Reference · Cases, money, clocks
H-1B Case Status: How to Check It, What It Means
Last scanned: · Last verified: · XH1B
Review scope and corrections
This review checks the guide's rule statements against the listed official sources and its data descriptions against the queries. It does not verify an individual case. Archive refresh dates describe ingestion, not a rule review.
Corrected receipt-number entry, office-prefix limits, evidence-response deadlines, and the difference between private case status and public LCA records.
USCIS interactive tools and some disclosure downloads did not return a usable response during this review. Use the official tools for current case status and processing estimates.
- Receipt number
- 13 chars
- Premium action
- 15 biz days
- DOL LCA review
- Usually 7 work days[3]
- Prefix letters
- 3
Where to check
Where do you check H-1B case status?
Use USCIS Case Status Online for the receipt-number lookup. Omit dashes and spaces; retain other characters, such as an asterisk, if they appear in the receipt number on the notice. USCIS also provides online accounts and case inquiries. This site does not collect private receipt numbers.
Processing-time tables are a separate official tool. Select Form I-129 and the applicable category. The current case-processing tool normally shows the time to complete 80% of recent cases. Historical national median tables use a different measure. Neither predicts one case.[4][5]
Receipt prefixes
What do the letters in a receipt number mean?
USCIS’s 2021 guide explains these receipt-number series and where a case began. A prefix does not prove which office currently handles the case. Read current notices; USCIS can transfer cases. IOE identifies electronic processing, not a service-center location.[6]
| Prefix | Receipt series association |
|---|---|
| WAC | California Service Center |
| EAC | Vermont Service Center |
| LIN | Nebraska Service Center |
| SRC | Texas Service Center |
| MSC | National Benefits Center |
| IOE | USCIS electronic-processing series; not a service-center location |
The statuses
Which H-1B statuses will you see?
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Case Was Received | USCIS records receipt of the petition and issues a receipt notice. This status is not an approval. | Note the receipt number. Check the current form category and the listed office or Service Center Operations option. A receipt prefix alone does not identify the current processing location. |
| Case Is Being Actively Reviewed | USCIS reports active review. The label alone does not establish progress, the processing office, or whether the case is delayed. | Check the current processing-time tool for the form, category, and office. Read any case-specific notice. |
| Request for Evidence Was Issued | USCIS requests additional evidence. The notice identifies what is needed and sets the response deadline. Premium-processing time stops and restarts after USCIS receives the response.[7][8] | Read the RFE notice. The regulation permits a response period up to 12 weeks, but the notice sets the actual deadline. |
| Interview Was Scheduled | USCIS uses interview labels for several benefit types. Read the notice to identify the application or petition concerned. | Follow the notice’s instructions. This label alone does not establish a problem with an H-1B petition. |
| Case Was Approved | USCIS reports that the I-129 petition is approved. Read the approval notice for the decision and authorized period.[9] | Read the approval notice and any attached I-94. Whether work can begin depends on the approved dates, status or admission, and applicable work-authorization rules. |
| Card Was Mailed To Me | USCIS reports that a document has been sent. Read the notice to identify the document and the application or petition concerned. | Check the mailing address on file before assuming approval details. |
| Case Was Denied | The petition failed. The decision letter explains why and lists options. | Read the decision and its instructions for any motion, appeal, or new filing. DOL LCA outcomes do not show USCIS petition denial rates. |
The public half
Can you see H-1B records without a case number?
You can search the employer’s public LCA disclosures without a USCIS receipt number. They include application fields such as job title, offered wage, worksite, and DOL outcome. They do not identify a beneficiary’s petition or establish approval, admission, or payroll. Read what an LCA is or browse employers with filing records.
Visa stamp
What about the visa stamp and the interview appointment?
Petition approval, a visa, and admission are separate. A worker abroad obtains any required visa from a consulate and then seeks admission from CBP. Visa exemptions and interview-waiver rules can apply. Form I-94 records the admitted classification and authorized stay; a visa’s expiration date does not set that stay. Check current State Department guidance before travel.[10][11]
FAQ
H-1B case status FAQ
H-1B case status FAQ
How do I check my H-1B case status?
Use USCIS Case Status Online with the receipt number printed on the notice. The usual format is three letters and ten digits. Omit dashes and spaces, but retain other characters such as an asterisk if the notice includes them.
Where do I find my H-1B receipt number?
