Many people wait impatiently to hear about their immigration cases, and no wonder; this is your life!

Sometimes a green card can take just a few months to go through, and sometimes it can be years.

Knowing that you can check the status of your USCIS or Immigration Case at any time can be an important way to avoid stress and remain patient while waiting for permanent residence.

1) CHECK YOUR USCIS OR IMMIGRATION CASE STATUS ONLINE

The USCIS website has a MY CASE STATUS webpage that you can go to, which is available in both English and Spanish. Remember that you will need your unique 13 digit receipt number to access your status. It will be made up of three letters, and ten numbers, and should be on the top of any notices of action you have received. DO NOT use dashes (-) between the numbers, but any other symbols that are there like stars (*) should be included.

An example would be AAA-07-012-54321. You would omit the dashes, and enter the number like this:

AAA0701245321

2) CHECK YOUR USCIS STATUS BY PHONE: 1-800-375-5283

Office hours for the National Customer Service Center (NCSC) are slightly longer than typical business hours: 8am-6pm Mon-Friday. If you need live assistance then you must call between those hours. There is also a 24 hour automated service if you don’t need to speak to a person. Make sure you have your 13 digit case number and enter it on the phone with no dashes using number keys for the letters.

MY ONE WARNING HERE IS THAT WE FREQUENTLY SPEAK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT GIVEN PROPER INFORMATION BY CUSTOMER SERVICE BECAUSE OF NUANCES IN IMMIGRATION LAW.  THAT IS USUALLY WHERE TOP IMMIGRATION LAWYERS COME IN.

3) CHECK YOUR USCIS OR IMMIGRATION STATUS IN PERSON

If you want to go to your local USCIS office and speak to a case officer in person you need to go to the USCIS Infopass website and make an appointment. This service is available in English and Spanish, and you can make or change all appointments online.

I REPEAT THAT MY ONE WARNING HERE IS THAT WE FREQUENTLY SPEAK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT GIVEN PROPER INFORMATION BY THESE OFFICERS AS WELL DUE TO HOW COMPLEX THE LA W IS.  THAT IS TYPICALLY WHERE THE BEST IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS HELP.

4) CHECK YOUR USCIS STATUS BY ASKING YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER

WHICH BRINGS US TO

INEVITABLY the best way to keep track of how your green card application – or ANY immigration status  is going- is by asking your immigration lawyer. They monitor your status, and keep you up to date of any changes or additions that need to be made. This communication saves a huge headache and ideally ensures that no mistakes are made through missed notices (or changes in status that might go unnoticed).

Waiting to hear about permanent residence status in the US can be a very stressful time, and having someone that you can trust who is looking after things for you is one of the best investments you can make in your future.