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Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about the CIS Ombudsman’s processes and topics related to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

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Otherwise, we have FAQs in these categories:

CIS Ombudsman Processes

By Topic

CIS Ombudsman Processes

About the CIS Ombudsman's Office

No. Our office is independent and not part of USCIS. We are part of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters and report directly to the deputy secretary of DHS.

Because we are not part of USCIS, we cannot approve or deny an immigration form or change a decision made by USCIS. We also cannot provide legal advice. Go to our How to Submit a Case Assistance Request page to learn what we can and cannot help with.

No. Under the Homeland Security Act of 2002, our office has the authority to address only issues that involve USCIS. See our Who We Are page for more details. For information on complaints or reporting concerns regarding other DHS components, please see our Reporting Poor Treatment section below.

How to Request Case Assistance

The CIS Ombudsman is an office of last resort for case assistance, and we ask that you first attempt to resolve the issue with USCIS before submitting a request to our office.

Go to our How to Submit a Case Assistance Request page to see how to seek help from USCIS. The page also includes the most up-to-date list of the types of issues we can and cannot help with. Please also read our Web Alerts page for recent updates that may affect you if you want to request case assistance from our office.

Please go to our How to Submit a Case Assistance Request page for instructions, including how to seek help from USCIS first. Please also read our Web Alerts page for recent updates that may affect you if you want to request case assistance from our office.

  • We strongly prefer that you submit your case assistance request online because it allows us to process your request more efficiently. Please remember to respond to all questions and submit supporting documentation with your request. If you are an attorney or accredited representative submitting DHS Form 7001 on behalf of your client, you can sign on behalf of your client in section 9, sign section 10, and upload your Form G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative, in section 8.
     
  • Make sure to submit supporting documentation, such as: 
    • A signed Form G-28, if applicable.
    • If you are an applicant or self-petitioner for (or previously were granted) T, U, VAWA, asylee, or refugee status, you need to submit a copy of your “wet ink” (non-electronic) signature (photocopy or scanned copy is acceptable).
    • Consent from the petitioner (employer or family member) who is sponsoring you, stating that they authorize us to reach out to USCIS and communicate with you on the specific matter, if applicable.
    • Correspondence with USCIS (notices, decisions, or SRMT submissions and/or responses).
    • If you are requesting case assistance because you believe there is clear USCIS error (such as a denial for abandonment despite the timely submission of a response or request for rescheduling), submit an explanation of why you believe there is an error, copies of the denial or rejection notice, the original submission, the RFE notice and response (if applicable), and the receipt notice for the appeal and/or motion to reopen or reconsider with supporting documentation.
    • If you are requesting case assistance for a missing receipt notice, submit a copy of the package you submitted to USCIS and proof of delivery.
    • If you are requesting case assistance because you think USCIS incorrectly rejected your form, submit a copy of the form you submitted to USCIS, proof of delivery, and the rejection notice with addendum/attachment. 
       
  • Please be mindful that filing a case assistance request with the CIS Ombudsman does not change your appeal and motion rights or extend any USCIS deadlines you may face. If you received a request for evidence or other notice requesting information, you must respond to USCIS within the timeframe noted on the notice even if you disagree with the request, or you risk getting denied for failing to respond. If you received a denial notice and believe there is clear USCIS error, you should file an appeal or motion to reopen or reconsider by the due date listed on the denial notice or you will lose your right to appeal.

For tips on how to best request our help, please see our tip sheet for submitting a case assistance request. If you are having problems completing Form 7001, you can call us at 1-855-882-8100 or email cisombudsman@hq.dhs.gov to ask for help. 

The petitioner is an employer or individual (such as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident) who files a petition on behalf of a noncitizen. The beneficiary is the noncitizen for whom the petition is submitted. We cannot assist the beneficiary of a petition unless the petitioner's consent is provided with the DHS Form 7001.

An applicant is the individual who signs and applies for an immigration benefit with USCIS. There are some circumstances where an applicant also needs a petitioner’s consent, such as with multiple applications/petitions filed together where the underlying petition has not yet been approved. For example, if an underlying immigrant visa petition (such as a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, or Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers) is not yet approved, the petitioner's consent is required to request information about the immigrant visa petition filed together with it (such as a Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status).

We need to see consent from:

A. The applicant or petitioner
The individual who signed the form submitted to USCIS must have signed and dated DHS Form 7001 to provide proper consent for the case assistance request.
  • Attorneys and accredited representatives can sign the online DHS Form 7001 on behalf of their clients. If you are an attorney or representative, you must:
    1. Have a Form G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative, on file with USCIS for the form for which you are seeking assistance.
    2. Sign section 9 (Consent for Applicant/Petitioner) of the form on behalf of your client.
    3. Complete section 10 (Consent for Attorney or Accredited Representative).
    4. Upload a copy of the Form G-28 on file with USCIS in section 8 (Supporting Documentation).
  • If you are an applicant or self-petitioner for (or were previously granted) T, U, VAWA, asylee, or refugee status:
    • Your address must match the address in USCIS systems. We can only communicate with you via U.S. postal mail to comply with the law and keep your case confidential. If your address with USCIS is incorrect, go to USCIS’ How to Change Your Address page to see how to update it.
    • If you do not have a legal representative, you must provide your “wet ink” (non-electronic) signature. You can do so by signing the consent part of the DHS Form 7001, scanning it, and uploading it as a supporting document with your online DHS Form 7001.
    • If any of these items is missing or inaccurate, we will close your case assistance request and will not be able to communicate with you until you correct the issue.
B. The petitioner (if you are the beneficiary of a form)
If you are requesting assistance on an application that depends on a pending immigrant petition (such as an employment-based Form I-140 or family-based Form I-130), please have the petitioner who signed the Form I-140 or I-130 also provide consent.
 
