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Reviewed July 31, 2026

How do I check my USCIS case status?

Use the receipt number on the USCIS receipt notice in the agency’s official Case Status Online tool. Do not enter an A-Number, Social Security number, or payment confirmation number.

Direct answer

The USCIS receipt number is a unique 13-character identifier made of three letters followed by 10 numbers. Enter it without dashes; include any other characters printed as part of the number.

Find the correct receipt number

Look on Form I-797, Notice of Action, or the online filing receipt. A family filing can produce a separate receipt number for each form or person. Track each number separately and keep the full notices; a receipt proves USCIS accepted a filing for processing but does not mean the benefit was approved.

Use the official status tool

  1. Open USCIS Case Status Online from USCIS.gov.
  2. Enter the receipt number exactly as instructed, omitting dashes.
  3. Read the latest action and any instruction shown.
  4. Save a copy for your records, but rely on the formal notice for deadlines and required responses.

WhatDoIFile does not collect receipt numbers or provide a case lookup.

Online accounts and mailed notices

A USCIS online account may provide case history, electronic notices, and secure messages for eligible filings. Adding a paper-filed case to an account does not replace the mailed notice. Keep the mailing address current with USCIS and follow the official address-change rules that apply to the case.

Status is not the same as processing time

The status tool reports events in a particular case. The processing-times tool reports estimates for a form, category, and office. An estimate is not a deadline or guarantee. Use the official inquiry-date calculation for the correct form and office before submitting an outside-normal-processing-time inquiry.

If the status or notice indicates action

  • Follow the notice itself for a Request for Evidence, interview, biometrics appointment, or other response.
  • Use the USCIS e-Request or Contact Center route that matches the issue, such as a notice that was not delivered or a case outside normal processing time.
  • For a possible online-account technical problem, use USCIS account support rather than refiling the benefit request.
  • Seek advice from an authorized immigration attorney or Department of Justice–accredited representative when a notice affects legal rights or requires an individual legal analysis.

Protect case information

Use only a USCIS.gov or DHS-authorized account page. Do not post a receipt notice publicly; it may contain personal information. USCIS does not charge a fee merely to use the public case-status tool.

Official sources

Related resources