To check your H-1B filing status, enter the 13-character receipt number from your Form I-797C Notice of Action into the USCIS Case Status Online tool at egov.uscis.gov. The tool is free, updates in real time, and shows the most recent action taken on your petition, whether that’s receipt, a request for evidence, approval, or denial.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Case Status Online What the update means, and what you can do while you wait, depends on the wording USCIS uses and where you are in the process.
Where to Find Your Receipt Number
Every H-1B petition accepted by USCIS gets a unique 13-character receipt number: three letters followed by ten digits.2USCIS. Receipt Number It’s printed on the Form I-797C that USCIS mails after accepting your employer’s Form I-129 petition. The three-letter prefix identifies the service center or filing channel: EAC (Vermont), WAC (California), LIN (Nebraska), SRC (Texas), or IOE for petitions filed through a USCIS online account. The prefix doesn’t change how you check status.
Don’t confuse the receipt number with the H-1B lottery registration number. The registration number identifies you in the selection pool before any petition is filed. The receipt number only exists after your employer submits the I-129. Entering a registration number into Case Status Online returns an error or nothing at all.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Case Status Online
How to Check Your Petition Online
Go to egov.uscis.gov, enter the receipt number, and click “Check Status.” Dashes don’t matter; the system handles the number either way. The screen shows the latest status message and the date USCIS last updated it.
A free myUSCIS account adds more. It shows up to your last five case actions, lets you track multiple cases from one dashboard, and gives access to electronically filed applications. You can also set up text or email notifications so USCIS pushes updates to you instead of you refreshing the page.3USCIS. Checking Your Case Status Online
If Your Status Hasn’t Moved
USCIS publishes estimated processing times by form type and service center at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times. Enter your receipt date and the tool tells you whether your case has passed the normal window, defined as the time it takes to complete 93% of adjudicated cases for that form.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. More Information About Case Processing Times Once you’re past that threshold, the tool generates a link to submit a case inquiry directly to USCIS. These times update monthly.
If online tools aren’t helping, call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283.3USCIS. Checking Your Case Status Online Phone agents can sometimes see internal case notes that don’t appear online, which helps when a case has been stuck on “received” for months or when you need to confirm that a response to an RFE was logged.
What the Status Messages Mean
USCIS uses set phrases in the tracker, and the exact wording tells you where you are.
Case Was Received
USCIS accepted the petition and the required fees, and placed the case in the queue. Nobody has looked at the merits yet. For cap-subject H-1B petitions, reaching “received” means your employer successfully filed during the filing window that opens after lottery selection; that window runs at least 90 days.5USCIS. FY 2027 H-1B Initial Registration Selection Process Completed
Request for Evidence Sent
The reviewing officer needs more documentation before deciding. Common triggers are questions about whether the job qualifies as a specialty occupation or whether the employer-employee relationship is genuine. An RFE is not a denial signal. You typically have 84 days to respond, though some form types have shorter deadlines.6USCIS. Chapter 6 – Evidence Send everything in one package; USCIS treats a partial submission as your final answer.
Notice of Intent to Deny
A NOID is more serious than an RFE. USCIS has reviewed the record and is leaning toward denial unless you change their mind. You have 30 days to respond, or 33 if the notice was mailed.6USCIS. Chapter 6 – Evidence Getting an experienced immigration attorney involved at this point is worth it.
Case Was Approved
USCIS determined the petition meets H-1B requirements. If your employer requested a change of status, you’ll receive a Form I-797A with an attached I-94. If the employer requested consular processing, you’ll receive a Form I-797B and will need to attend a visa interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate before entering to work.
Denied, Rejected, or Withdrawn
A rejection usually stems from a procedural defect: wrong fee amount, missing signature, or filing outside the eligible window. Rejected petitions are returned without being processed, and the fee is typically refunded. A denial means USCIS reviewed the merits and concluded the petition didn’t qualify. Withdrawn means the employer pulled the petition before USCIS reached a decision, which happens when a job offer falls through or the worker moves to a different position.
One boundary worth flagging on rejection: for petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025, a Presidential Proclamation added a $100,000 surcharge for new H-1B petitions, and a petition submitted without that payment is likely to come back rejected.7The White House. Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers8USCIS. I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
Can You Work While the Petition Is Pending?