C. Attorneys or accredited representatives (if any)
A legal representative (if any) must submit a Form G-28, and it must match the one submitted to USCIS for the form for which you are seeking assistance.
 

No. Each family member experiencing difficulties with USCIS must file a separate DHS Form 7001 and provide us their consent. We research each individual’s case and reach out to the appropriate USCIS office with jurisdiction over each pending case. A parent may complete a DHS Form 7001 for a minor child.

If you also have a family member who needs case assistance, check the box in Section 5 of the DHS Form 7001 to let us know. After you and your family member(s) have each submitted a separate DHS Form 7001, you will each receive a confirmation email with your CIS Ombudsman request number (unless you requested that we communicate with you only by mail). Please then send an email with all related CIS Ombudsman request numbers to cisombudsman@hq.dhs.gov to make sure we link the case assistance requests together. This will enable us to work the cases together.

If you submitted a Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, that included multiple beneficiaries (such as for H-2A or H-2B visa classifications), you may list up to 25 of these beneficiaries on the same case assistance request (DHS Form 7001). Please include only the beneficiaries that you need our assistance with.

However, if you need our assistance with more than one receipt number, please submit a separate DHS Form 7001 for each. For example:

  • If you submit a case assistance request for a Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, that you filed together with Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, we will only inquire on either the Form I-485 or the Forms I‑765/I-131 (combo cards or otherwise) with USCIS. If you need assistance with all of these forms, please submit two case assistance requests: one for the Form I‑485 and a second for the Forms I-765 and I‑131. Then send us an email with all related CIS Ombudsman request numbers to cisombudsman@hq.dhs.gov so we may link the case assistance requests together. This will enable us to work the cases together.
  • If you are a U.S. citizen and you concurrently filed Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, with your immediate relative’s Form I-485, you can submit one DHS Form 7001; however, we must receive signed consent from both individuals (the petitioner and the beneficiary who is applying for a Green Card).

Our inquiries to USCIS are generally for one receipt number—with a few exceptions. The three situations where you can list multiple forms on the same DHS Form 7001 are:

Otherwise, if you would like our assistance with more than one pending application or petition, please complete a separate DHS Form 7001 and include the USCIS contact dates and SRMT confirmation numbers or USCIS responses for the specific receipt number.

If you experience problems uploading all your documents to the online DHS Form 7001 (for example, if your files exceed the file size limit), you can still file online. Follow these steps:

  1. Complete your DHS Form 7001 online and upload any files that you can in section 8 (Supporting Documentation).
  2. Within an hour of submitting your form online, you will receive a confirmation email from cisombudsman@hq.dhs.gov with your CIS Ombudsman request number (unless you requested that we communicate with you only by mail).
  3. Reply to the confirmation email and attach any additional documents to your reply.

We will confirm that we received your emailed documents and will attach them to your case assistance request in our system.

If you requested that we communicate with you only by mail, you may still email your supporting documents to us at cisombudsman@hq.dhs.gov. Please make sure to include your name and information to help us identify your case, such as your A-Number or receipt number. 

Expedites, Appeals, and Requests from USCIS

You must first request expedited processing from USCIS. Before you do so, review the criteria outlined in the USCIS Policy Manual. Not every circumstance that fits under one of the USCIS expedite criteria categories results in expedited processing. For example, if you request expedited processing for an application for employment authorization or student status, USCIS has stated it is not enough that you lost your job. You must provide evidence of other compelling factors that call for expedited treatment.

USCIS does not offer expedited processing for deferred action requests, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). For more information about requests for consideration of DACA, please visit USCIS’ Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) page.

Our office cannot grant an expedite request and we cannot submit the request to USCIS for you. However, if USCIS did not request supporting documentation from you before it issued a decision on your expedite request, we may be able to share your documentation with USCIS and ask that USCIS reconsider after reviewing the supporting documentation. When you complete the DHS Form 7001, please include:

  • A description of how you meet USCIS’ expedite criteria,
  • The date you submitted the expedite request,
  • The USCIS service inquiry confirmation number (also known as SRMT number), and
  • Copies of your documentation to support your expedite request.

Please note that we cannot overturn an expedite request that USCIS has denied.

No. Submitting a case assistance request to the CIS Ombudsman does not extend USCIS deadlines to respond to a request or other notice. If you received a request for evidence (RFE) or other notice from USCIS, you must respond to USCIS with the requested information by the due date on the notice, even if you disagree with the request. Otherwise, USCIS may think you have abandoned your case and deny it.

