- Every USCIS receipt number is 13 characters: 3 letters plus 10 digits, and the letters (such as EAC, WAC, LIN, SRC, MSC, NBC or IOE) show which office or system took in your case.
- A transfer to another USCIS office does not change your receipt number; USCIS mails a transfer notice and you keep tracking the original number.
- Some receipt notices double as status proof: a Form I-751 receipt extends a conditional green card by 48 months and a Form I-90 renewal receipt extends a green card by 36 months.
Every USCIS receipt number contains hidden information about your immigration case: the processing center, fiscal year, workday, and unique case identifier. Understanding these codes (LIN, SRC, EAC, WAC, IOE, and others) helps you track your application’s progress and know exactly where your case stands in the system.
🔎 Receipt Number Structure Explained
Example Decoded
LIN2512350001 = Nebraska Service Center (LIN) + Fiscal Year 2025 (25) + Workday 123 + Case #50001. This tells you your case is at the Nebraska center, received in FY2025, and was the 50,001st case processed on workday 123.
USCIS Service Center Codes
The first three letters of your receipt number identify which USCIS facility is processing your case. Each service center has one or more letter codes assigned to it.
| Code | Service Center | Location | Common Case Types |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIN | Nebraska Service Center (NSC) | Lincoln, NE | I-140, I-129 (H-1B), I-131, I-765 |
| SRC | Texas Service Center (TSC) | Dallas, TX | I-140, I-129, I-130, asylum cases |
| EAC | Vermont Service Center (VSC) | St. Albans, VT | I-140, I-129, I-539, religious workers |
| WAC | California Service Center (CSC) | Laguna Niguel, CA | I-140, I-129, entertainment visas |
| MSC / NBC | National Benefits Center | Lee’s Summit, MO | I-485, I-130, naturalization support |
| YSC | Potomac Service Center | Arlington, VA | VAWA, T/U visas, special cases |
| IOE | Electronic / ELIS System | Online Processing | Cases filed online or converted to electronic |
IOE Receipts: Electronic Processing
Receipt numbers starting with IOE indicate cases processed through USCIS’s Electronic Immigration System (ELIS). This includes cases filed online and paper filings that have been electronically converted. IOE cases follow the same tracking process as traditional receipts. The 10 digits after IOE are assigned by the electronic system and often do not follow the fiscal-year and workday pattern explained below, so rely on the Received Date printed on your I-797C instead.
Understanding the Numbers
📅 Fiscal Year (Digits 4-5)
🔢 Workday & Case Number (Digits 6-13)
Workday ≠ Calendar Day
The 3-digit “workday” indicates when USCIS processed your fee and generated the receipt, not when you mailed or when USCIS received your application. There may be a delay between mailing, lockbox intake, and fee processing.
Lockbox Facilities vs. Service Centers
When you mail an immigration application, it first goes to a USCIS lockbox facility, not directly to a service center. Understanding this two-step process helps set realistic expectations for processing times.
- First stop for mailed applications
- Operated by contractor (not USCIS staff)
- Check for correct forms and fees
- Scan documents into system
- Generate receipt number
- Forward to assigned service center
- Processing time: 2-4 weeks
- Adjudicate (approve/deny) applications
- Staffed by USCIS officers
- Review evidence and documentation
- Issue RFEs (Requests for Evidence)
- Make final decisions
- Issue approval/denial notices
- Processing time: varies by form
USCIS Lockbox Locations
USCIS operates lockbox facilities in Chicago, IL, Phoenix, AZ, Dallas, TX, and Lewisville, TX. The mailing address on USCIS forms directs you to the appropriate lockbox based on your form type and jurisdiction.
How to Use Your Receipt Number
✅ What You Can Do With Your Receipt Number
🔗 Useful USCIS Links
⏱️ When to Inquire
What Happens Next by Form Type
The receipt notice is step one. What arrives next depends on the form you filed, not on the three-letter prefix: an EAC receipt and an IOE receipt for the same Form I-765 follow the same path. The table shows the usual sequence for the ten forms readers ask us about most. USCIS can add a step at any point, most often a Request for Evidence, and it can waive a biometrics appointment or an interview.
