A USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) case status is an online indicator of the stage a submitted application or petition has reached. According to the official description, checking requires the 13-digit receipt number from Form I-797C, Notice of Action, and the standard messages show where a case stands — from receipt through final decision.

How the System Works

Case progress can be checked online through the Case Status Online tool or by phone, as the official resource describes. Online checks require the 13-digit receipt number from the application or petition. Status updates appear with a delay and do not reflect changes in real time; email and SMS notifications about status changes are available through a my.uscis.gov account.

The receipt number consists of 13 characters — three letters followed by ten digits — and is printed on Form I-797C, Notice of Action. The first three letters indicate the intake channel or service center: IOE covers cases processed through the USCIS electronic system (including some paper filings); EAC, WAC, LIN, SRC, and MSC correspond to service centers. For phone inquiries from within the United States, USCIS lists the contact center at 1-800-375-5283 or TTY 1-800-767-1833; callers outside the United States are directed to 212-620-3418 or a USCIS international office.

For those who filed a visa application, status can be checked through the U.S. Department of State's Visa Status Check portal by selecting the visa type (immigrant or nonimmigrant) and entering the case number. A separate system — the Automated Case Information System (ACIS) — provides basic status information on certain cases before an immigration court or the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA); not all cases and not all information are displayed, and only documents issued directly by the court or the Board are considered official.

Common Status Messages and What They Mean

USCIS displays brief system messages about case status. The explanations below are editorial descriptions based on observed practice, not official USCIS definitions.

  • "Case Was Received" — USCIS has received the application or petition, created a record, and issued a receipt notice (Form I-797C). The case is in the processing queue and may not yet have been reviewed on the merits; cases can remain in this status for months.
  • "Case Is Still Being Processed" — the application remains in the queue awaiting further action; this message does not by itself indicate a problem.
  • "Case Is Being Actively Reviewed by USCIS" — the case has moved from basic intake processing into a more active review stage. This does not mean an officer is literally examining the file at that moment, nor does it guarantee an imminent decision; cases can remain in this status for weeks or months.
  • "Request for Evidence Was Sent" — USCIS has sent a Request for Evidence (RFE, Form I-797E) with a response deadline; the case is on hold until a response is received or the deadline passes.
  • "Interview Was Scheduled" — USCIS has determined that an in-person interview is required and has set a date; an appointment notice follows.
  • "Case Was Approved" — the application or petition has been approved; an approval notice (Form I-797) follows.
  • "New Card Is Being Produced" — a green card or Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is being printed, after which it is mailed.
  • "Card Was Mailed" / "Card Was Picked Up By The United States Postal Service" / "Card Was Delivered" — sequential USPS delivery statuses.
  • "Case Was Denied" — the application was not approved; the specific timeframe and available options (motion, appeal) are set out in the decision itself. Thirty days is a typical appeal window to the AAO, but it does not apply universally to all form types.
  • "Case Was Returned to Department of State" — applies to consular-processing cases: the case is returned to or transferred into the jurisdiction of the Department of State (NVC or a consulate); the specific context depends on the individual case.

USCIS also provides a basic timing reference: applicants generally compare their wait against the published processing times at egov.uscis.gov/processingtimes, and inquiries submitted before a case exceeds normal processing times are typically closed without action. Even without a pending application, the processing times tool allows an estimate of expected duration by selecting the form, form category, and the USCIS office handling the case. Further detail on forms and related notices is available in the USCIS forms and fees section.

How do you check a USCIS case status?

According to the official description, checking is done online through the Case Status Online tool using the 13-digit receipt number from Form I-797C, or by calling the USCIS contact center by phone. Status updates appear with a delay and do not reflect changes in real time; notifications about status changes are delivered by email or SMS through a my.uscis.gov account.

What does 'Case Is Being Actively Reviewed by USCIS' mean?

USCIS describes this status as the case moving from basic receipt processing into a more active review stage. It does not mean an officer is examining the file at that precise moment, and it does not guarantee an imminent decision. The status can appear more than once on the same case — USCIS resets it after new information is received, such as a response to an RFE or completion of an interview.

What does 'Case Was Transferred' mean?

According to USCIS, the status "Case Was Transferred" means the case has moved to a different USCIS service center or field office. One common reason is workload balancing, or transfer to a field office for an interview, though the specific reason is not stated in the status message itself. The receipt number remains the same; this is described as a routine administrative matter, not an indication of a problem.

What does 'Case Was Received' mean?

This status means USCIS has received the application or petition, created a case record, and issued a receipt notice (Form I-797C). The case is in the processing queue and its merits may not yet have been reviewed. As USCIS notes, cases can remain in this status for months.