Clients who are constantly looking at their case status online get very excited when their petitions go from ‘case is being processed’ to ‘case under active review’, which signifies that the petition is now being reviewed by a USCIS officer.
Oftentimes, clients expect their cases to be done in a matter of days. The change in status can confuse clients, letting them think that something is happening with their case. But unfortunately, a case that is ‘under active review’ is not that exciting.
What Does It Mean When a Case is ‘Under Active Review’?
When a case status changes to ‘case under active review’, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the case has moved further along the immigration process.
It simply means that the file has been taken out of the file room and brought to the office of an immigration officer. However, it might as well be at the very bottom of a large stack of case files for that officer to review.
Processing Time for a ‘Case Under Active Review’
Because nothing significant really happens for a case status to be changed to ‘case under active review’, the processing times actually remain the same and the case just proceeds along as normal.
The USCIS website doesn’t have a definitive answer to how much longer it will take for the case to be adjudicated. In fact, it only says “Under active review means it is being reviewed and you can expect an answer when USCIS finishes their active review.”
So clients shouldn’t get too excited about their cases moving on to ‘active review’. Immigration is essentially just trying to show that they’re doing something, but it doesn’t mean that the case will be adjudicated and completed within a short period of time.