Immigration cases have a reputation for taking a while to be completed. But that doesn’t mean that applicants should just sit around and wait. They need to take the initiative to check the processing times for their cases so that they know when to expect news about their visas.
Here are step-by-step instructions on how to check USCIS processing times.
1. Conduct a Google Search
In order to find USCIS’ feature that allows applicants to check their processing times, they can conduct a quick Google search for “USCIS processing times” and select the first link that shows up on Google’s search results page.
Alternatively, applicants can go directly to the processing times page on USCIS’ website.
2. Input Your Case Details
Once they land on the “Check Case Processing Times” page, they will need to know and input specific details about their respective cases. These include:
- The form or type of application
- The field office or service center processing the application
When all the details have been selected, the applicant can click on the blue “Get processing time” button.
3. Check Processing Times
The USCIS website will show the estimated processing time for the specific case the applicant has filed. The applicant must read through all the information on the page to better understand the processing times for their specific application.
If they need more information, they can click on the “Check your case status” text beside the estimated time range box. This will lead them to the case statuses page where they will need to input their receipt number to track the status of their case.
Why are Some Processing Times So Long?
Some cases’ processing times are significantly longer than others. This can be because of the Visa Bulletin. When a visa is not available, immigration can triage those cases and push them back because they cannot move forward with the application process if the case is not in the Visa Bulletin.