Overview:
USCIS applications can take months or years to process, leaving immigrants unsure of what comes next. This guide explains how to track your USCIS case, understand processing timelines and submit a service request if your application is delayed.
Filing an immigration petition with USCIS can be overwhelming — and long. Whether you’re applying for a work permit, for asylum or something else, you will have to wait until USCIS gives you a decision. There are official tools that can tell you approximately how long you will be waiting.
This guide will walk through a general timeline of a USCIS application with where to submit a help request if you’re encountering delays or other common processing issues.
This information is not a substitute for legal advice from a qualified attorney or accredited representative. The content was last updated December 2025.
Finding your receipt notice from USCIS
After submitting an application to USCS, you will get a form called an I-797C, Notice of Action, known as a receipt notice. Usually, you will receive this in the mail within a few weeks of submission. An example of the receipt notice below:
Photo Credit: USCIS.gov
The receipt notice will include important information about the application you just filed, including the form type, date of receipt, your receipt number and your A-number.
Check USCIS case processing
Once you receive this notice, you can use the USCIS case check case processing tool to check on the status of your application and where in the process your application is. You’ll need to share your receipt number, the name of the form you filed, the date it was filed, an email address and your A-Number, if applicable.
If you can’t find your receipt number, you can call USCIS at 800-375-5283.
After checking on the status of your individual application, you can then consult the USCIS case processing times tool to learn more about how much time it is generally taking the agency to process cases like yours. The tool asks for form type and the name of the USCIS processing center your case was assigned to, all of which can be found in your receipt notice.
Once you input this information in the case processing tool, you will see how long it is taking USCIS to process cases like yours.
You can also check out the chart of historic average processing times to see how long certain applications or petitions have taken in the past for USCIS to complete.
If my case is taking too long, when can I submit a service request?
If your case has been pending longer than the average case processing time, you will be asked to input your receipt date and then click “get inquiry date” to learn when you can follow up on your case. The inquiry date is when you can submit an inquiry to USCIS about the delay in your case. An example of that process is below.
Photo Credit: USCIS.gov/processing-times/
After completing these steps, you will better understand where your particular case falls within the general processing times of USCIS applications.
USCIS has many different options for submitting an inquiry depending on your issue if your application is delayed. There are options to:
These tools are meant to provide information and support for delays, however, if you continue to face issues, you can seek assistance from your congress person in escalating the inquiry. Here is where you can find out who represents you. Once you find your representative, you can visit their website for more information about how they can support you in following up with USCIS. This page is an example of what the federal support services can look like for someone who lives in Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez’s district.
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