No. Submitting a case assistance request to the CIS Ombudsman does not pause or delay the time you have to appeal a USCIS decision. If you received a denial notice and believe there is clear USCIS error, you must file the appeal or motion to reopen or reconsider by the due date listed on the denial notice or you will lose your right to appeal. If you believe there is clear USCIS error, please provide us with copies of the denial notice, original submission, and appeal or motion with supporting documentation.

See USCIS’ Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion page and Questions and Answers: Appeals and Motions page for more information.

How We Process Your Request

Please go to the “After You Submit a Request” section on our How to Submit a Case Assistance Request page for details.

In FY 2022, we revised our triage and case assignment process to help identify case assistance requests that could be immediately addressed by USCIS. To identify these cases, we review the description provided in Section 2 of DHS Form 7001. Our goal is to assign these types of requests to one of our analysts within 14 business days. Our priority issues include:

  • Cases where you did not receive a USCIS notice or decision (such as requests for evidence, appointment notices, or decisions) even though USCIS systems indicate that it issued one (If you have a USCIS online account, be sure to check it regularly for any notices or secure messages from USCIS);
  • Instances where the U.S. Postal Service returned a Green Card or Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to USCIS as non-deliverable;
  • Certain cases where a noncitizen may “age out” of eligibility for the requested immigration benefit within 90 days (see Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) for additional information);
  • Certain cases involving U.S. military personnel and their families;
  • Instances of clear USCIS error where:
    • An application/petition was improperly rejected by USCIS due to clear errors of fact or obvious misapplication of relevant law by USCIS; or
    • You marked only consular processing on the Form I-130 or Form I-140 but USCIS has not forwarded your approved petition to the Department of State and more than 2 months have passed since the approval date; or
    • You submitted the required initial evidence with your form, but USCIS failed to acknowledge the evidence and denied the application/petition; 
  • Cases where someone is in removal proceedings before the immigration court with a hearing scheduled within 6 months and has an application/petition pending before USCIS that could impact the outcome of the removal proceedings;
  • Delays with USCIS notifying the Department of State’s National Visa Center of an approved petition; and
  • Expedite requests approved by USCIS more than 2 months ago.

To help us with our review during triage, please provide a clear summary of why you are requesting the CIS Ombudsman’s assistance in question 2 of your DHS Form 7001. You can also upload an addendum that provides additional information or a chronological description of events and your efforts to resolve the issue directly with USCIS. We cannot provide legal advice or write a brief to USCIS on your behalf.

Yes, we are. For cases where the issue involves processing delays, we are assigning these in the order we receive them and will reach out to USCIS if the agency's Check Case Processing Times page shows that the case has been pending outside of the 93rd percentile and the applicant or petitioner reached out to USCIS at least 45 days before submitting a case assistance request to our office.

The one exception is that we cannot help if your concern is about processing delays for a Form I‑134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support filed for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV). Please see our September 27, 2023 web alert (updated on December 7, 2023) for more information on Form I-134A cases we can and cannot help with.

We will continue to work with USCIS leadership to address its lengthy processing delays. Please see our 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports to Congress for our recommendations on how USCIS can mitigate the impacts of its backlogs.

The underlying immigrant petition filed on your behalf must be approved (not withdrawn or revoked) and the priority date must be current before USCIS will adjudicate your pending Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. If these conditions are met, you can check USCIS’ case processing times to determine whether you can submit a case inquiry with the agency for being outside the posted processing time. With few exceptions, our office cannot help if your case is pending within published processing times, even if the Department of State's Visa Bulletin shows that an immigrant visa number is available for you.

By Topic

Afghans Paroled into the United States

Please see our Afghan Re-Parole Process Tip Sheet for information. You can also go to USCIS’ Re-Parole Process for Certain Afghans and Afghan Re-Parole FAQs pages.

If you are an Afghan national who was paroled into the United States as part of Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) and you received an EAD with incorrect information, USCIS has provided guidance on how to obtain a corrected EAD.

Errors on EADs: If your EAD has an error (such as an incorrect name or birthdate), submit the following to USCIS:

  • The original EAD containing the error;
  • A description of what information on the card is incorrect, such as first and/or last name and/or date of birth;
  • Your U.S. mailing address; and
  • Copies of supporting documentation, translated as appropriate, that show the correct information.

There is no fee to request a corrected EAD, and no need to file a new Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, in this particular circumstance. You can find additional guidance, including a unique mailing address and attention line, and examples of primary, secondary, and alternatives to supporting documentation, on USCIS’ Information for Afghans page under the “Information about Employment Authorization” section. You can learn how to track the delivery of your EAD on USCIS’ How to Track Delivery of Your Green Card, Employment Authorization Document (EAD), and Travel Document page.

You may report the non-receipt of your EAD by using USCIS’ Non-Delivery of Card page. In certain situations, USCIS may request that you submit a new Form I-765. There is no fee to request a replacement EAD in this circumstance.

