Follow your H-1B extension from receipt to approval and hear about the new I-797 the day USCIS issues it.
Use the receipt number from the I-797C receipt notice for your extension petition. Free, no sign-up.
Want automatic updates? Get alerts on WhatsApp after you check.
USCIS updates cases at random hours and the letter takes a week to arrive. We check your case every few hours and message you the moment it moves.
USCIS accepted your filing and sent a receipt notice (Form I-797C).
Next: Keep the receipt number. Biometrics, if needed, usually come next within a few weeks.
An officer is working on your case. It's a normal step, not a sign of a problem.
Next: This status can last weeks or months. The next update is often an approval, an interview or a Request for Evidence.
USCIS needs more documents before it can decide. The letter lists exactly what is missing.
Next: Respond by the deadline on the notice, usually 87 days. Many people have an immigration attorney review the response.
USCIS has your answer to the Request for Evidence and the case is back in line for review.
Next: The next update is usually the decision, though it can take a few weeks or longer.
USCIS approved your case. The approval notice is in the mail.
Next: If a card comes with this benefit, expect a 'Card Is Being Produced' and 'Card Was Mailed' update next.
USCIS denied the application or petition. The notice explains why.
Next: Depending on the case you may be able to appeal, file a motion or refile. Talk to an immigration attorney quickly; deadlines are short.
To keep working in H-1B status past the end date on your current approval, your employer files a new Form I-129 asking USCIS to extend your stay. It gets its own receipt number, separate from your original petition, and that new number is the one to track.
Employers usually file a few months before the current end date. USCIS accepts extension petitions up to six months before the requested start date, so filing early gives the case time to move.
If the extension was filed on time with the same employer, the rules generally let you keep working for up to 240 days past the expiration on your I-94 while USCIS decides. The receipt notice together with your expired I-94 is what employers typically keep on file for this.
This is a common area for edge cases, for example if you traveled recently or your I-94 date differs from your approval notice. Confirm your own situation with your employer or its immigration attorney.
An approved extension of stay comes with a new I-797A approval notice, which has a new I-94 record printed at the bottom. Check the dates on it carefully. If you travel, you'll generally also need a visa stamp that reflects the new approval to come back in H-1B status.
Extensions are usually less eventful than first-time petitions, but RFEs still happen. If you get one, your employer and its attorney prepare the response, and the usual deadline is 87 days from the notice.
Enter the receipt number for the extension petition above. It's on the I-797C your employer or attorney received and usually starts with WAC, EAC or IOE. You'll see the current status, what it means and the history, and you can turn on alerts.
It varies by service center and by case, and premium processing changes it completely. Instead of a national average, CaseTracker Personal estimates your decision date from real I-129 cases decided in the last year.
Generally yes, for up to 240 days, if your employer filed the extension on time and you're staying with the same employer. Confirm with your employer or attorney, since details like recent travel can matter.
Travel can be complicated while an extension of stay is pending, especially if your visa stamp or I-94 has expired. Talk to your employer's immigration attorney before booking.
Yes. Your employer can file Form I-907 at any time while the I-129 is pending. The 15-business-day clock starts when USCIS receives the I-907.