The U.S. immigration system is not necessarily known for its speed. Once you have submitted your immigration application, whether it be a family-based green card application or an employment-based green card application, you will understandably be anxiously awaiting to hear back from the government immigration authorities about the processing of your case. This office is most likely the U.S Citizenship and immigration Services (USCIS). Your application processing time can vary greatly depending on what type of application you have filed. Here, we will talk about how you can check the status of your immigration petition/application.
How Do You Check the Status of an Immigration Petition/Application?
Filing your immigration petition/application can be an exciting thing. You may, however, find it anticlimactic as a long wait can follow. In fact, you may have to wait a few weeks or months to hear from the office tasked with processing your case. While delays are commonplace, they can be a real burden on a person anxiously awaiting immigration documents. Fortunately, USCIS offers a way for you to check the status of your immigration petition.
Once you submit an immigration petition/application to USCIS, you will, generally speaking, receive a receipt within several days or weeks. This receipt will have a 13-digit receipt number printed on it. It will start with three identifying letters that let you know which office is processing the petition/application. The letters will usually be something like EAC, SRC, or LIN. Your receipt number is important as it will give you the ability to track your case as it moves through the processing system.
If you do not receive a receipt after several weeks have passed, follow up with USCIS with either a phone call or an email. Some matters will be resolvable on the phone, others may require you to visit a USCIS office in person. If you need to go to a USCIS office, be sure to schedule an appointment. Bring personal identification with you along with copies of your application and other relevant materials.
With your receipt number, you can check the status of your immigration petition/application online by going to the USCIS “Case Status Online” page. Once there, enter your receipt number. You can also sign up for case updates from USCIS. You will need to create an account to do so. You may also want to take advantage of the “Check Case Processing Times” page of the USCIS website which will allow you to see how long it is taking USCIS offices and service centers to process different types of immigration petition/applications. With this information, you will be able to see whether your wait time is normal or if your petition/application has perhaps been lost among the other petitions/applications.
You can also check your petition/application status by phone. You can call the USCIS National Customer Service Center to do so. They will ask you to provide your receipt number and will, in turn, give you the latest update on your application.
Immigration Law Attorneys
If you should have any questions or need more information about the ways in which the U.S. and Canadian Immigration and Nationality Laws may impact you, your family, your friends or your colleagues, please contact us at the NPZ Law Group – VISASERVE – U.S. and Canadian Immigration and Nationality Lawyers by e-mailing us at info@visaserve.com or by calling us at 201-670-0006 (x104). You can also visit our Law Firm’s website at www.visaserve.com