Case Was Received and a Receipt Notice Was Sent: Tracking and RFEs

When your USCIS status reads “Case Was Received and a Receipt Notice Was Sent,” it means USCIS accepted your application or petition for processing and has mailed you a formal receipt notice. Your filing passed the initial intake checks — correct fee, proper signature, current form version — and USCIS has assigned it a 13-character receipt number. It does not mean anything has been approved. It means the case is officially in the system and the clock has started.

The receipt notice usually arrives within about 30 days of filing. Until it does, and afterward, there are a few things worth knowing about what you’re holding and what happens from here.

What the Receipt Notice Is

The document coming in the mail is Form I-797C, Notice of Action. It’s a single page, but it carries the information you’ll rely on for the rest of the case: your receipt number (the first three letters identify the service center handling your file), the form you filed, the date USCIS received it, confirmation that your fee was accepted, and the name and address of the applicant or petitioner along with any beneficiary information.¹

Keep it somewhere safe. The receipt number is how you check status, how you contact USCIS about the case, and how anyone else identifies your file. Some agencies will accept the I-797C as evidence that you have a pending immigration benefit request. It is not, on its own, evidence of any approved status.¹

How to Track Your Case

Once you have the receipt number, you can check status on the USCIS Case Status Online tool without creating an account. It shows the most recent action on your case and any next steps.² Common messages you may see include fingerprint fee received, request for evidence sent, interview scheduled, and case approved.

A free myUSCIS account is worth setting up. It lets you link paper-filed cases, view up to the last five actions on each one, respond to Requests for Evidence electronically, access most notices USCIS sends you, send secure messages, and reschedule biometrics appointments.³

What Typically Happens Next

The step after “Case Was Received” depends on what you filed. For many applications, including green cards, naturalization, and work permits, USCIS schedules a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center. You’ll get a separate appointment notice in the mail listing the date, time, and location, and you should bring that notice along with a valid photo ID such as a passport or driver’s license.⁴

After biometrics, work on your case continues behind the scenes. Some form types then move to a decision. Others require an interview, and you’ll receive a notice scheduling one. At any point along the way, USCIS may issue a Request for Evidence if something in the file needs clarification. There isn’t a single timeline: it depends on the form, the service center, and current backlogs.

If You Receive a Request for Evidence

A Request for Evidence isn’t a denial. It means the officer reviewing your case needs more information before deciding. Typical triggers are missing documents, expired evidence, or information that doesn’t line up.⁵ The letter states exactly what USCIS needs and sets a deadline.

That deadline maxes out at 84 days, and USCIS officers are prohibited from granting more time.⁶ Missing it, or sending an incomplete response, can result in a denial based on the record as it stands. Cases fall apart at the RFE stage more than anywhere else in the process, usually because the response is rushed or partial.

If you have a myUSCIS account, respond electronically. It’s faster and creates an immediate digital record. If you mail your response, use certified mail or a courier so you have proof of delivery. Whichever route you take, structure the response to mirror the RFE itself: address each requested item in order, label everything clearly, and include a cover letter listing what you’ve provided.

How Long Processing Takes and Ways to Speed It Up

USCIS publishes estimated processing times by form and service center, updated regularly. You can look up your form and see whether your case has passed the normal timeframe.⁷ If it has, you can submit an inquiry through the USCIS e-Request system.⁸

Two mechanisms exist for faster handling of the underlying petition.

Premium Processing

Premium processing is a paid service available for Form I-129, Form I-140, and certain categories of Form I-765 and Form I-539. You file Form I-907 with the premium processing fee, and USCIS guarantees a decision, an RFE, or another action within a set number of calendar days.⁹ The fee was subject to an increase effective March 1, 2026, so check the current USCIS fee schedule before filing.¹⁰

Expedite Requests

For forms that don’t qualify for premium processing, USCIS considers expedite requests case by case. You need to document one of the following:

Severe financial loss to a company or an individual, provided the urgency wasn’t caused by the filer’s own delay.
A humanitarian emergency, such as serious illness, disability, a death in the family, or extreme conditions from natural disasters or armed conflict.
An IRS-designated nonprofit furthering U.S. interests, showing an urgent need based on the beneficiary’s specific role.
A government interest, raised by an authorized government representative on public safety, national security, or similar grounds.
A clear USCIS error that urgently needs correcting, such as an Employment Authorization Document issued with wrong information.

Approval is fully discretionary, and you need real documentation, not just a statement that you’re in a hurry.¹¹

Keep Your Address Current

Every future piece of official correspondence — the biometrics notice, any RFE, an interview notice, the decision itself — goes to the address USCIS has on file. A missed notice can mean a missed deadline, which can mean a denied case. Federal law requires noncitizens in the United States to report an address change to USCIS in writing within ten days of moving.¹² Failing to do so without a reasonable excuse is a misdemeanor and can trigger removal proceedings.

The fastest method is through your USCIS online account, which takes effect almost immediately. You can also file a paper Form AR-11 by mail.¹³ A and G visa holders and visa waiver visitors are exempt. VAWA self-petitioners and people with pending T or U nonimmigrant cases use a separate protective procedure. And if you also have a case pending before an immigration court, updating USCIS is not enough; you have to notify the court directly.

If the Receipt Notice Never Arrives, or Arrives With an Error

Expect the notice within about 30 days of filing. If 60 days pass without a receipt notice and nothing shows up in your online account, submit a Non-Delivery inquiry through the USCIS e-Request system. You’ll need whatever you have on hand: receipt number if any, A-Number if applicable, the date you filed, and the form type.¹⁴

If the notice arrives with a USCIS data-entry error, such as a misspelled name or wrong date of birth, submit a Typographic Error service request through the same e-Request system with your receipt number and a description of the mistake. If the wrong information came from what you originally submitted — for example, a legal name change that occurred after you filed — you’ll need the separate process for updating your documents rather than a typo correction.¹⁵

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Checking Your Case Status Online
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Benefits of a USCIS Online Account
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 1, Part C, Chapter 2 – Biometrics Collection
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Request for Evidence (RFE)
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 1, Part E, Chapter 6 – Evidence
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Case Processing Times
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. e-Request – Self Service Tools
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How Do I Request Premium Processing
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 1, Part A, Chapter 5 – Expedite Requests
12
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 8 – 1305, Notices of Change of Address
13
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. AR-11, Aliens Change of Address Card
14
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Non-Delivery of Notice
15
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Typographic Error