On September 29, 2023, USCIS stated that certain Afghan nationals do not need to pay the filing fee for a number of forms, including Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. This policy will remain in effect through September 30, 2024. Please see USCIS’ web alert for more information

On September 29, 2023, USCIS stated that certain Afghan nationals do not need to request expedited processing for a number of forms, including Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. This policy will remain in effect through September 30, 2024. Please see USCIS’ web alert for more information.

Biometrics Appointments

There are two possible answers to this question.

  1. USCIS may not ask for biometrics for your Form I-539.
  2.  You filed your Form I-539 online.
    • USCIS will not mail you a paper biometrics appointment notice if you filed Form I-539 online. Instead, the biometrics appointment notice will appear in your USCIS online account under “Documents” once your appointment is scheduled.
    • Either way, you still are required to bring a printed copy of your biometric services appointment notice to your Application Support Center appointment.

You can request to reschedule your appointment through your USCIS online account. Please note that you cannot request to reschedule your biometrics appointment online if:

  • your appointment is within the next 12 hours,
  • you have already rescheduled the appointment two or more times, or
  • your appointment time has passed.

If you are unable to submit a request to reschedule your biometrics appointment online, you will need to call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283.

If you do not call or submit a request through your online account before your scheduled appointment and establish good cause, USCIS may decline to reschedule the appointment. If you do not appear for your appointment and it is not rescheduled, USCIS may consider your application abandoned and may deny it. See the USCIS Policy Manual for more details.

Change of Address

If you have moved or plan on moving, you must notify USCIS. For most people, the easiest way is to submit the change of address online, which will update your address for all pending applications or petitions at the same time. See USCIS’ How to Change Your Address page for more information, including certain situations when you must mail in a paper Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card.

Some important points to note:

  • Unlike updating your address online, mailing Form AR-11 alone does not update your address for any pending application or petition (unless otherwise noted on USCIS’ How to Change Your Address page). 
  • If you requested parole for an Afghan beneficiary who was located in Afghanistan and are looking to change their address with USCIS now that they have moved outside of Afghanistan, please see USCIS' Information for Afghan Nationals on Requests to USCIS for Parole page.
  • The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will not forward secure documents such as a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) or Employment Authorization Document to a new address, so USCIS must receive your new address before it mails these documents to you.
  • Changing your address with USPS will not change your address with USCIS or with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) if you have an active or pending court case. Please update your address with both USCIS and USPS (and EOIR if you are in immigration proceedings).

Contacting USCIS

To help our customers, the CIS Ombudsman posted a tip sheet on how to most effectively reach out to the USCIS Contact Center. The USCIS Contact Center made changes to reduce reliance on live phone assistance while promoting the use of online self-help tools and inquiry options such as Ask Emma (which you can access by going to www.uscis.gov and clicking on the “Need Help? Ask Emma” icon at the top right of the page).

To help our customers, the CIS Ombudsman posted a tip sheet on When to Contact a USCIS Lockbox.

Employment Authorization Documents (EADs)

Start by checking if you qualify for an automatic extension of your employment authorization. EAD categories eligible for automatic extension are listed on USCIS’ Automatic Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Extension page. You can also see when your EAD expires by going to USCIS’ Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Automatic Extension Calculator page.

Next, if your Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, is based on a Form I-539, Application To Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (even if it was not filed at the same time), check USCIS’ processing times for your Form I-539—not for Form I-765. USCIS will not adjudicate your Form I-765 (regardless of the processing times for Form I-765) before your Form I-539.

If your Form I-539 has been pending beyond USCIS’ posted processing times, you may contact USCIS about both forms (your Form I-765 and Form I-539). If USCIS does not respond after 30 days, you may submit a case assistance request with our office. Please visit our How to Submit a Case Assistance Request page for more information.

If your Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, is based on a Form I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, check USCIS’ processing times for Form I-821D (not the associated Form I-765). USCIS will not adjudicate your Form I-765 before your Form I-821D.

If your Form I-821D has been pending beyond USCIS’ posted processing times, you may contact USCIS about both forms (your Form I-765 and Form I-821D). If USCIS does not respond after 30 days, you may submit a case assistance request with our office. Please visit our How to Submit a Case Assistance Request page for more information.

Call the USCIS Contact Center or submit an e-Request. If the USCIS Case Status Online page shows the EAD was delivered but you never received it, you may wish to contact USPS or use the USPS website to locate your EAD using the assigned tracking number. If USCIS properly mailed your EAD to you at the address it had in its systems at the time it approved your application and your document was not returned to USCIS as undeliverable, USCIS instructions indicate that you will need to file a new application to replace it and pay the filing fee again. Please carefully read the instructions on the form before filing your new application.

If USCIS’ Case Status Online tool shows that your EAD was returned to USCIS as undeliverable, please:

  1. First, verify with USPS that you are registered to receive mail at the address that is on file for you with USCIS. If you live in an apartment, put your name on your mailbox to ensure delivery. If you are living with someone, make sure the address on file with USCIS includes “in care of” or “c/o” and the person’s name you are living with (for example: “Jane Doe, c/o John Smith, 123 Main Street, Anytown, MD 25555”). If you are not registered to receive mail at the address USCIS has on file for you, your EAD will continue to be returned to USCIS as undeliverable.

