USCIS Receipt Number Explained: Format, Prefixes and Where to Find It

What Is a USCIS Receipt Number?

A USCIS receipt number is a unique tracking code for one filing. USCIS creates it when it accepts an application, petition or request and prints it on the receipt notice.

Every later notice for that filing repeats the same code, so it becomes the reference USCIS, your attorney and you use for the whole case.

A tracking code for one filing, not one person

The code belongs to a single form. If you file Forms I-485, I-765 and I-131 together, you get three receipt numbers, one per form.

Track each one separately, because the work permit or travel document can be decided on a different day than the green card application.

Other names people use for it

You will see it called a case number, notice of receipt number, petition number or "receipt #." Employers often say "petition number" for an H-1B case, and online filers sometimes call it their IOE number.

Why Does Your Receipt Number Matter?

Your receipt number is the key that opens every official update on your case. Case Status Online, Contact Center agents, your attorney and your employer all use it to find the filing.

Without it, you can still reach USCIS by phone, but each lookup takes longer and online tools stay closed to you.

What you can do with it

• Check your uscis case status on the official online tool.
• Link a paper-filed case to your online account.
• Look up processing times for the right office and form.
• Ask USCIS about a delay, a missing notice or an address change.
• Show an employer, school or agency that a case is pending.

What it cannot do on its own

A receipt number does not grant status, work permission or travel permission. It only proves USCIS received a filing.

Some receipt notices, such as for Form I-751 or I-90, carry extra effects described below; for most forms, the I-797C is only proof of filing, not permission to work or travel.

How Is a USCIS Receipt Number Structured?

USCIS describes the layout plainly: 3 letters + 10 digits (13 characters), e.g. EAC2512345678; leave out dashes. The letters come first and the digits follow, with no spaces.

That makes 13 characters in total. If your copy has more or fewer, recheck it against the printed notice before you search.

Three-letter prefix plus ten digits

The prefix is the three-letter code at the front. It tells you which service center, benefits center or filing channel first logged the case. The ten digits that follow make the code unique.

Asterisks, dashes and spaces

USCIS says to enter the code without dashes but to keep any asterisks printed on the notice. Spaces copied from a PDF or email often cause a "not found" message.

A Receipt Number Example, Annotated

A useful receipt number example is EAC2512345678. "EAC" is the prefix, and "2512345678" is the ten-digit filing code. This sample is invented, so do not search it.

Your real code sits in the Receipt Number box on your own notice; copy it from there, character by character, rather than from an email.

Reading the sample part by part

• EAC: the case was first received by the Vermont Service Center.
• 2512345678: the digits that make this filing unique.
• EAC2512345678: the full string you type into Case Status Online.

What Do the Ten Digits Mean? (Unofficial)

USCIS does not publish a meaning for the ten digits in the pages we checked. Many law firm and forum guides say the digits encode a fiscal year, a processing workday and a sequence number. Treat that breakdown as unofficial and never rely on it to prove a filing date.

Do the First Two Digits Show the Fiscal Year?

According to unofficial guides, the first two digits are the federal fiscal year, which starts October 1. The next three would be the workday the receipt was processed. The last five would be a sequence count. USCIS has not confirmed this.

Why the digit theory often fails

Some guides say the theory does not hold for IOE numbers, which they describe as plain sequential codes. The received date printed on your notice is the date USCIS actually uses.

Receipt Number Prefixes and Service Centers

A 2021 USCIS Office of Legislative Affairs guide confirms nine receipt prefixes and the office or channel each one names. The prefix records where the case was first received.

The table below lists each prefix with the office USCIS names for it.

Prefix decoder table

Find the first three letters of your code in the left column to see which office or channel first logged the case.

Center codes are not prefixes

You may also see TSC, VSC, CSC, NSC or PSC on forums. These are short center abbreviations, not receipt prefixes. A receipt number never begins with TSC or VSC.

Which Service Center Is EAC, WAC, LIN or SRC?

