Free Guide to Checking Your Immigration Case Status

Understanding USCIS Case Status Tools and What They Show

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) operates several official tools that allow you to look up information about your immigration case. These tools are free and available on the USCIS website. When you submit any petition, application, or request to USCIS, you receive a receipt notice with a unique case number. That number is your key to finding status information throughout your case.

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The main USCIS status tool is called "Check Your Case Status" on their website. You enter your receipt number, and the system shows you where your case stands in the process. The information displayed includes the current status of your case, the type of benefit you requested, and sometimes notes about what USCIS is doing with your case at that moment. According to USCIS data from 2023, millions of case status checks occur monthly on their system, making it the primary way people track their immigration matters.

It's important to understand what the status tool does and does not do. The tool shows you the status of your specific case based on information USCIS has entered into their system. However, the tool does not provide personal information about decisions that may affect you, nor does it replace official notices that USCIS mails to your address. The status you see is informational only—it's not a decision letter or official document.

There are several different status messages you might see, each meaning something different about where your case is in processing. A status might say "Case received and initial review started," which means USCIS has your case and is beginning to look at the documents you sent. Another common status is "Case is being actively reviewed by USCIS," meaning someone at the agency is currently working on your case. Understanding these messages helps you know what stage your case has reached.

The status information updates as USCIS processes your case, but updates don't always happen immediately. USCIS systems update overnight, meaning changes made during the day may not show until the next day. This is normal and expected. Checking multiple times per day is not necessary because the information won't change more frequently than that.

Takeaway: Save your receipt number in a safe place and check it occasionally on the official USCIS website. The status tool is your direct connection to information about your case, and it's always free to use.

How to Access the Official USCIS Case Status System

To check your case status through USCIS, you need to go directly to the official government website. The USCIS case status tool is located at uscis.gov/case-status. This is the only official USCIS status tool, and it is the most reliable source for your case information. You should never pay money to check your case status through a third-party website or service—doing so puts your information at risk and wastes your money.

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To use the tool, you will need your case receipt number. This is a thirteen-character number that starts with three letters followed by ten numbers (for example, MSC2312345678). You receive this number on your receipt notice, which USCIS mails to you after you submit your case. Keep this number safe—you will need it to check your status. If you cannot find your receipt number, check your email for any messages from USCIS, as some case types include the number in email correspondence.

The process of checking your status is straightforward. You go to the USCIS website, find the case status tool, and enter your receipt number. The system then displays information about your case. The whole process takes less than a minute. You don't need to create an account, pay a fee, or provide any personal information beyond your case number. This simplicity is intentional—USCIS designed the tool to be accessible to everyone.

Some people use USCIS online accounts to check their status instead of using the case status tool. If you created a USCIS online account when you filed your case, you can log into that account and view your cases there. The online account system, called myUSCIS, shows similar information and may include additional details depending on the type of case. Either method—the case status tool or myUSCIS—will show you current information about your case.

If you filed your case by mail rather than online, you still have a receipt number and can use the case status tool. USCIS processes paper cases the same way they process online cases, and they enter all receipt numbers into their tracking system. The only difference is the timing: paper cases may take slightly longer to appear in the system because USCIS must first scan and enter the information.

Takeaway: Bookmark the official USCIS case status page (uscis.gov/case-status) and use only that site to check your status. Avoid third-party websites that claim to check your status for a fee, as they are unnecessary and potentially unsafe.

What Different Case Status Messages Mean

When you check your case status, USCIS shows you a message describing where your case is. These messages are standardized, meaning the same message means the same thing for everyone who sees it. Learning what these messages mean helps you understand how far along your case has progressed. Common statuses include several stages that show the journey of your case through the system.

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The status "Case received and initial review started" appears when USCIS has received your case and begun looking at the documents you submitted. This usually happens within a few days or weeks of USCIS receiving your case. At this stage, USCIS is checking that you submitted all required forms and documents, and they are verifying that your case is complete. If documents are missing, you will usually receive a notice asking you to send them.

Another common status is "Case is being actively reviewed by USCIS." This message means that a USCIS officer has your case and is conducting a detailed review of your application or petition. The officer is examining your documents, checking background information, and determining whether you meet the requirements for the benefit you requested. This stage can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the complexity of your case and the current volume of cases USCIS is processing.

You might see a status that says "A decision is being made on your case" or similar wording. This means USCIS has completed their review and is in the final stage of determining the outcome. When you see this message, a decision is coming soon, though it may still take a few weeks to arrive in the mail.

Some statuses indicate that USCIS needs more information from you. Messages might say "Case requires initial evidence" or "Request for evidence has been issued." When you see these messages, USCIS has sent you a notice in the mail with instructions about what documents or information they need. You must respond to these requests by the date specified in the notice, usually within a set number of days. If you don't respond, USCIS may make a decision on your case without the information, which could result in a denial.

Once USCIS has made a decision on your case, the status will typically say something like "Case decision was mailed" or "Case was approved" or "Case was denied." At that point, the official decision letter is on its way to you through the mail. The mail service takes additional time after USCIS sends the letter, so you should receive the official letter within one to two weeks of seeing this status.

Takeaway: When you see a status message, read it carefully to understand what USCIS is currently doing with your case. If the status mentions a request for evidence, check your mail immediately and respond by the deadline given in the notice.

Processing Times and What Influences How Long Cases Take

Immigration cases are not processed quickly, and understanding realistic timeframes helps you manage expectations about when you might see status updates. USCIS publishes official processing time estimates on their website, broken down by case type and by the specific USCIS office handling your case. These estimates are based on the time it currently takes USCIS to process 80 percent of cases of that type. This means some cases are processed faster, and some take longer.

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Processing times vary significantly depending on the type of case and which USCIS office is handling it. For example, according to USCIS data, some family-based cases may take 18 months to several years, while employment-based cases have different timeframes depending on the visa category. Humanitarian cases sometimes move faster due to different priorities