    If you are not sure if your address is up to date with USCIS or have moved after filing your Form I-765 application, you will need to change your address with USCIS. Please allow USCIS at least 5 business days to update their systems with your new address for your I-765 receipt number. 
     
  2. You may then submit a case inquiry to USCIS to request that it mail your EAD to your current address. If you recently updated your address with USCIS, please allow at least 5 business days for USCIS to update their systems with your new address before submitting the case inquiry to USCIS.
     
  3. Since USCIS’ policy is to destroy EADs 60 days after USPS returns them to USCIS as undeliverable, you may then choose to request case assistance from the CIS Ombudsman. Please include the date and service inquiry number for your inquiry to USCIS. If you recently updated your address with USCIS, please allow at least 5 business days for USCIS to update their systems with your new address before submitting a request for case assistance with our office.  

You may also register for “Informed Delivery” through USPS to get previews of mail in transit. Please visit USPS’ Informed Delivery page for additional information.

On September 27, 2023, USCIS updated its Policy Manual and began issuing new and renewed EADs that will be valid for up to five years for applicants who:

  • Were admitted as a refugee (EAD category: A03);
  • Were paroled as a refugee (EAD category: A04);
  • Were granted asylum (EAD category: A05);
  • Were granted withholding of deportation or removal (EAD category: A10);
  • Have a pending application for asylum or withholding of removal (EAD category: C08);
  • Have a pending Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, filed under INA 245 (EAD category: C09); or
  • Have a pending application for suspension of deportation, cancellation of removal, or relief under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) (EAD category: C10).

Additionally, for the following groups, USCIS will continue to follow its February 7, 2022, announcement that:

  • VAWA self-petitioners (EAD category: C31) will receive new and renewed EADs that are valid for up to two years.
  • People paroled into the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit (EAD category: C11) will receive new and renewed EADs that are valid for up to the end of the parole period; or
  • People granted deferred action (EAD category: C14) will receive new and renewed EADs that are valid for up to the end of the deferred action period. Please note that this category does not include DACA recipients.

If USCIS issued you an EAD before the date an extended validity period went into effect, the longer validity period does not apply to your EAD. Applying for a replacement will not extend an EAD’s validity period. USCIS will continue to issue replacements with the same validity date as the original EAD.

Please see Question 2 in the Afghans Paroled into the United States section of this page.

In most situations, USCIS extends the validity of your EAD for up to 180 days while your Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization is pending. The receipt notice that USCIS sent you for your Form I-765 will state how long your current EAD has been extended.

However, if you filed an EAD renewal application between May 4, 2022 to October 26, 2023 (or your renewal application was pending on May 4, 2022), USCIS may have temporarily extended your EAD for up to 540 days after the expiration date on your current EAD. The automatic extension applied only if you had a pending Form I-765 to renew your EAD in a category eligible for an automatic extension. Additionally:

  • In general, the category on the current EAD must have been the same category requested on the pending renewal Form I-765.
  • The automatically extended EAD expires after the 540-day mark or when USCIS makes a decision on your renewal Form I-765, whichever is sooner.
  • As long as it has not been more than 540 days since the expiration date on your EAD and you belong to one of the eligible categories, you may start or continue working while your renewal Form I-765 remains pending or until you hit the 540-day mark.
  • If you filed a renewal Form I-765 before May 4, 2022, and received a receipt notice for your renewal Form I-765 that does not mention the 540-day extension, USCIS will not mail you a new one. Refer to USCIS’ Automatic Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Extension page for what documents you need to show as proof of your employment authorization. You can also see when your EAD expires by going to USCIS' Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Automatic Extension Calculator page.
  • If you filed a renewal Form I-765 between May 4, 2022 and October 26, 2023, your receipt notice will show information about the 540-day extension.

Employment-based Cases

If you submitted a written request to transfer the underlying basis of your Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, you may see this message in Case Status Online:

“We are temporarily pausing work on your application because an immigrant visa number is not immediately available to you. Once an immigrant visa number becomes immediately available to you, we will resume processing of your application.”

This is not a USCIS error — according to USCIS, your case status does not automatically change once USCIS receives your request. This message about visa availability will remain in place until USCIS takes action on your Form I-485 (for example, issuing a request for evidence (RFE), decision, or notice transferring the application between offices).

You may see this updated case status even after USCIS has issued you a Supplement J receipt notice and moved your application from a service center to the National Benefits Center or a USCIS field office.

Please do not send Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record to USCIS unless the agency sends you a request for evidence (RFE) asking for the form. USCIS generally considers a completed Form I-693 to be valid for up to two years after the date the civil surgeon signed the form. Also, USCIS updated its policy on March 31, 2023 so that civil surgeons can sign Form I-693 more than 60 days before you file your underlying form (such as a Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status).

If USCIS determines it needs a new Form I-693 from you, it will send you an RFE. Once you receive the RFE, respond to it as soon as possible rather than waiting the entire response period. USCIS does not provide written confirmation after it has received evidence, including a Form I-693.