Four older prefixes point to the four regional service centers. EAC is the Vermont Service Center, WAC is the California Service Center, LIN is the Nebraska Service Center and SRC is the Texas Service Center. The letters come from the centers' former names.

EAC and WAC: the coastal centers

EAC stands for the former Eastern Adjudication Center, now the Vermont Service Center. WAC comes from the former Western Adjudication Center, now the California Service Center.

The old names explain why the letters no longer match today's office names.

LIN and SRC: the central centers

The LIN service center code comes from Lincoln, Nebraska, so LIN means the Nebraska Service Center. SRC traces to the former Southern Regional Center, now the Texas Service Center.

What Do MSC, NBC and YSC Mean?

MSC and NBC both point to the National Benefits Center, which handles many family and naturalization cases before they reach a local field office. MSC is the older Missouri Service Center prefix. YSC names the Potomac Service Center, a newer office in the USCIS network.

MSC and NBC in practice

An MSC uscis code on an I-485 or N-400 often means the National Benefits Center did early processing, such as intake, background checks and file review, before any interview.

The prefix alone does not tell you which stage the case has reached.

When an MSC case moves to a field office

These cases frequently move to a local field office for an interview. A move like that triggers a transfer notice, but the MSC or NBC prefix itself stays.

Use the office named on that newest notice when you check processing times.

YSC and the Potomac Service Center

YSC receipts became more common as USCIS spread work to the Potomac Service Center. The prefix tells you only that Potomac first received the case.

It does not mean Potomac will decide the case; check your newest notice for the office working on it now.

What Do the MCT and IOE Prefixes Mean?

MCT marks Form I-539 filings for a change or extension of nonimmigrant status, according to the 2021 USCIS guide. IOE marks a case filed electronically, which the same guide also ties to the USCIS Immigrant Fee. IOE does not name a physical service center.

IOE in brief

If your USCIS receipt number starts with IOE, you most likely filed online or paid the immigrant fee online. The case still gets assigned to a working office behind the scenes.

Tracking an IOE case

An IOE code works in Case Status Online exactly like any other prefix, and the case also appears in the online account used to file it. Our page on ioe case status explains which office handles IOE cases and how to track them.

MCT in brief

MCT shows up mainly for Form I-539, the request to extend or change a temporary status such as visitor or dependent status. You track an MCT case the same way as any other: enter all 13 characters into Case Status Online.

Does the Prefix Show Where Your Case Is Now?

No. The prefix shows where USCIS first received the case, not where it sits today. USCIS moves files to balance workloads or to send them to a field office for interview. The prefix never changes after a move, so use your newest notice to find the current office.

How to learn the current office

Read the most recent notice for the case, especially any transfer notice. Your online account history also shows moves, listed in date order with the office named on each notice.

What a Case Was Transferred update tells you

A Case Was Transferred update means a new office has the file. The receipt number and prefix stay the same, so keep using your code. Our overview of uscis service centers explains what each center does.

Where Is the Receipt Number on Form I-797C?

On Form I-797C, Notice of Action, the USCIS receipt number sits in a labeled box near the top left. The same box appears on biometrics notices, requests for evidence and approvals. I-797C = Notice of Action (receipt, rejection, transfer, appointment, re-open); not proof of status by itself.

What else the receipt notice shows

Next to the receipt number you will find the received date, the priority date where one applies, the form number, the applicant's name and the notice date.

Check each item against your form the day the notice arrives, and ask USCIS to correct any typo before later notices repeat it.

The full I-797C guide

For a box-by-box explanation, read our guide on what is an i 797c, which covers each notice type and when you get it.

It also explains how a receipt notice differs from an approval notice, which uses the same receipt number box.

Where Can I Find the Receipt Number if I Lost the Notice?

If the paper notice is lost, your USCIS receipt number is usually still in other places. Look at later notices for the same case, your USCIS online account, emails from your attorney and copies your employer kept.