A pending status doesn’t always mean you have to stop working. It depends on which type of petition is pending.
Extensions: The 240-Day Rule
If you’re already in H-1B status and your employer files a timely extension before your current status expires, you can keep working for up to 240 days while USCIS processes the new petition.9USCIS. 7.7 Extensions of Stay for Other Nonimmigrant Categories Timely means filed before your current I-94 expiration date. If USCIS denies the extension or 240 days pass without a decision, work authorization ends.
H-1B Portability When Changing Jobs
If you’re switching employers and the new employer files an H-1B transfer petition, you can start working for the new employer as soon as USCIS properly receives that petition. Approval isn’t required first.10USCIS. FAQs for Individuals in H-1B Nonimmigrant Status The petition must be nonfrivolous, meaning it has a legitimate basis.
Cap-Gap for F-1 Students
If you’re on F-1 OPT and your employer filed a cap-subject H-1B petition asking for a change of status, your F-1 status and OPT work authorization automatically extend through October 1 or until your H-1B start date, whichever is earlier.11USCIS. Extension of Post Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) and F-1 Status for Eligible Students under the H-1B Cap-Gap Regulations No separate application, no new EAD card. One caveat: if you had already entered the 60-day departure grace period when the H-1B was filed, your status extends but your work authorization does not, because you weren’t authorized to work during that grace period. Ask your designated school official for an updated Form I-20 as proof, and bring a copy of the I-129 and the I-797C receipt notice when you request it. If the H-1B petition is denied, withdrawn, or revoked, the cap-gap extension ends immediately.
Speeding Up the Decision With Premium Processing
If waiting isn’t an option, your employer can file Form I-907 to request premium processing. USCIS guarantees it will take action within 15 business days for H-1B petitions. That action can be an approval, a denial, an RFE, a NOID, or a fraud investigation notice. If USCIS misses the 15-day window, it refunds the premium processing fee.12USCIS. How Do I Request Premium Processing
As of March 1, 2026, the premium processing fee for H-1B petitions is $2,965, paid on top of the regular filing fees.13USCIS. USCIS to Increase Premium Processing Fees Premium processing doesn’t improve your odds of approval; it compresses the timeline.
Confirming Your Status on Paper: I-797 and I-94
Online status updates are useful for tracking, but the paper Form I-797 is what proves your H-1B status to employers, border officers, and government agencies.14USCIS. Form I-797 Types and Functions The version you receive depends on your situation:
- Form I-797A comes when USCIS approves a change of status while you’re already in the U.S. It includes a detachable I-94 showing your new admission class and authorized stay dates.
- Form I-797B comes when the petition is approved but you’ll go through consular processing abroad before entering to work.
- Form I-797C is the receipt notice, and it’s where your 13-character receipt number appears.
Your I-94 arrival/departure record controls how long you’re authorized to stay and work, and the date on your I-94 can differ from the dates on your I-797 approval notice. Verify your I-94 independently at i94.cbp.dhs.gov by entering your name, date of birth, and passport information.15CBP. I-94/I-95 Website – Official Site for Travelers Visiting the United States The site also provides five years of travel history. If the admit-until date on your I-94 doesn’t match your approval notice, contact USCIS or CBP to correct the discrepancy before it causes trouble with future filings or employment verification.
What to Do If Your Petition Is Denied
A denial isn’t necessarily the end. You have two motion options, and the deadlines are tight.
A motion to reopen relies on new evidence that wasn’t part of the original record. It goes back to the same USCIS office that issued the denial, and the new evidence must show you were eligible at the time the original petition was filed.16USCIS. Questions and Answers: Appeals and Motions
A motion to reconsider argues that USCIS applied the law incorrectly. No new evidence; instead, you cite the specific statutes, regulations, or precedent decisions that should have produced an approval on the existing record.16USCIS. Questions and Answers: Appeals and Motions
For both motions, you generally have 30 days from the date of the decision to file, plus 3 more days when the decision was mailed, for 33 days total. There is no extension to the appeal deadline.16USCIS. Questions and Answers: Appeals and Motions If your employer is willing to try again, refiling can sometimes be a faster path than appeals, particularly when the denial pointed to fixable problems.