File Transfer Issues

USCIS often transfers workloads between offices as one way to reduce processing times. The CIS Ombudsman cannot help to expedite file transfers between USCIS offices. However, if your file is lost or was transferred to the wrong office, we may be able to help. We can also help if USCIS has not transferred your file to the Department of State’s National Visa Center (NVC) when more than two months have passed since the approval notice was issued. Please go to our How to Submit a Case Assistance Request page for instructions on submitting a case assistance request.

Filing with USCIS

On July 25, 2022, USCIS announced it will accept copies of original signatures on all benefit forms and documents, even if the form instructions require an original handwritten (“wet”) signature. This means that you can submit a scanned, faxed, photocopied, or similarly reproduced copy of a document to USCIS as long as the copy is of an original document containing an original handwritten signature. You must keep the original document with the wet signature and provide it to USCIS if requested.

This exception only applies to signatures. You must follow all other form instructions when completing a form.

USCIS generally provides receipt dates based on the date it physically receives your form package at the correct filing location. However, when it offers a grace period for a new form, USCIS uses the postmark date for your receipt date. For courier shipping labels:

  • USCIS generally considers the shipping date printed on the USPS or courier service shipping label as the postmark date.  
  • If there is no shipping date on the label, USCIS considers the date you printed the label to be the postmark date.  
  • If the label does not have a shipping date or print date, USCIS will assume that the postmark date is 10 days before it received the package.  

To avoid confusion, we recommend:

  • If available, file your form online
  • If you are using FedEx, UPS, DHL, or another courier, print your shipping label and ship your form on the same day
  • Stay up to date on form and filing fee updates, and plan accordingly. You can sign up to receive email on USCIS’ Form Updates page.

If USCIS has rejected your form for using an improper version and you have documented proof your ship date was before the end of the grace period, you can try to resolve the issue with USCIS. Go to the “Inquiries Based on Filing Location” section of USCIS’ Contact Us page for who to contact at the agency.

Form I-134A for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV)

You can correct mistakes on your submitted Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support at any time through your USCIS online account. To do so, upload your request and supporting evidence as “Unsolicited Evidence” in your account that:

  • Identifies what information needs to be updated; and
  • Is relevant and supports the change or update you wish to make.

Only call the USCIS Contact Center to correct mistakes on your Form I-134A if you cannot correct the mistake through your online account.

Do not submit the beneficiary travel attestation until the typographical errors are corrected.

If more than 45 days have passed since you uploaded the unsolicited evidence and your online account does not reflect the requested corrections, you may submit a DHS Form 7001, Request for Case Assistance to request help from our office.

For more information, please read:

If your issue is only about processing delays for your Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, that you filed for a Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, or Venezuelan (CHNV), we will not be able to help you at this time.

USCIS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can grant up to 30,000 travel authorizations each month on a case-by-case basis. This means that each month, USCIS will:

  • Randomly select about 15,000 cases out of the pending Forms I-134A related to the CHNV parole program to process, regardless of filing date; and
  • Process approximately another 15,000 cases based on filing dates, which means that the oldest pending Form I-134A will be reviewed first.

This means that processing times will not be the same for all, and USCIS has not posted processing times for Form I-134A. USCIS does not accept expedite requests for Form I-134A.

Please see our September 27, 2023 alert (updated on December 7, 2023) on our CIS Ombudsman Web Alerts page for when you can request our help.

If more than 45 days have passed since you submitted a secure message to USCIS and the other family members have not received their travel authorizations, you can submit a case assistance request with our office. To do so, you should:

  • Submit a separate DHS Form 7001, Request for Case Assistance for each family member that needs our help.
  • In response to question 1 of DHS Form 7001, please include your most recent communications with USCIS. You can upload copies of the correspondence or secure messages.
  • In response to question 2 on DHS Form 7001, include the names and receipt numbers for the family members who have already received their travel authorizations.

If USCIS’ Case Status Online shows that USCIS confirmed your Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support but the beneficiary has not received the email with their confirmation notice, first send a secure message to USCIS through your USCIS online account to try to resolve the issue. If more than 45 days have passed since you submitted a secure message to USCIS, you may submit DHS Form 7001 to request our help.

Green Cards (Permanent Resident Cards)

If USCIS’ Case Status Online tool shows that your Green Card was returned to USCIS as undeliverable, please:

  1. First, verify with USPS that you are registered to receive mail at the address that is on file for you with USCIS. If you live in an apartment, put your name on your mailbox to ensure delivery. If you are living with someone, make sure the address on file with USCIS includes “in care of” or “c/o” and the person’s name you are living with (for example: “Jane Doe, c/o John Smith, 123 Main Street, Anytown, MD 25555”). If you are not registered to receive mail at the address USCIS has on file for you, your Green Card will continue to be returned to USCIS as undeliverable. 

    If you are not sure if your address is up to date with USCIS or have moved after filing your Form I-485 application, you will need to change your address with USCIS. Please allow USCIS at least 5 business days to update their systems with your new address for your I-485 receipt number. 
     
  2. You may then submit a case inquiry to USCIS to request that it mail your Green Card to your current address. If you recently updated your address with USCIS, please allow at least 5 business days for USCIS to update their systems with your new address before submitting the case inquiry to USCIS.
     
