A green card grants offshore nationals permanent residency in the United States. A large number of offshore nationals seek to have a green card because it allows them to reside and work in the United States lawfully for three to five years prior to becoming full U.S. citizens.
There are several ways you can perform green card tracking. This includes checking it online, an in-person appointment, by phone, by mail, and by email. The green card processing time depends on the location of the processing office, the type of green card requested, and other factors, such as being ineligible for a green card, missing information on the application, misrepresentation or fraud, and more. Currently, the application processing time for green cards is around 7 to 33 months.
Table of Contents
1. Online
The quickest approach to green card status check is via online, whether you apply from within or outside the United States. The steps to check the status of your green card online are outlined below.
For Applications filed within the United States
- Visit the Case Status Online page of the USCIS website.
- Enter your receipt number.
- Tap the “Check Status” tab.
The “receipt number” is assigned to you by USCIS, consisting of 3 letters and 10 numbers, and can be found on Form I-797C ( Notice of Action). The Notice of Action is the letter sent to you by USCIS upon approval of your I-485. Do not include hyphens/dashes and spaces when entering your receipt number. Make sure to include other characters like the asterisk (*), if there are any.
For Applications filed outside of the United States
- Visit the website of CEAC (Consular Electronic Application Center) of the National Visa Center (NVC).
- Click the “Check the Status of My Visa Application” tab.
- Choose “IMMIGRANT VISA (IV)” as the “Visa Application Type” in the first field.
- Enter your “Immigrant Visa Case Number” in the next field.
- Input the displayed code shown on the final field. (This step is to make sure that you are a human and not a bot.)
- Click “Submit”.
2. In Person
Individuals who applied from within the U.S. are the only ones who can track their green card status in person. The below list outlines the steps for checking the status of your green card in person.
Schedule an in-person “InfoPass” appointment at a USCIS field office. Request the in-person InfoPass appointment until the end of the current fiscal year, unless your USCIS field office has stopped accepting self-scheduled InfoPass appointments.
How to Self-schedule an InfoPass Appointment at a Local USCIS Field Office?
- Go to the USCIS InfoPass page.
- Tap the “Inside the U.S.” tab.
- Input your ZIP code, then tap “Search.”
- Choose the USCIS field office you’d want to visit (keep in mind that there might be only one field office near your area).
- Tap “See Available Appointments.” (Check back the following day if no appointments are available. Tick the tab “Important office information” to know if the field office is no longer accepting self-scheduled InfoPass appointments,
- Select an available date and time for an appointment. (Check back the following day if there is none.)
- Input the following information correctly:
- Your Full Name
- Your Date of birth
- Your Email address (optional)
- Your Phone number
- Your USCIS Receipt Number.
- Indicate the number of people attending the appointment, including yourself
- Input A-Number (if you have)
- Bring a printed copy of your appointment notice with you to your appointment. (If you are unable to print it, record the “Confirmation Number” and “PIN Number” so you may print the message again.)
How to Self-schedule an InfoPass Appointment at an International USCIS Field Office?
- Go to the USCIS InfoPass page.
- Tap the “Inside the U.S.” tab.
- Choose your country.
- Tap “See Available Appointments.”
- Choose the reason for the appointment.
- Select an available date and time for an appointment. (Check back the following day if there is none.)
- Input the following information correctly:
- Your Full Name
- Your Date of Birth (optional)
- Your Phone number
- Your USCIS Receipt Number.
- Indicate the number of people attending the appointment, including yourself.
3. By phone
You can track the status of your green by phone regardless of whether you applied within the United States or outside the U.S. The steps for checking your green card status by phone are listed below.
For Applications Made Within the U.S.
- Call 1-800-375-5283 (USCIS Contact Center). Call 1-800-767-1833 if you have a speech disability, are deaf, or have hearing problems.
- Have the following:
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- Your Complete Name
- Your Date of Birth
- The Number on your USCIS receipt
- Your Alien Registration Number (A-Number), if you have one
For Applications Made Outside the U.S.
- Call the NVC contact center at (+1) 603-334-0700. Check the NVC’s working hours via their website. You may be placed on hold for at least 30 minutes due to the high volume of calls, so please be patient.