Read the USCIS receipt notice or your online account. Ask the employer or authorized representative for the petition receipt notice if they hold it. A lottery registration or selection notice is different from a petition receipt.[12]
Can anyone check the status, or just the employer?
Use the receipt number from the USCIS notice in the official status lookup. If the employer or its authorized representative holds the notice, ask them for the petition receipt number. A DOL LCA case number cannot replace it.
My case says 'Case Was Received' for months. Is that bad?
A status label alone cannot show whether a case is delayed. Use the current USCIS processing-time tool for the form, category, and office. A receipt prefix does not prove the current processing office. Premium processing requires action within 15 business days, subject to its RFE and investigation rules.
Does this site track individual petition statuses?
This site does not track individual USCIS petition status. Use the official receipt-based status tool for that lookup. DOL LCA disclosure records show proposed employment and DOL application outcomes. They do not show the outcome of a corresponding USCIS petition.
What is the difference between the approved petition and the visa stamp?
USCIS decides the petition. A consulate decides any required visa, and CBP decides admission. A visa permits a request for admission; it does not guarantee entry. Form I-94 records the admitted status and authorized stay. Workers extending inside the U.S. need the applicable status and work authorization.
References
- [1] Guidance · USCIS. Case Status Online. Receipt-number lookup and instructions
- [2] Dataset documentation · DOL OFLC. LCA public disclosure record layout (FY2026 Q3). Pages 1–4: application, DOL outcome and dates, requested positions, employer, representatives, worksites and pay unitsThis layout covers determinations issued October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. It documents employer-provided application fields and DOL decisions, not USCIS decisions, payroll verification, legal bills or worker-linked moves. Older layouts can differ.Checked 2026-10-17.
- [3] Law or rulemaking · eCFR. Labor Condition Application review. 20 CFR 655.730(b)DOL reviews completeness and obvious inaccuracies. The regulation describes a usual seven-working-day decision. Certification does not establish compliance in practice.Checked 2026-10-08.
- [4] Guidance · USCIS. USCIS processing-time instructions. Finding Your Case Information; What Does the Processing Time Mean and How Is It Calculated?The measure covers 80% of adjudicated cases over the prior six months. Some service-center forms use Service Center Operations rather than a physical office. Neither the measure nor a receipt prefix predicts an individual wait.Checked 2026-10-17.
- [5] Guidance · USCIS. Historical National Median Processing Time. Historical national median table and definition of receipt-to-completion timeHistorical national medians differ from the current form-and-office 80th-percentile tool. Neither is an individual wait forecast.
- [6] Guidance · USCIS. Congressional Inquiries Refresher (revised April 29, 2021). PDF pages 5–6: I-797C and receipt-prefix series; page 33: revision and scopeHistorical USCIS training material explains where a case began. It does not establish the office currently handling a case or current inquiry contacts.Checked 2026-10-17.
- [7] Law or rulemaking · eCFR. 8 CFR 103.2. 8 CFR 103.2(b)(8); 8 CFR 103.2(b)(9): interviews or biometrics can be required for benefit requestsThe notice states the deadline. The regulation permits up to 12 weeks for an RFE response; it does not promise a total adjudication time.Checked 2026-10-08.
- [9] Law or rulemaking · eCFR. 8 CFR 214.2. 8 CFR 214.2(h)(2)(i)(A), (D)–(E); (h)(4)(i)(B), including (B)(3) third-party requirements; (h)(9)(i); (h)(10)(ii), (iv); (h)(18): petition, LCA, approval and denial notices; 8 CFR 214.2(h)(2)(i)(H)Petition approval, visa issuance, admission, and work authorization are separate steps.; Read the eligibility conditions, start date, denial rule, and successive-petition provisions.Checked 2026-10-17.
- [10] Guidance · U.S. Department of State. Temporary Worker Visas. H-1B eligibility, approved petitions, visa applications, and admission
- [11] Law or rulemaking · eCFR. Admission and the arrival-departure record. 8 CFR 235.1(a), (f), and (h)Form I-94 records admission or parole. An approved petition and any required visa do not alone establish admission.Checked 2026-10-08.
- [12] Guidance · USCIS. H-1B Electronic Registration Process. FY2027 dates, beneficiary-centric selection, duplicate registrations, and FY2026 statisticsSeason statistics have a different denominator from unique beneficiaries. Check the current agency page for updates.
Next: the filing fees and the separate processing clocks. Keep the private USCIS receipt and the public LCA case number distinct.