Start with these sources before you call USCIS.

Quick places to check first

• Any later USCIS letter about the same filing.
• The case list in your online account, if you filed online or linked the case.
• Your attorney's or accredited representative's file.
• Your HR team's copy, for employment petitions.
• Bank records, if you paid by check and the check image shows a code.

When to call USCIS

If nothing else works, call 800-375-5283. Have your A-Number, name, birth date and form type ready. An agent may confirm details or explain how to request a copy of the notice.

Is There a Receipt Number on Your Green Card?

Your green card carries a card number, which looks a lot like a receipt number because it also starts with letters followed by digits. It is not the receipt number from your I-485 or I-751. People asking for the green card receipt or card number usually need this card code.

Card number versus receipt number

The card number identifies one physical card. A replacement card gets a new one. Your receipt number identifies a filing.

If a form or employer asks for the card number, copy it from the card. If it asks for a receipt number, use the code on the I-797C for that filing.

Where to read the full card guide

The card's layout changed across designs, so placement varies. Our guide to the green card number shows where it appears on current and older cards and how it differs from the USCIS# printed on the front.

How Do You Find Receipt Numbers in Your Online Account?

A free USCIS online account lists each case linked to it, with the receipt number shown for every one. Online filings appear on their own. Paper filings can be added later, and the account then shows history and notices for that receipt number too.

What the account adds

Free USCIS online account: case status updates, notices, link paper-filed cases. It also keeps every receipt number in one place. Sign up at myaccount.uscis.gov/create-account.

Paper filers can add a case with the online access code from their Account Access Notice, after which the code appears in the case list.

Account number versus receipt number

The account also has its own identifier, which people confuse with a case code. USCIS Online Account Number (OAN): only if you have an IOE receipt; shown in your account profile or at the top of the Account Access Notice. Learn more in our guide to the uscis online account number.

Receipt Number vs A-Number vs Other USCIS Numbers

The USCIS receipt number tracks one filing. The A-Number (Alien Registration Number) tracks you as a person across every file USCIS holds. The green card number tracks one card, and the Online Account Number tracks your account.

The table compares the four side by side.

Side-by-side comparison

Use this table when a form asks for one number and you are unsure which document holds it.

The A-Number on your card

Your A-Number is the 'USCIS#' printed on the front of green cards issued after May 10, 2010. That number stays the same for life, unlike a receipt number. Our alien number guide explains where else it appears and when forms ask for it.

Is the Petition Number the Same as the Receipt Number?

Yes, in almost every case. When an employer, consulate or form asks for a petition number, it means the receipt number printed on the I-797 notice for that petition. The phrase is most common for H-1B and other Form I-129 cases, where the petition is filed by an employer.

Petition receipt number on visa forms

The State Department visa application and the visa appointment system ask for the petition receipt number. You enter the 13-character code from the I-797 approval notice for the H-1B, L-1 or similar petition.

When the numbers differ

An H-1B amendment, extension or transfer creates a new petition and a new receipt number. If you have more than one approval, confirm with your employer which petition supports your current job.

Receipt Numbers by Form: Summary Table

Every form gets its own USCIS receipt number, but what the receipt notice is used for differs by form. The table summarizes the forms people search about most.

Use it to see what each notice proves and whether it does anything beyond confirming the filing, such as showing a priority date or extending status.

Form-by-form receipt table

Read across each row to see what that form's receipt notice confirms and any extra job it does.

Package filings

Family packages and employment cases often produce three to five codes at once. Write each one down with its form number. The uscis forms hub links to every form guide.

Where Is the Receipt Number on an I-130 Notice?

The I-130 receipt notice confirms USCIS received a family petition. It shows the receipt number, the received date, the petitioner and beneficiary, and often the priority date that sets the beneficiary's place in line.

The code itself sits in the Receipt Number box at the top left.

