How to Check on Your Immigration Application

If you want to check on your immigration application, the first thing you’ll need is your case receipt number, which appears as a series of three letters followed by ten numbers. Then, you’ll want to go to the My Case Status website maintained by United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS), where you will be able to input your case receipt number. Do not put any dashes into the search bar, and double check to make sure you’ve entered it correctly. If you have, you will see the latest action taken in your case, as well as the next upcoming steps. If you are having difficulty tracking down your case receipt number, you can find it on every notification sent to you by USCIS, titled Notices of Action.   If you want to know how long it might take for your application to be processed, you will need a bit more information. First, you will need your form type or case type, which indicates the kind of immigration application you’ve filed. Then, you will need your receipt number (the same one from above), your receipt date, and the USCIS Office handling your case. All this information can be found on any Notice of Action you’ve received. With that information in hand, you can then go here to submit your case inquiry, by selecting the appropriate option for your request.   It’s worth noting that the stated processing times for these applications are estimates, and they can often be shorter than stated. For example, although the stated waiting time for I-485 “adjustment of status” applications is between 25 and 35 months, many are processed within two years. However, the system can be capricious, and even two similar applications, filed at the same time, can have different processing times.   With immigration policies rapidly changing under the Trump administration, it is important that non-citizens living in the U.S. seek the guidance of an experienced immigration lawyer who can advise them on pathways to citizenship and protect their rights during the process. The lawyers at Bretz & Coven, LLP are experienced in representing New York and New Jersey residents in various immigration matters, including asylum applications, deportation defense, and visa applications. To schedule a consultation with our New York immigration lawyers, call (212) 267-2555.