods of delay.

  • Permanent residence is a long-term, multi-year journey.

The players

Lara Akinlude

A dual-qualified U.S. and U.K. immigration attorney who authored the article.

Larhdel Law

The law firm where Attorney Lara Akinlude practices.

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What they’re saying

“Permanent residence is not a passive process. It requires active management.”

— Attorney Lara Akinlude, Dual-Qualified U.S. and U.K. Immigration Attorney (atlantanews-online.com)

What’s next

The article encourages readers to visit the author's law firm website at https://larhdellaw.com/ or contact the firm for more information about permanent residence planning.

The takeaway

This article highlights the importance of understanding the common causes of delays in the Green Card process and the value that experienced immigration counsel can provide in proactively managing cases, identifying strategic alternatives, and helping applicants maintain forward momentum despite systemic backlogs or procedural challenges.