Reading the form I-130 receipt notice

On a form I-130 receipt notice, the priority date usually matches the received date. Check both names and the relationship category. Learn the full process in our Form I-130 petition guide.

I-130 receipt when filed with I-485

When a relative inside the U.S. files I-130 and I-485 together, each form gets its own I-130 receipt and I-485 receipt.

Any I-765 or I-131 in the same package adds its own code too. Keep the I-130 code handy, because it is the one tied to the family relationship behind the case.

How Do Green Card Receipt Numbers Work?

A green card receipt number usually means the code on your Form I-485 receipt notice. It tracks the adjustment of status (AOS) application from intake to decision. Once USCIS approves the case and produces the card, the card carries its own separate card number.

The I-485 receipt and its companions

Many I-485 filers also send Forms I-765 and I-131. Each gets a separate code. The I-485 fee is $1,440 (paper) / $1,390 (online); $950 / $900 if under 14 and filing with a parent under Form G-1055, Edition 10/16/26. Our I-485 adjustment of status guide covers the stages that follow the receipt.

Permanent resident receipt number questions

Searches for "permanent resident receipt number" or "receipt number for permanent resident card" usually come from forms that ask about the card. The card itself never shows the receipt number from the I-485 that produced it.

Card number or receipt number on later forms

If a form asks for the card number, use the one printed on the card. If it asks for a receipt number, use the code from the relevant notice.

When unsure, read the field label word by word.

How Do H-1B Petition and Receipt Numbers Work?

An H-1B receipt number is the code on the I-797 notice for your employer's Form I-129 petition. Employers and visa forms call it the H-1B petition number. You need it to check the petition's status and to complete visa steps abroad after approval.

Who holds the H-1B receipt notice

The employer files the petition, so the notice often goes to the employer or its attorney first. Ask HR for a copy of both the receipt and the approval.

You need a copy for visa forms and travel.

Where the code sits on the H-1B approval notice

On the Form I-797 approval for an H-1B petition, the code sits in the Receipt Number box near the top left. It matches the code on the receipt notice, so either notice gives you the number for visa forms.

Petition receipt number in the H-1B visa appointment

The appointment booking system and visa application ask for the petition receipt number in the H-1B visa appointment process. Enter the exact code from your approval notice. See our H-1B visa status guide for the petition steps.

What Is an I-140 or NIW Receipt Number?

An I-140 receipt number tracks an immigrant petition for a worker. A National Interest Waiver (NIW) case is an I-140 too, so an NIW receipt is simply the I-140 receipt notice for a self-petition. Both notices show a priority date, which matters for green card timing.

What to check on an I-140 notice

Confirm the beneficiary name, the category and the priority date. The I-140 fee is $715 (paper) / $665 (online) + Asylum Program Fee $600 ($300 small employer or self-petitioner; $0 nonprofit), per Form G-1055, Edition 10/16/26. The full process is in our Form I-140 immigrant petition guide.

Linking the I-140 to later steps

Your I-140 receipt number is often requested on later green card forms. If you have more than one I-140, keep each code with its category and employer.

The I-140 code is also the one your employer's attorney uses to check that petition's status.

How Do Asylum Receipt Numbers Work?

An asylum receipt number is the code on the receipt notice for Form I-589 filed with USCIS. The asylum receipt notice confirms the filing date, which matters for the one-year filing rule and for work permit eligibility.

Keep the original with your records.

Why Does the Asylum Receipt Notice Date Matter?

File for asylum within 1 year of your last arrival in the U.S. (limited exceptions). The received date on the notice is your proof of when USCIS logged the filing. If you file a related work permit request, you will refer to the asylum case by this code.

Court cases use other numbers

Asylum cases can also move to immigration court, which uses different case numbers. Our asylum status guide explains both tracks. For court cases or a denial, speak with an immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.

Which Receipt Notices Extend Your Status?

Two common receipt notices do more than confirm a filing. The I-751 receipt notice extends conditional resident status, and the I-90 receipt notice can work as proof of status when shown with your expired card. In both cases, keep the original notice with your card.

