How to Track/Check Your USCIS Case Status Online: The process of obtaining your immigration document from USCIS is often complex, with several challenges. In order to ensure your pending case moves as quickly as possible, you need to stay up to date on your case status. If you’d like to track/check your USCIS case status online, there are several inquiry options available to you, including email, telephone, direct mail, apps, or in-person at your local processing center.
In this post, you will learn several options to effectively track your case with USCIS. You will also learn how to check the processing time for the USCIS Service Center where your case was filed.
4 BEST Ways of Tracking Your Case Status online with USCIS
Below are 4 BEST ways to Track Your Case Status online with USCIS.
- USCIS Online Case Tracking
The first and simplest way you can track the status of your case is by going online to the USCIS Case Status web page. In order to track your case, you need to enter the receipt number found at the top of your form, I-797C.
What is the USCIS receipt number?
A Receipt Number is a 13-character code that is used to identify and track applications and petitions for immigration benefits. It can be found on the I-797, Notice of Action
- Calling USCIS Customer Service
The second way to track the status of your case is by contacting USCIS over the phone. You can do this by calling USCIS Customer Service. One of the benefits of this method is that you can find out the status of your case without having your receipt number.
However, to do this, you need to talk to a USCIS agent and sometimes getting a hold of these agents could take as long as 2 hours.
- Email USCIS Service Center
The third way you could track the status of your case is by sending an email inquiry to the USCIS Service Center where your application was filed with the following information:
- full name
- birth date
- alien number (if applicable)
- date your application/petition was filed
- location your petition/application was filed
- receipt number (if you’ve received one)
If possible, include a copy of your receipt with your inquiry letter to facilitate the case status update process.
- Use Free 3rd Party Apps
The fourth and final way you can track your key status is by downloading the free app from the Google Play Store or the App Store.
One of the benefits of this method is that you get an immediate notification whenever there’s a change to your pending case.
How to Check Your USCIS Case Status by in Person
Lastly, you can inquire in-person about the status of your USCIS case. This will require you to make an appointment with your local processing center. Appointments can be made regardless of whether you are currently in the U.S. or not. To schedule an appointment, visit the USCIS appointment scheduling page.
Who Can Check Their USCIS Case Status
If you have submitted a visa application, extension, transfer or a green card application to USCIS, you will be able to check your USCIS case status online. USCIS also offers case status tracking for:
- Form I-140
- Form I-485
- Form I-765
- Adjustment of Status (AoS)
- Advance Parole
- Employment Authorization Documents (EAD)
- Citizenship
The types of applications you can check in the USCIS website include:
- H1-B Applications
- Green Card Applications
How to Check the Current USCIS Processing Time
You might also want to determine the current processing time of the USCIS Service Center where you filed your application. To do this, you want to go to USCIS.gov and on the homepage you want to click on Tools and on the topics you want to select USCIS Tools and Resources, and on the self-service Tools, you want to select case processing times.
To check the processing time for a specific form, you need to know:
- Petition/Form type
- Processing center
- Classification or basis of filing
For example, if we fought an I-765 application to the Texas Service Center.
On the forms, you select I-765 and on the field Office, you Select Texas Service Center and click on Get processing Time.
And now it’s going to display a table with an estimated time range and different form types received on different dates. See table below
Here’s how to interpret this table above.
The first number indicates how long it takes USCIS to process 50% of all the files received on April 22, 2020.
The second number indicates how long it takes USCIS to process 93% of all the files received on April 22, 2020.
For example if you take a look at the first row it shows that it takes 1.5 months for USCIS to process 50% of all the files petition for F1 students and five months to process 93% of all the petitions filed by F1 students on April 22 of 2020.
USCIS Case Status FAQ
Can I check my USCIS Case Status without a Receipt?
No, you cannot check your case status without a Receipt. If you do not have a Receipt, the status you are looking for will not be found online.
What is the USCIS receipt number?
A Receipt Number is a 13-character code that is used to identify and track applications and petitions for immigration benefits. It can be found on the I-797, Notice of Action
When will my USCIS case status be approved?
Different cases and forms take different amounts of time to process. A case can be processed in a few months or after more than a year, depending on the case. To look up the current processing time for a particular form, use the USCIS Check Case Processing Times page.
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DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you need legal advice, you may contact a licensed attorney.