To check any USCIS case you need a single thing: the receipt number. With it you see the official status in seconds, free and without an account. This guide shows you where it is, how to read it and what to do when the system says it cannot find your case.
The receipt number
It has 13 characters: three letters followed by ten digits, for example IOE0912345678 or MSC2290012345. It is typed as one block, with no dashes, asterisks or spaces.
The three letters tell you where the case was logged:
| Prefix | What it indicates |
|---|---|
| IOE | Filed online or processed in USCIS's electronic system (ELIS) |
| EAC | Vermont Service Center |
| WAC | California Service Center |
| LIN | Nebraska Service Center |
| SRC | Texas Service Center |
| NBC | National Benefits Center |
| MSC | National Benefits Center (formerly Missouri) |
| YSC | Potomac Service Center |
On numbers that do not start with IOE, the ten digits also tell a story: the first two are the fiscal year the case was received, the next three the working day of that year, and the last five the case's sequence number. A receipt like EAC2612345678, for example, was logged in fiscal year 2026. IOE numbers use an internal sequence and do not read that way.
Where to find it
- On the Notice of Action (Form I-797C), the letter USCIS mails when it receives your application. The number is in the top left corner, in the "Receipt Number" field.
- In your USCIS online account, if you filed online: it appears on each case in your list.
- In the text message or email USCIS sends when it accepts the packet, if you asked for one.
- On any later notice for the same case (biometrics appointment, request for evidence, approval notice).
Three ways to check the status
- MigraConnect, free and with no account: type the number into the case lookup and you will see the official status with its full description, the case history and the processing times for your form. In the app you can save your cases and, with MigraConnect+, get an alert on your phone every time the status changes.
- The USCIS case status page (egov.uscis.gov): the same status and description, without the history or the times.
- Your USCIS online account (my.uscis.gov): besides the status, the notices as PDFs and the option to send responses or documents. If you filed on paper, you can link the case to an account with the Online Access Code that comes on some notices.
How to read what you see
- The status is the English title, for example "Case Was Received" or "Card Was Produced". It is what changes when USCIS records an event.
- The description opens with a date ("On…" or "As of…") and repeats your receipt number. The instructions are here, for example what to do if a notice has not arrived by a certain date.
- The history lists the earlier events, newest first.
What each status means, grouped by stage, in What every USCIS case status means.
If the system cannot find your case
- "Invalid receipt number": check the format. It is exactly three letters and ten digits. The most common slips are mixing up the letter O and the number 0, the letter I and the 1, or copying a dash.
- "Case not found" on a new case: cases take a few days to appear after the receipt notice. Try again.
- "Status Is Not Available Online": USCIS does not show the status for that kind of case, or has pulled it temporarily. You can call the Contact Center.
- The number is right and the case still does not show: if more than two weeks have passed since the notice, call 1-800-375-5283 or file an e-Request.
Common questions
Can I check someone else's case?
With their receipt number, yes: the online status requires no identification. The USCIS online account, on the other hand, only shows the cases of the account holder or their representative.
How often does the status update?
Whenever USCIS records an event. It can go weeks or months without change and then change twice in a week when the case moves. That is why checking often, or getting alerts, pays off.
Is the status date the decision date?
It is the date USCIS recorded that status. The matching letter usually arrives one to two weeks later.
I lost the receipt notice
If you filed online, the number is in your account. If you filed on paper, any other notice for the case includes it; if you have none, call the USCIS Contact Center with your A-Number and your details.
Need additional help? Contact USCIS directly at 1-800-375-5283.