If you send an application or petition to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), then you will receive a receipt notice. Usually, as an applicant, you will receive the USCIS receipt notice about two to three weeks after USCIS receives the application. The question is, what should you do if you do not receive a receipt notice? Let us discuss that case here.
About a Receipt Notice (Form I-797C Notice of Action)
A Form I-797 Notice of Action is a receipt notice or approval notice. After filing an application or petition to the USCIS, you can receive a receipt notice within two to three weeks. Probably, you will receive the notice within a few days for petitions with premium processing. A receipt notice is issued by USCIS as soon as a case is approved, depending on the USCIS case processing times.
USCIS Receipt Notice Not Received – What Should I Do?
If you have not received a receipt notice from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), there are some steps you can take to solve the issue.
Know an Estimated Processing Time
Need to know that USCIS processes a lot of applications or petitions, and of course it can take a few weeks or even months for the receipt notice to be sent. You can get an estimated processing time for the type of application or petition you applied by checking the USCIS website or contacting their customer service.
Check Cash or Payment Method
Usually, the USCIS receipt notice is sent after the application fee has been processed. If you paid by check or money order, then you can check with your bank to see whether the payment has been cashed or not. If the payment has been processed, it means that your application or petition is in the system. And, a receipt notice should be sent immediately by the USCIS.
Check the USCIS Case Status Online
To see whether any updates are available for your application or petition, you can check the USCIS online case status system. If the status does not indicate that a receipt notice has been sent, we highly suggest you take further action.
Contact the USCIS Customer Service
If a reasonable amount of time has passed but you still have not received a receipt notice, you can contact the USCIS customer service for assistance. You will be able to contact them through phone at 800-375-5283 or email to ask regarding the status of your application or petition and the issuance of a receipt notice.
Submit a Case Inquiry
If you have contacted the USCIS customer service but they could not provide a resolution, then you can submit a formal case inquiry via the USCIS website. This option will allow you to request a follow-up on your case if there have been issues with a receipt notice.
Consult with an Immigration Attorney
If you have taken the above methods but still not received a receipt notice, the last step you can do is to consult with the immigration attorneys. They will help you in dealing with USCIS and immigration applications. And, they will also help you navigate the situation and explore any further actions which can be taken.
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