I-751 receipt notice

I-751 receipt notice extends conditional status and work authorization for 48 months. You carry it with your expired two-year card for work, travel and ID checks. Read our Form I-751 removal of conditions guide for the filing window and evidence.

I-90 receipt notice

I-90 receipt notice + expired card = proof of status for 36 months from the card's expiration date. Learn the full steps in our green card renewal with Form I-90 guide.

How Long Does It Take to Get a USCIS Receipt Number?

There is no single official wait for a receipt number that we could confirm. Online filers usually see the case and its code in their online account soon after submitting. Paper filers wait for intake and a mailed notice, and timing varies by form, lockbox and season.

Online versus paper timing

Online filing skips mail and manual data entry, so the receipt appears faster for most people.

Paper packages first go through mail intake and data entry, so the receipt notice takes longer to reach you. Watch your bank or card statement too: a cashed fee often means the package was accepted.

What If Your Receipt Notice Never Arrives?

If weeks pass with no notice and no payment taken, the package may have been rejected or lost. Check for a rejection letter at your mailing address. If you still see nothing, call USCIS with your A-Number and the date you mailed the package.

What Happens After the USCIS Receipt Notice?

What happens after the USCIS receipt notice depends on the form, but most cases follow the same broad path: biometrics if required, officer review, a possible request for evidence or interview, and a decision. Every step is posted under the same receipt number.

Your to-do list after the notice arrives

1. Check every detail on the notice for errors.
2. Save a scan and file the original.
3. Add the code to your online account.
4. Watch for a biometrics appointment letter.
5. Keep your mailing address current with USCIS.

How Long Does a Case Take After the Receipt Notice?

We do not publish wait times here. Use the official processing times tool at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times with your form and the office named on your latest notice. Times differ by form and office, so another applicant's wait tells you little about yours. Our uscis processing times hub explains how to read the results.

How Do You Check a Case With a Receipt Number?

To check a receipt number, type the 13 characters into Case Status Online at Case Status Online: egov.uscis.gov. The tool shows the latest action and a short description. It searches one code at a time and needs no login for that single check.

Step-by-step lookup

1. Copy the code from your newest notice.
2. Remove dashes and spaces.
3. Enter it in the search box and submit.
4. Read the title of the update and its date.
5. Compare it with the last notice you received.

Reading the result

Each update has a short title such as "Case Was Received." Our uscis case status meanings guide explains each title and what usually follows.

If the update does not match your latest notice, wait a few days, since the online tool and mailed letters do not always update on the same day.

Receipt Number Not Valid or Not Found

A "not valid" or "not found" message usually means a typing error, an extra space, or a case so new that it has not reached the online system. Less often, the filing was rejected and never got a working code.

Fixes in order

Work down the rows from the top, since the first fixes are the quickest to try and need no call to USCIS.

When the site itself is the problem

Sometimes the public tool is slow or down for maintenance. Try another browser, clear the cache or wait an hour. Our guide to a case status not updating covers stuck or unchanged results.

Why Did I Get No Receipt Number?

If USCIS rejects a filing at intake, no case is opened and no working receipt number is issued. You get a rejection notice instead, usually because of a missing signature, the wrong fee or an outdated form edition. You then fix the problem and file again.

Signature and fee problems

• Unsigned form or missing pages.
• Wrong fee amount for the current fee schedule.

Sign each form in ink where it asks and pay the exact amount on the current Form G-1055 fee schedule. A missing signature or a wrong fee is one of the most common reasons a package comes back with no receipt.

Edition and address problems

• An old form edition, such as an I-485 edition that is no longer accepted.
• A filing sent to the wrong address.

Check the edition date at the bottom of each page and the filing address on the form's own page on uscis.gov before you mail the package.

