Immigration Status

Immigration status is a service provided by several federal agencies to enable petitioners and applicants to check on the progress of their cases. Visa applications may take years, as quotas are filled before a particular applicant is accepted for entry into the U.S., so applicants may well wonder about the status of their cases. Increased security measures have lengthened the processing time for almost all kinds of requests for temporary and permanent visas.

The National Customer Service Center (NCSC) not only offers general, automated information about immigration matters, but can provide information about processing of individual cases. The toll-free number is 1-800-375-5283; the TTY number is 1-800-767-1833. Operators are available local time in Alaska (8 AM-5 PM), Hawaii (8 AM-4 PM), and Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (9 AM-6 PM). Customers calling from any other location in the United States can get live assistance from 8 AM-6 PM, local time. In Guam, live assistance is available Tuesday through Saturday, 6 AM-11 AM, local time.

Immigration Status Info

To obtain immigration status information, a customer must have filed electronically, or filed at a Service Center, and must have a receipt/tracking number. Information about immigration visas for permanent residency or other immigration benefits is available if the customer has an A-number, any receipt number issued by the BCIS, and the last notice the customer received about the case. This service covers any pending application or petition at the Service Centers for naturalization, or any other kind of application filed at a local BCIS office.

A customer may also use the BCIS online customer services to check on immigration status. Customers can print out the brochure that tells about these services so they have a reference guide. The Case Status Service Online (CSSO) provides processing dates for applications and petitions.