Explanation of Delayed USCIS Receipt Notices - Law Firm Harrison Alo, Attorneys at Law Attorneys Columbus, Ohio

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) experienced a high volume of applications filed prior to the July 30th fee increase; as a result, many applicants are experiencing delays in receiving Form I-797, Notice of Receipt. Typically, customers should receive receipt notices within 2 weeks of the USCIS receiving their applications. Currently, it may take up to 12 weeks for an adjustment of status application receipt notice to reach an applicant and 15 weeks for naturalization and other applications. The USCIS addressed some of the concerns associated with the delayed receipt notices in a recent statement:

Receipt Dates

The USCIS will honor the actual date that an application was received in the mailroom, rather than the date the I-797, Notice of Receipt, is printed.

Prioritization

The Application to Adjust Status (I-485) will have first priority because the USCIS needs to ensure that these applications are receipted in a timeframe that would allow processing of an application for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) within 90 days of filing, as mandated by law. The second priority will be to receipt the Application for Naturalization (N-400) so the USCIS can minimize any delays in obtaining citizenship

Case Status

The USCIS has developed a web page at http://www.uscis.gov/receiptingtimes specifically to address any receipt delay concerns. This page provides general information about your application type. In addition, USCIS representatives are available at the National Customer Service Center (1-800-375-5283) to assist callers with general information about the process.

Address Changes

The two easiest ways to notify the USCIS that you have changed your address are to use the Change of Address Online web page or to call the National Customer Service Center (1-800-375-5283). For the Change of Address Online web page, you will need to know your receipt number. If you paid your application fee by check, your receipt number will usually be printed on the back of the check when it is cashed by USCIS.

Expired Fee Payments

When the USCIS receives notice that your check has expired, the USCIS will notify you and suspend processing on your case. You will be given an opportunity to send a new check at the original filing rate and filing date to resume processing of your application. The USCIS will contact you if your check has been returned because it is beyond the expiration date.

Unusual Delay

If you have not received a receipt within the timeframe indicated below for the Service Center where you filed your application, the delay is considered unusual and should be investigated.

As of October 26, 2007, the USCIS has completed initial data entry and issued receipt notices for applications and petitions received on or before the dates indicated:

California Service Center

Form Number	Date Received
I-130 N-400 All other forms	08/30/2007 08/05/2007 10/09/2007

Nebraska Service Center

Form Number	Date Received
I-131 I-140 I-485 Employment-Based I-485 Refugee I-765 N-400 All other forms	10/01/2007 10/01/2007 10/01/2007 08/05/2007 10/01/2007 07/29/2007 10/18/2007

Texas Service Center

Form Number	Date Received
N-400 All other forms	07/22/2007 10/22/2007

Vermont Service Center

Form Number	Date Received
I-130 N-400 All other forms	07/24/2007 07/26/2007 10/10/2007

USCIS Lockbox

Form Number	Date Received
TPSAll other forms	09/30/2007

Harrison Alo, Attorneys at Law, closely monitors the status of our clients' cases and updates from the USCIS. In the event a client's wait for a receipt notice exceeds the USCIS' listed wait times, we will do everything in our power to rectify the situation in a timely manner, because we know how important it is for our clients to be informed at every step of the way.