  3. Since USCIS’ policy is to destroy Green Cards 60 days after USPS returns them to USCIS as undeliverable, you may then choose to request case assistance from the CIS Ombudsman after submitting a case inquiry to USCIS. Please include the date and service inquiry number for your inquiry to USCIS. If you recently updated your address with USCIS, please allow at least 5 business days for USCIS to update their systems with your new address before submitting a request for case assistance with our office. 

You may also register for “Informed Delivery” through USPS to get previews of mail in transit. Please visit USPS’ Informed Delivery page for additional information.

If you need temporary evidence of your current immigration status while waiting to receive a replacement Green Card, USCIS may issue you an Alien Documentation Identification and Telecommunications (ADIT) stamp. You can submit an online form to request an appointment with your local USCIS field office to obtain an ADIT stamp. If you cannot submit the form online, you can also contact the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 (1-800-767-1833 TDD for the hearing impaired).

You may wish to check www.USPS.com using the assigned tracking number to obtain detailed tracking information. Please note that USPS only keeps tracking information for 120 days. You can also contact your local post office and ask them to initiate an investigation. USPS will send you a letter explaining the results of the investigation.

You may register for “Informed Delivery” through USPS to get previews of mail in transit. Please visit USPS’ Informed Delivery page for additional information.

If your card was not returned as undeliverable to USCIS, USCIS instructions indicate that you will need to file a Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) to replace the lost card. Please refer to the Form I-90 instructions to determine which “Reason for Application” to select and whether you will need to pay the filing fee.

If you need temporary evidence of your current immigration status while waiting to receive a replacement Green Card, USCIS may issue you an Alien Documentation Identification and Telecommunications (ADIT) stamp. You can submit an online form to request an appointment with your local USCIS field office to obtain an ADIT stamp. If you cannot submit the form online, you can also contact the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 (1-800-767-1833 TDD for the hearing impaired).

If you filed Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card), to renew an expiring Green Card, you no longer need to get an extension sticker on your Green Card. Starting in January 2021, USCIS began sending Form I-90 applicants a Form I-797 receipt notice printed on secure paper as proof of the extension of their Green Card validity period. These receipt notices replace the extension sticker that USCIS used to issue at field offices.

The receipt notice, together with your Green Card, serves as temporary evidence of lawful permanent resident status for 24 months from the expiration date on the Green Card. You will receive the receipt notice in the mail approximately 7-10 days after USCIS accepts your application.

If you still need temporary evidence of your current immigration status while waiting to receive a replacement Green Card, USCIS may issue you an Alien Documentation, Identification, and Telecommunications (ADIT) stamp. You can submit an online form to request an appointment with your local USCIS field office to obtain an ADIT stamp. If you cannot submit the form online, you can also contact the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 (1-800-767-1833 TDD for the hearing impaired).

For more information regarding replacing your Green Card, please see USCIS' Replace Your Green Card page.

Reporting Poor Treatment

Go to the Report USCIS Employee Misconduct page on USCIS’ website to see how you can report USCIS employee misconduct to the agency. If you do not feel your complaint has been resolved, you can submit a DHS Form 7001 to our office and describe the treatment/customer service at issue. If you have a civil rights complaint, you can submit it to the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Finally, you can report misconduct to the DHS Office of Inspector General hotline.

The Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) helps individuals with complaints about the potential violation of immigration detention standards or misconduct by DHS (or contract) personnel. For more information, please see our The CIS Ombudsman's Listening Session: Get to Know DHS’s New Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman page.

Please visit the Department's Provide Feedback or Make Complaints to DHS page to learn more about opportunities for the public to provide feedback and make complaints involving DHS employees or programs, alleged violations of civils rights and civil liberties, travel redress, and other types of grievances.

Students

On July 20, 2021, USCIS announced that applicants seeking a change of status to F-1 (student status) no longer need to apply to change or extend their initial nonimmigrant status to prevent a gap in status while their initial F-1 change of status application is pending.

Under this policy, USCIS will grant the change of status to F-1 effective the day an applicant’s Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status is approved. F-1 students are no longer required to “bridge the gap” by continuously applying for and obtaining status all the way up to 30 days before their academic program start date while their initial F-1 change of status application is pending. USCIS is in the process of revising the Form I-539 instructions to reflect these changes.

SSR is available for certain F-1 students when the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security suspends certain requirements for maintaining F-1 status for students from parts of the world that are experiencing emergent circumstances. Emergent circumstances can include natural catastrophes, war and military conflicts, and national or international financial crises.

SSR often allows F-1 students to apply for off-campus employment authorization, work more hours while school is in session, and reduce their course load while continuing to maintain their F-1 status. When SSR is available for a particular country or part of the world, the Department of Homeland Security will issue a Federal Register Notice (FRN) with details. You can see a list of all active FRNs in the Special Student Relief section of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program's (ICE SEVP's) What’s New page. Please review the general eligibility requirements and the specific eligibility requirements in the FRN for your country or area.

If you believe you are eligible for SSR, you may be able to apply for off-campus employment authorization. To start, please:

  1. Go to ICE SEVP’s Student Process Steps page to see what your designated school official (DSO) must do to certify you in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
  2. Go to USCIS’ Form I-765 page for information on applying for employment authorization.

