USCIS receipt number
USCIS gives every application or petition it receives a receipt number, and that number is how you, USCIS and anyone helping you look up the case. It is 13 characters: three letters followed by 10 numbers.
Checked against USCIS, CBP and State Department guidance on October 9, 2026. The sources are listed at the end of this page.
4 steps · Checklist
Find and use your USCIS receipt number
The full list is at the end of the article.
Free · tick steps off on the web or in the app
What a receipt number is
USCIS defines it as “a unique 13-character identifier USCIS provides for each application or petition it receives. We use it to identify and track our cases.”
File three forms and you get three receipt numbers, one per case. It is not your A-number, which identifies you rather than a filing. See which number is which.
Where to find it
- On your USCIS notices. USCIS says you can find it on the notices of action it has sent you, Form I-797. USCIS’s SAVE guide places it on the top left of the notice.
- In your USCIS online account, if you filed online. USCIS says your receipt number is on your online account home page, and a copy of the receipt notice is under the Documents or Notices tab.
Your first notice for a case is usually the receipt notice, a Form I-797C. See Form I-797 notices.
What the three letters mean
The letters show where the case was first received. A 2021 USCIS guide for congressional offices lists them:
| Prefix | What USCIS says it means |
|---|---|
| EAC | Vermont Service Center |
| WAC | California Service Center |
| LIN | Nebraska Service Center |
| SRC | Texas Service Center |
| NBC | National Benefits Center |
| MSC | National Benefits Center (listed as Missouri Service Center) |
| YSC | Potomac Service Center |
| MCT | Used for Form I-539, change or extension of nonimmigrant status |
| IOE | Used for electronic (online) filing and the immigrant visa fee |
The prefix reflects where the case started. USCIS’s current contact page also says the National Benefits Center processes cases with receipt numbers starting with MSC and NBC. A case can be transferred later, and your notices will tell you if it is.
How to check your case with it
- Enter the receipt number in USCIS’s Case Status Online tool.
- Leave out the dashes. USCIS says you can include all other characters, including asterisks (*) if your notice shows them as part of the number.
- The tool shows the last action taken on your case and, where there is one, the next step.
Every status message the tool can show is explained in plain English in USCIS case statuses.
If you lost your receipt number or never got the notice
- Filed online? The number is on your USCIS online account home page.
- Never received the notice? USCIS says you may submit a case inquiry in the “did not receive notice by mail” category.
- Do not know the number at all? USCIS says to contact the USCIS Contact Center for help.
Not to be confused with
- Your A-number, which identifies you and starts with “A”. See A-number.
- Your USCIS Online Account Number. USCIS’s form instructions say you only have one if you filed a form with a receipt number that begins with IOE, and that it is not the same as an A-Number.
- Your green card’s card number. It has the same 13-character shape but identifies the card. See green card number.
4 steps · Checklist
Find and use your USCIS receipt number
Find the receipt number on your USCIS notice, or on your online account home page if you filed online
Check it is 13 characters: three letters, then 10 numbers
Enter it in Case Status Online without dashes, keeping any asterisk
If you never got the notice, submit a “did not receive notice by mail” case inquiry
Free, and yours to edit — tick items off on the web or in the MyCheck app.
Frequently asked questions
How many characters is a USCIS receipt number?
13: three letters followed by 10 numbers. For example, the letters can be EAC, WAC, LIN, SRC, NBC, MSC or IOE.
Where is the receipt number on my notice?
On your USCIS notices of action (Form I-797). USCIS’s SAVE guide places it on the top left of the notice.
Do I include the asterisk or dashes when checking my case?
Leave out dashes. USCIS says you can include all other characters, including asterisks, if your notice shows them as part of the receipt number.
What does a receipt number starting with IOE mean?
IOE is the prefix USCIS uses for electronic (online) filing and the immigrant visa fee. If you filed online, the number is also on your USCIS online account home page.
I lost my receipt number. How do I get it?
If you filed online, it is on your USCIS online account home page. Otherwise USCIS says to contact the USCIS Contact Center for help.
More Immigration numbers guides
Sources
- USCIS — Checking Your Case Status Online
- USCIS — Glossary: Receipt Number
- USCIS Office of Legislative Affairs — Congressional Inquiries Refresher (April 2021)
- USCIS — Contact Us
- USCIS — How to Track Delivery of Your Notice or Secure Identity Document
- USCIS — Tips for Filing Forms Online
- USCIS — Form I-797: Types and Functions
- USCIS — Changes to the look and feel of Form I-797C (2012, archived)
- USCIS — SAVE Tutorial (July 17, 2025)
- USCIS — SAVE Tutorial, April 2025 updates
- USCIS — Handbook for Employers (M-274), List A documents
- USCIS — Glossary: USCIS Number
- CBP — I-94 website help
- USCIS — Form I-485
- USCIS — Form I-485 instructions (USCIS Online Account Number)
- Department of State — 9 FAM 403.9 (visa issuance)
- USCIS — Tips on Finding Your A-Number and DOS Case ID
MyCheck is not affiliated with USCIS, CBP or the Department of State. Every rule on this page is linked to its official source; check the source for your own situation. This page is general information, not legal advice.