- Be ready with the following:
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- Your Complete Name
- Your Date of Birth
- Your NVC Case Number or USCIS Receipt Number
- Your email address
- Your employer or sponsored relative’s name.
4. By mail
A. Provide a legitimate mailing address to track your green card by mail on the listed forms below. All notifications for these forms are sent to the address provided by the U.S. government.
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- I-485 Form if the application was filed in the United States.
- Forms I-130 and I-140
- DS-261 Form (Online Address and Agent Selection) if the application was submitted from outside the United States (indicate the name and contact information of the EB5 immigration lawyer who will speak for you before the NVC).
B. Check your actual mailbox periodically.
5. Via email
Only applicants from outside the United States are permitted to perform a 485 status check through email. Listed below are the steps to check the status of your green card via email.
- Use the online form to check your green card status. Wait for their response via email.
- Have this information
- Your Complete Name
- Your Date of Birth
- Your USCIS NVC Case Number or USCIS Receipt Number
- Your employer’s name or your relative’s name who sponsored you
What is a “Green Card”?
A green card is a document that allows foreign nationals to settle permanently in the United States. A green card enables them to legally live and work anywhere else in the United States for three to five years before becoming full U.S. citizens. Check immigration status by name if you want to know the status of your green card application.
How long will it take to get my Green Card?
The processing time for a green card changes. It takes between 47 and 71 months to process Form I-526 (initial petition). The applicant must first confirm the visa availability. There are no waiting periods for EB5 candidates at this time.
It takes 4 to 6 months to process consular applications if filed outside of the United States. The Adjustment of Status processing time depends on the service center and may take 7.5 to 45.5 months. The average processing times for green cards depend on whether it was made outside or within the U.S.
What are the Factors that Affect the Green Card Process?
Several individuals are unable to obtain a green card through the U.S. government grants green cards to hundreds of thousands of people annually. This is commonly due to their negligence and a failure to fully understand the process and qualifications required. The 3 main factors that could prevent you from obtaining a green card and their definitions are listed below.
- Rejected your application due to ineligibility to apply for a green card
You qualify to apply for a green card if you fall under one of these categories.-
- Have close relatives who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States?
- Have a U.S. employer as your sponsor?
- Is a refugee or an asylee?
- Is a special immigrant?
- Is the target of abuse?
- Have been a permanent resident of the U.S. since before January 1, 1972.
- Have been a victim of a crime or human trafficking?
Visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website for particular qualifying requirements for your green card category. Seek the help of an immigration lawyer if you are uncertain about your ability to apply for a green card.
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- Declined due to missing information on the application. An incomplete green card application will be declined. An incomplete application indicates that you did not provide all the required papers or that the documents submitted were not organized correctly.USCIS takes a strict stance on incomplete petitions and frequently denies them without evaluating the supporting documentation. It is crucial to ensure that your application is complete and accurate before submitting it to the USCIS.
- Denied due to fraud or misrepresentation
Fraud or misrepresentation is one of the most common grounds for denying a green card application. Applicants may be rejected for this reason if they did not present all required paperwork or did not answer all questions truthfully on their applications.
The most frequent forms of misrepresentation include giving false information on an application; working illegally in the country; and making false claims about having family members who are citizens or lawful permanent residents.
It is essential to pay close attention when putting up your application to prevent it from being denied.
An I-485 status check will give you an inkling of whether your application will be approved or not.
Can you speed up the Green Card Process?
No, but there are ways to avoid unexpected or catastrophic types of delays. It is essential to understand what is deemed “normal” in the green card or visa application process. Regardless of the circumstances, it will likely take longer than you thought.
Conduct a preliminary study to avoid being shocked by issues such as a backlog in your application category due to red tape and whether annual constraints hinder the availability of visas for your group. Once you have an understanding of the causes of delays, you will be better equipped to determine if your application has fallen behind the others. You would then need to contact whoever is managing your application and inquire about the problem.
Performing an I-485 status check once you’ve submitted your application will also help, so the next steps you need to take will be easier.