Once you have applied for United States citizenship, you might want to know the status of your case. The government is very busy and has been known to lose important documents. Here is how to check immigration status online with an alien number.
“Check Government Website”
There are many ways to check your immigration status online, but the easiest may be the United States Department of Homeland Security United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website – “https://egov.uscis.gov/”. You or your representative will need to enter the 13-character application receipt number to view your status. The website has a nice timeline showing the advancement of your case – Acceptance, Initial Review, Request for Evidence, Decision and Card Issuance are just some of the categories.
The system is being modernized allowing you to create an account on the website. You can also receive phone, email or short message system (SMS) text messages to notify you of updates when you “Sign-Up for Case Updates.” You can submit a service request by clicking “e-Request”. The USCIS site also lists the average processing times for various forms.
“Other Ways to Check Status Online”
Sometimes, the government website can be a little slow and might not have the most up-to-date information on your application status. Besides the government website, you can check your immigration status online using a number of other methods. The USCIS has created a system called “INFOPASS” allowing you to talk to an immigrant officer directly.
You could call an immigration service center. You could contact service centers using email. The country is divided into different regions with service centers for each. If you do not receive an email response within three (3) weeks, you should contact the center again.
Citizenship is a serious matter and your congressional representatives have power over the process. After exhausting these other paths, you could contact your local congressional officials and discuss your inability to find your case status with them. Or contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). They have the legal duty to manage investigations within the country.
If you still can’t get a credible answer, you could threaten to file a lawsuit. Government bureaucrats don’t want to waste resources going before a judge or court. Under the Freedom of Information Privacy Acts (FOIPA) you have the legal right to information on your immigration case status.