Why Did USCIS Transfer My Case?

During the course of an immigration case, there is a possibility for a petition to be transferred from the USCIS office to another location in the United States. When this happens, the petitioner will receive a transfer notice in the mail informing them that their case has been turned over to another service center.

Because it doesn’t regularly happen, applicants may worry about their cases getting transferred. But what does it mean when this happens and what is the reason behind it?

Reasons a Case Would Be Transferred

There are two main reasons USCIS transfers immigration cases: to reduce the main office’s backlog and to get the case to the field office where the interview will be conducted.

Reduce Backlog

The most likely reason behind transferring an immigration case is to reduce the workflow in the service center where it was originally filed. It could be that they are experiencing a backlog, so they move cases to a different service center to expedite the processing time.

Interview in the Field Office

Another reason for the transfer is to turn the case over to a field office where the applicant will be interviewed. Once the field office receives the documents and forms, they will reach out to schedule the immigration interview shortly.

Ultimately, a transfer notice is nothing to be worried about. In fact, it is good news as it means immigration is trying to expedite a case and finish it as soon as possible.