If you have put in an application for immigration, then you may be wondering the status of that application. Namely, you may be wondering whether your status has been approved or what you need to do next. If you are like most people, then you are probably quite busy. This means that checking status online can be the quickest and most effective way to get things done. Can you check your status online with just your alien number? The answer to that question is no, but there are other numbers that will allow you to check your status online through the federal government’s website.
Putting in an application for citizenship or immigration status
When you seek immigration status, you have to submit an application to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, better known as USCIS. When you do so, they will provide you with a receipt that will essentially confirm that you have sought status. On your receipt, you will find a receipt number. This, rather than your alien number, is the number you will need in order to check your immigration status online.
The next step is to go to the USCIS website with your immigration receipt number. When there, you will be asked to enter this number along with some other information. You may be required to submit your full name and birth date. It should match what you submitted when you first put in an application to the USCIS. This information will allow the automated system to pull up your information. When it does, it will provide you with an update on what has taken place on your case. You’ll get information on whether your case is pending, whether a decision has been made and any pending action that is needed from you.
What if I don’t have this information?
There are often cases where people won’t have their receipt number. Perhaps you lost the documentation. Perhaps you can’t figure out which number to use or the system is not pulling up your status when you enter what you think is the proper number. When these things happen, you will need to put in a phone call to the USCIS. While the agency prefers to handle most of its business on the Internet, it does handle phone calls to make things easier on people who may have these sorts of questions.
You will need to call 1-800-375-5283 and explain what has happened in your situation. Generally speaking, the people there will be willing to help you locate your receipt number as long as you can provide them with enough information to identify the application. Once you have the receipt number, you will be able to go online to the USCIS website and check your application again. You should expect lengthy processing times when you call, as the USCIS can sometimes be overwhelmed with phone calls. However, if you have the patience to do so, you will likely get the information you need by making this call.
Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!