The edition trap

Edition rules change. As of October 2026, the I-485 edition rule is: 09/18/26 (01/20/25 and 09/04/26 editions rejected on/after Sept. 18, 2026; no grace period). Always download the form fresh from uscis.gov before you file, so the package is not rejected on day one.

Can Two Cases Share a Receipt Number?

No. Each USCIS receipt number belongs to a single filing, and USCIS does not reuse it for another case. If two notices show the same code, they are about the same filing, such as a receipt and a later biometrics letter.

Same code across many notices

You may collect five or six letters with the same code over the life of a case. Sort them by notice date to see the case history.

If a notice shows a different code, it belongs to another filing.

Does a Receipt Number Ever Change?

A receipt number stays the same for the life of a filing, even if USCIS moves the case to another office. You get a new code only when a new filing is created, such as a new petition, an appeal or a motion.

Actions that create a new code

• Filing a new or amended petition.
• Filing an appeal or motion on a decision.
• Filing a separate form, such as an I-765 renewal.

Each of these gets its own receipt notice, so file the new code alongside the old one.

Actions that keep the same code

• A transfer to another service center or field office.
• A request for evidence and your response.
• An interview notice or reschedule.

In each case, the update posts under your existing code, so keep checking the same number.

How Do You Keep Your Receipt Numbers Safe?

A USCIS receipt number cannot change your case, but scammers use it to sound official. Share it only with people helping with your case, such as your attorney, accredited representative or employer. USCIS will not call to demand payment over the phone.

Paid status-check sites

Third-party sites and apps may show your status, but the official tool is free. Our guide to common uscis scam tactics shows the warning signs.

Never pay a site or app to check a case or to "speed up" a filing; those services cannot change anything USCIS does.

Checking a notice is real

Compare any mailed notice with your online account. A real notice's code should return the same case in Case Status Online. Learn other checks in our guide on how to verify a USCIS notice.

How Do You Use a Receipt Number With the Contact Center?

The USCIS Contact Center uses your receipt number to pull up the case quickly. Have it ready with your A-Number, name and birth date. Call 800-375-5283, or TTY: 800-767-1833. Live calls and chat: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.

Before you call

Write down the code, form number, last notice date and your question. Agents can explain an update, take an address change or start a service request.

Having this ready keeps the call short and helps you note what the agent says.

Other contact routes

Emma, the virtual assistant on uscis.gov, can answer general questions. For detailed options, see our full guide on how to contact USCIS about a case.

If the issue involves a deadline or a missed appointment, call rather than waiting for an online reply.

Receipt Number Mistakes to Avoid

The most common errors are entering the wrong code, using a card number in place of a USCIS receipt number, and assuming the prefix shows today's office.

Each one is easy to fix once you spot it. The table shows what goes wrong and the habit that prevents it, from typing dashes to relying on digit decoding.

Five mistakes and their fixes

Each row pairs a common error with what it breaks and the habit that prevents it.

How Does the Receipt Number Cluster Fit Together?

The USCIS receipt number sits at the center of a small family of identifiers. It starts on the I-797C, may begin with IOE if you filed online, links to your online account, connects to your lifelong A-Number and leads to a card number once a card is issued.

From filing to card

You file, get a coded receipt notice and track it online. USCIS identifies you by A-Number throughout, and an approved card arrives with its own card number.

Keep every number in one list so you can match each notice to the right form.

Which number to use when

Use the receipt number for status checks and case questions. Use the A-Number when a form asks who you are. Use the card number for identity and work checks. Use the Online Account Number only where a form asks for it.

Receipt Number Guides at a Glance

This hub links to five detailed guides, each covering one number or notice in depth.

Each guide owns one identifier: IOE codes, the I-797C notice, the online account number, the A-Number and the green card number. Pick the one that matches the number a form, employer or agent is asking you for, and start there.

Guide summary table

Frequently Asked Questions

casestatuscompass.com is an independent publication and is not affiliated with USCIS or any government agency. This page is general information, not legal advice. For denials, court or asylum matters, consult an immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.