How to Check the Status of a Green Card

Last Updated: May 25, 2021 References

Many people apply for green cards through consular processing. A green card allows you to live in or travel to and from the United States as a permanent legal resident. If you’ve applied for a green card through consular processing, you can check your status online or by registering for automatic updates. Both methods are convenient.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Paying Your Immigrant Visa Fee

1
Check if you are exempted. Generally, anyone applying for a green card must pay a fee. USCIS uses the fee to process your green card. However, the following groups do not need to pay the fee:^{[1]
X
Trustworthy Source
US Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S. government agency in charge of the naturalization and immigration systems
Go to source}
- Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants
- K non-immigrants
- Returning lawful permanent residents (SB-1)
- Children who enter the U.S. under the orphan or Hague Adoption programs
2
Identify who can pay your fee. You can pay your own fee. You can also have other people pay the fee for you. For example, your fee can be paid by a friend, family member, attorney, employer, or accredited representative. If they pay, they must have your Alien Number (A-Number) and Department of State (DOS) Case ID.^{[2]
X
Trustworthy Source
US Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S. government agency in charge of the naturalization and immigration systems
Go to source}

Advertisement
3
Retrieve your immigrant information. The U.S. Consulate or Embassy should have given you a variety of information before you left for the U.S. For example, look for the following:^{[3]
X
Trustworthy Source
US Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S. government agency in charge of the naturalization and immigration systems
Go to source}
- A-Number (the letter A followed by eight or nine numbers)
- DOS Case ID (three letters followed by nine or ten numbers)
- instructions for paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee
- sealed immigrant visa packet
4
Pay online. You can pay with a credit card, debit card, prepaid debit card, or your bank account using an Automated Clearing House payment. Visit https://www.uscis.gov/file-online and select the “Log in” button. On the chart, select “Click to Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee.”
- Enter you’re A-Number and DOS Case ID.
- Enter your payment details.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Checking Online

1
Find your receipt number. This is a 13-character identifier that you may find on most notices of action USCIS has sent to you. It should begin with three letters and then have 10 numbers. Notice of action documents are called I-797 forms, so look for this number on the form.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Most communications from the USCIS have a receipt number, but some of these will be temporary. Look for a receipt number on an I-797 form.
2
Visit the website. You’ll check the status of your case at this website: https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do. Bookmark it so that you can revisit the page if necessary.
- This site can update slowly, so it's often best to call first.
- For consular processing cases, try contacting the consulate where you first interviewed for your green card, and then the National Visa Center (NVC). If you cannot get an update from these locations, try the USCIS website.
3
Enter your receipt number. Enter the number in the box underneath “Enter a Receipt Number.” Remember not to include the dashes, though you can include asterisks if they are part of your identifier.
4
Read your status. After you enter your receipt number, you should be told about the status of your green card. Generally, you will receive the green card 120 days from the date you entered the U.S. on your immigrant visa if you paid your immigrant visa fee before you entered the country.
- If you paid after you entered the country, then you can expect to receive your green card within 6 months after you pay your fee. Since it can take awhile for your card to arrive, it's best to pay the fee before you come to the United States.
- You may also pay the fee after you arrive. If you arrive in the United States and haven’t yet paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee, USCIS will send you a notice requesting payment with instructions on paying your fee.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Signing Up for Automatic Updates

1
Read the terms and conditions. Visit the website: https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do. Click on "create an account." Read through the terms and conditions to make sure you agree. If you do, then click “Accept.”
2
Provide required information. To create an account, you will need to provide the following personal information:^{[5]
X
Research source}
- name
- address
- email address
- mobile phone number
- preferred email language
- receipt number
3
Choose a username. Your user name must be between eight and 14 characters. You cannot use the “$” sign. Remember to write your username down so that you remember it.
4
Create a password. The password rules are complicated. Make sure your password meets the following criteria:^{[6]
X
Research source}
- must be between eight and 14 characters
- cannot be the same as your user name
- cannot contain the “$” sign
- cannot contain the word “password”
- must have at least one number
- must have at last one English upper-case character
- must have at least one lower-case English character
5
Answer security questions. You’ll need to provide answers to four security questions, e.g., “What was the name of your first pet?” Remember to write down the questions and answers so that you can retrieve them.
6
Select your method for receiving updates. You can receive updates via email or text message. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will send automatic updates whenever an action has been taken on your application.