How to Check U Visa Status and Processing Times

To check U visa status, enter your 13-character receipt number in the USCIS Case Status Online tool at egov.uscis.gov. The number appears on the Form I-797C, Notice of Action, that USCIS mailed after receiving your Form I-918 petition. The tool shows the last action taken on your case and any next steps required from you.¹ Because the 10,000 annual U visa cap has been reached every fiscal year since 2010, most petitioners wait years for final adjudication, so checking status periodically is a routine part of the process.²

Use Case Status Online or a myUSCIS Account

The receipt number is three letters followed by ten digits. Enter it without dashes. The result screen shows the most recent action USCIS has taken and, if the agency needs something from you, a description of what to submit and by when.¹

A free myUSCIS online account is the better option if you plan to check more than once. Even if you filed your I-918 on paper, you can link the receipt number to the account and see the full case history along with any related filings, such as a Form I-765 for employment authorization, in one place.³

Check regularly. If USCIS issues a Request for Evidence, the status will reflect it, and you have a limited window to respond. Missing that window can result in denial.

Look Up the Current Processing Time

USCIS posts estimated processing times for Form I-918 on its Case Processing Times page. Select “I-918 | Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status” from the form dropdown, choose the applicable category and service center (which may now appear as “Service Center Operations”), and retrieve the current timeline.⁴ The number shifts as USCIS works through its backlog, so a figure you saw six months ago may no longer be accurate.

The page also indicates whether USCIS considers your case actively processing. If you received a notice, responded to a Request for Evidence, or got an online status update in the past 60 days, USCIS treats the case as active even when nothing else appears to be happening.⁵ That matters because you generally cannot submit an inquiry about a delay until the case falls outside the posted window.

Submit an e-Request If Your Case Is Delayed

Once your case has been pending longer than the posted processing time and you have not received an update in the past 60 days, submit a formal inquiry through the USCIS e-Request tool. You will need the receipt number, your A-Number if you have one, the filing date, and a valid email address.⁵ If your form type is not listed in the processing time table at all, USCIS aims to decide within six months of filing, and you should wait that long before inquiring.

An e-Request is not a fast-track. It signals to USCIS that the case appears stuck, and a response can take weeks. It also creates a record that you flagged the delay, which becomes useful if you later need to escalate.

Call the USCIS Contact Center

For U visa questions, call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833). USCIS keeps dedicated procedures for VAWA, T, and U filings, so tell the system your inquiry relates to one of those case types.⁶

Have your receipt notice in front of you before you call. USCIS verifies your identity before sharing any case information, so be ready to confirm personal details that match your filing. An automated phone tree handles basic questions first, then routes more complex issues to a live representative. If the first-tier representative cannot resolve the question, a Tier 2 Immigration Services Officer can follow up by phone or email.⁷

A phone call is most useful when a notice you received is confusing, when you need to confirm that documents you mailed actually arrived, or when the online status seems inconsistent with paper you received.

Escalate to the CIS Ombudsman

When the normal channels have not resolved a problem, the DHS Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman can step in. This office handles individual case assistance, but only after you have already contacted USCIS through one of its regular channels within the past 90 days and given the agency at least 60 days to respond.⁸

You (or your attorney or accredited representative) submit a DHS Form 7001. If a representative files on your behalf, they must include a signed copy of the G-28 already on file with USCIS for the specific form at issue, or the Ombudsman will close the request.⁸ Treat the Ombudsman as a last resort for cases where USCIS has gone silent or where a procedural error needs attention from outside the normal chain.

What the Status Updates Mean for a U Case

Two updates matter most while a U visa petition sits in the queue: a bona fide determination and a waitlist placement. Both come with work authorization and protection from removal, so recognizing them when they appear in your case status is worth the attention.

Bona Fide Determination

USCIS introduced the Bona Fide Determination (BFD) process in June 2021 to provide relief to petitioners facing long waits.² Under BFD, USCIS reviews whether your petition was properly filed with the required evidence and whether you pass background and security checks. If it clears that review, USCIS finds the petition bona fide, meaning it appears genuine and complete.⁹

A successful BFD triggers two benefits: deferred action (protection from removal) and an Employment Authorization Document valid for four years.⁹ BFD applies only to principal petitioners physically present in the United States. Qualifying family members overseas do not receive BFD independently but may qualify once the principal receives it, provided they meet their own filing and background check requirements. If your case status reflects a bona fide finding, confirm you have filed Form I-765 so the employment authorization document actually issues.

Waitlist Placement

Once USCIS determines you are eligible for U nonimmigrant status but the annual cap has already been reached, your petition goes on a waitlist. This is not a denial. You are considered eligible for the visa but unable to receive it yet solely because of the cap.¹⁰

Waitlisted petitioners receive deferred action and are eligible for employment authorization valid for four years, renewable if you remain on the list longer than that. You also do not accrue unlawful presence while on the waitlist, which protects you from the reentry bars that normally attach to extended periods of unlawful status.¹⁰ USCIS processes waitlisted petitions in the order received, so older filings move off first.

If your case status shows waitlist placement, look for the separate notice with instructions on applying for work authorization and deferred action. Missing that notice can delay benefits you are already entitled to.

Keep Your Address Current

None of this monitoring helps if USCIS notices reach the wrong address. Federal law requires a noncitizen in the United States to report any change of address to USCIS within 10 days of moving.¹¹ For most cases, you can update online through a USCIS account or by mailing a paper Form AR-11.

U visa applicants follow special change-of-address procedures. USCIS keeps separate instructions for VAWA, T, and U filings, and the standard AR-11 process alone may not be sufficient to update your case file. Use the USCIS page for change-of-address procedures specific to VAWA/T/U cases to make sure the update reaches the right place.¹² Because U visa cases can pend for years, the odds of moving at least once during the wait are high. Every move needs an update, and every missed update risks a Request for Evidence, a bona fide determination notice, or a final decision going somewhere you no longer live.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Checking Your Case Status Online
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Benefits of a USCIS Online Account
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Case Processing Times
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Check Case Processing
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Contact Us – Section: Inquiries for VAWA, T, and U Filings
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 1 Part A Chapter 3 – Types of Assistance
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Homeland Security. How to Submit a Case Assistance Request
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 3 Part C Chapter 5 – Bona Fide Determination Process
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 3 Part C Chapter 6 – Waiting List
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How to Change Your Address