| Form | What It Is | Typical Next Notice | Biometrics? | Interview? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | I-797 approval notice; if your relative is abroad, the case moves to the National Visa Center | Not usually for the petitioner | Sometimes; common when a spouse files I-485 at the same time |
| I-485 | Adjustment of status (green card) | I-797C biometrics appointment notice, then an interview notice or approval and the green card | Yes | Often; USCIS can waive it |
| I-765 | Work permit (EAD) | I-797C biometrics notice if needed, then approval and the EAD card | Often; USCIS may reuse earlier biometrics | No |
| I-131 | Travel document | I-797C biometrics notice, then approval and the travel document | Yes for reentry permits and refugee travel documents; often for advance parole | No |
| I-129 | Nonimmigrant worker petition (H-1B, L-1, O-1) | I-797A approval (with a new I-94) for an extension or change in the U.S., or I-797B if the worker gets the visa abroad | No | No |
| I-140 | Immigrant worker petition | I-797 approval notice, or a Request for Evidence | No | No |
| I-90 | Green card renewal or replacement | I-797C biometrics notice, then the new card; the renewal receipt extends your card 36 months | Yes; USCIS may reuse earlier biometrics | Rarely |
| N-400 | Naturalization | I-797C biometrics notice, interview notice, then oath ceremony notice (Form N-445) | Yes, unless USCIS waives it | Yes |
| I-751 | Remove conditions on a 2-year green card | Receipt extends your card 48 months; then biometrics notice, then approval or an interview notice | Yes | Sometimes; USCIS can waive it |
| I-539 | Extend or change nonimmigrant status (H-4, L-2, B-2) | I-797A approval notice, or a Request for Evidence | Only if USCIS requests it | No |
Two receipt notices do more than confirm filing. A properly filed Form I-751 receipt extends a conditional green card for 48 months past the expiration date printed on the card, and a Form I-90 renewal receipt extends the card for 36 months. Carry the receipt notice together with the expired card when you start a new job or travel. If your next notice is a biometrics appointment, read what happens after your USCIS biometrics appointment; renewal filers can check whether a biometrics appointment is mandatory for green card renewal.
One rule may change this table. DHS proposed a rule on November 3, 2025 that would let USCIS require biometrics from any applicant, petitioner or sponsor, regardless of age. The comment period closed on January 2, 2026, and as of October 10, 2026 we have not found a final rule, so the table reflects current practice.
Case Status Messages Tied to Your Receipt Number
When you enter your 13-character number into the USCIS case status tool, you get a short status message rather than a timeline. These are the messages that generate the most questions, with our explainer for each:
- Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Sent: the first status after intake. See what “Case Was Received” means and how long it usually lasts.
- Fingerprints Were Taken: your biometrics are in the system. Here is what it means when your case status shows fingerprints were taken.
- Case Was Transferred: another office now has your file, and your receipt number does not change. Read what a transfer to a new office means.
- Status unavailable or stuck: the tool shows an error or the same message for months. Our guide on USCIS case status “unavailable” or stuck explains when to act.
- Approval notice mailed: the decision arrives on a Form I-797. Learn the difference between the I-797, I-797A, I-797B and I-797C.
- Notice lost or never arrived: follow the steps to obtain or replace your I-797.
- Case outside normal processing times: compare the service request and e-Request options before you contact USCIS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your receipt number appears on the I-797C Notice of Action (receipt notice) that USCIS mails after accepting your application. It’s in the upper left corner, labeled “Receipt Number.” If you filed online, you’ll also receive it via email and can find it in your USCIS online account.
IOE indicates your case was filed electronically or has been converted to electronic processing through USCIS’s ELIS (Electronic Immigration System). IOE receipts function the same as traditional center-based receipts for tracking purposes. Paper filings can also receive IOE receipts when USCIS processes them electronically.
No. NSC, TSC, VSC and CSC are short names for the Nebraska, Texas, Vermont and California Service Centers. They appear on USCIS web pages and some notices, but receipt numbers start with LIN (Nebraska), SRC (Texas), EAC (Vermont) or WAC (California). The National Benefits Center is the exception: its receipts can start with either MSC or NBC.
No. When USCIS moves a case to another office, it mails a transfer notice and your original receipt number stays the same. Keep using it for case status checks and inquiries, and use the processing times for the office now handling the case. A second, different receipt number usually means a separate filing, such as a companion I-765 or I-131.
Not precisely. The receipt number shows when USCIS processed your fee (workday), but your priority date depends on the form type. For I-140s, the priority date is usually when USCIS received the petition. For I-485s based on an approved I-140, the priority date carries over from the I-140.
For paper filings, expect 2-4 weeks for the lockbox to process your application and mail a receipt notice. For online filings, you typically receive confirmation immediately and a formal receipt within days. Check your USCIS online account for updates.
If you filed online, log into your USCIS online account to retrieve your receipt number. For paper filings, you can request a duplicate by calling the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 or submitting an e-Request through the USCIS website. You may also find the receipt number on subsequent notices (RFE, approval).
No. The receipt number only identifies the service center, fiscal year, processing date, and case sequence. It does not contain information about the assigned officer. Officer assignments are internal and not disclosed to applicants.
📚 Official Sources
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. USCIS procedures and processing times are subject to change. Always verify current information on the official USCIS website.