Please see our updated tip sheet on How F-1 Students Seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) Can Avoid Form I-765 Delays that we posted on September 18, 2023.

Here are some reminders for when you submit your application and while USCIS processes your case:

  • File your Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, online or make sure to mail it to the correct USCIS lockbox. Go to USCIS’ Direct Filing Addresses for Filing Form I-907 for Form I-765 or Form I-539 page to find the correct filing address. If you mail your premium processing request to the wrong USCIS lockbox, the lockbox will reject your form and it may take some time for you to receive the rejection notice.
  • The 30-calendar-day premium processing timeframe does not include the time it takes to produce your EAD or, if applicable, the time it takes for you to respond to a request for evidence (RFE). According to the regulation, premium processing means that USCIS must generally take one of the following actions on your Form I-765 within 30 days of receiving your properly completed form: (1) approve, (2) deny, (3) send you a notice of intent to deny, or (4) send you an RFE.
  • After USCIS approves your Form I-765, your EAD should be produced within one to two weeks. USCIS will mail your EAD via U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Informed Delivery.
  • The wait for receiving your EAD may vary, depending on USPS delivery times.

Please wait 30 days from the date your form was approved before contacting USCIS. If you do not receive your EAD after 30 days, you can submit an online case inquiry to ask about your missing EAD.

We encourage you to use USCIS’ Case Status Online page to find the USPS tracking number for your EAD delivery. If the page shows the EAD was delivered but you never received it, or if USPS returns your EAD to USCIS as undeliverable, please see the Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) section above for more information.

T, U, and VAWA Cases

No. Form I-914, Application for T Nonimmigrant Status, and Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status, are not available as a selection in e-Request. Though the Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, is available as a selection in e-Request, only individuals who filed as a special immigrant international broadcaster or religious worker may use e-Request. Protected individuals who filed a Form I-360 as a VAWA petition cannot use e-Request.

Because the cases involve victims of crime, trafficking and/or abuse, there are certain confidentiality protections that USCIS must follow.

The USCIS Contact Center is generally not able to assist with inquiries related to T, U, or VAWA status applications and petitions due to confidentiality protections established by statute. If the self-petitioner, applicant, or representative calls the USCIS Contact Center, it will direct the individual to the appropriate inquiry mechanism listed below. In certain scenarios, the USCIS Contact Center might schedule the caller to appear at a USCIS field office to verify the individual’s identity so that an inquiry or service request can then be submitted.

To request a biometrics appointment, attorneys and accredited representatives may reach out to USCIS via the email hotlines below to request a new date/time, or to request a location change for the appointment.

Attorneys and accredited representatives may send inquiries to the following inboxes:

Note: In order to receive a response, the representative making the inquiry must have a Form G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Representative, filed on the specific case. USCIS will not respond to emails from anyone who is not named on the Form G-28 on file for the case.

Unrepresented petitioners and applicants may send signed written inquiries/requests for biometrics appointments, including a new date/time or location, to:

  • For cases located at the Vermont Service Center:
    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
    Vermont Service Center
    ATTN: Humanitarian Division
    38 River Road
    Essex Junction, VT 05479-0001
     
  • For cases located at the Nebraska Service Center:
    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
    Nebraska Service Center
    ATTN: I-918
    P.O. Box 87918
    Lincoln, NE 68501-7918

If the inquiry is related to an I-751 waiver based on battery or extreme cruelty, then petitioners and/or their representatives must submit the signed inquiry to the appropriate service center by paper correspondence:

  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
    California Service Center
    ATTN: WS 13057
    P.O. Box 10751
    Laguna Niguel, CA 92607-1075
     
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
    Nebraska Service Center
    P.O. Box 87918
    Lincoln, NE 68501-7918
     
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
    Potomac Service Center
    2200 Potomac Center Drive, MS 2425
    Arlington, VA 20598-2425
     
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
    Texas Service Center
    ATTN: SRMT/COA or SRMT/IRT
    6046 N Belt Line Rd. STE 751
    Irving, TX 75038-0020
     
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
    Vermont Service Center
    ATTN: Humanitarian Division
    38 River Road
    Essex Junction, VT 05479-0001

Yes. However, please note two requirements:

  • Your address must match the address in USCIS systems. We will only communicate with you via U.S. postal mail to comply with the law and keep your case confidential.
  • You will need to provide your actual (“wet”) signature on the case assistance request. You can do so by signing the consent part of the DHS Form 7001, scanning it, and uploading it as a supporting document with your online submission.

Please see our How to Submit a Case Assistance Request page for complete information on how to request our help.

On March 30, 2023, USCIS announced that it is opening a new Humanitarian, Adjustment, Removing Conditions, and Travel Documents (HART) Service Center. The HART Service Center will initially focus on the following case types:

  • Form I-601A, Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver;
  • Bona Fide Determinations (BFD) for Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status;
  • Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition; and
  • VAWA-based Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant.

HART coordinates with USCIS' existing service centers to provide customer service. Therefore, you should continue to contact USCIS as you normally would for your type of case. See Question 2 in this section for contact information.

Last Updated: 01/23/2024
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