A USCIS receipt number is a 13-character case identifier made up of three letters followed by 10 numbers. The first three letters can indicate the USCIS system or office associated with the case when it entered processing, while the full number allows USCIS and the applicant to identify and track that specific filing.
If you recently filed an immigration application or petition, your receipt number may look something like:
IOE1234567890
or:
LIN1234567890
Understanding the number can help you recognize which case a notice relates to, check its status, and communicate with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). However, the receipt number does not necessarily tell you which physical office is currently handling your case.
What Is a USCIS Receipt Number?
A USCIS receipt number is the unique number USCIS assigns to an application, petition, or request it accepts for processing.
USCIS describes it as a unique 13-character identifier consisting of three letters and 10 numbers. USCIS uses receipt numbers to identify and track cases.
For example:
SRC1234567890
The receipt number becomes important because you may need it when you:
- Check your USCIS case status.
- Review processing-time information.
- Submit certain case inquiries.
- Contact USCIS about a pending case.
- Link an eligible case to a USCIS online account.
- Identify which application a USCIS notice concerns.
USCIS’s Case Status Online tool asks for the receipt number when you want to check a pending case.
Where Can You Find Your USCIS Receipt Number?
Your receipt number is normally printed on a notice USCIS sends after accepting your filing.
One common document is Form I-797C, Notice of Action, which USCIS may use to acknowledge receipt of an application or petition.
You may also be able to find your receipt number in your USCIS online account if you filed electronically or linked the case to your account. USCIS states that people who no longer have their receipt number may also contact the USCIS Contact Center for assistance.
Be careful not to confuse the receipt number with other numbers appearing on an immigration document.
How Is a USCIS Receipt Number Structured?
The basic format is:
AAA1234567890
That means:
- 3 letters
- 10 numbers
- 13 characters in total
When using USCIS online tools, USCIS instructs users to omit dashes from the receipt number. If another character, such as an asterisk, actually appears as part of the number on the notice, USCIS says it may be included.
The most useful part to understand is usually the three-letter prefix.
What Do the First Three Letters of a USCIS Receipt Number Mean?
Several receipt-number prefixes have historically been associated with particular USCIS service centers or processing systems.
| Prefix | Generally associated with |
|---|---|
| IOE | USCIS electronic processing system |
| EAC | Vermont Service Center |
| WAC | California Service Center |
| LIN | Nebraska Service Center |
| SRC | Texas Service Center |
| YSC | Potomac Service Center |
| MSC | National Benefits Center / former Missouri Service Center |
| NBC | National Benefits Center |
There is an important qualification: these codes should not always be treated as a live map showing exactly where your case is physically located today.
USCIS currently operates a Service Center Operations Directorate that can distribute work among different locations. USCIS explains that some processing-time listings now use Service Center Operations (SCOPS) instead of identifying one particular service center because cases may be processed at multiple locations based on workload and staffing needs.
So, for example, seeing LIN at the beginning of an older-style receipt number can tell you something about the case’s original processing path, but you should not automatically assume the case is still physically being handled in Nebraska.
For a fuller explanation, see Which USCIS Service Center Is Processing My Case?
What Does an IOE Receipt Number Mean?
An IOE receipt number generally means the case is being handled through USCIS’s electronic processing system.
IOE numbers are especially important because they do not function like the older service-center prefixes.
An IOE case may have been:
- Filed directly online; or
- Filed on paper and then entered into USCIS’s electronic processing system.
USCIS states that people with certain paper-filed cases beginning with IOE may receive information allowing them to create or use a USCIS online account.
Therefore:
IOE does not identify a particular physical USCIS service center.
If your receipt number starts with IOE, you should rely on your USCIS notices, online account, transfer notices, and current USCIS case information rather than attempting to determine your case location solely from the prefix.
What Do the 10 Numbers Mean?
This is where many explanations of USCIS receipt numbers become misleading.
For older service-center receipt numbers, you may see the digits described online as containing information such as:
- The fiscal year in which USCIS opened the case;
- A USCIS computer workday or processing-day number; and
- A sequential case number.
That type of decoding is associated primarily with legacy receipt-number formats.
USCIS’s current public case tools, however, simply define a receipt number as three letters followed by 10 numbers. More importantly, USCIS’s increasingly electronic and distributed processing system means that attempting to decode every digit is usually unnecessary for understanding the current status or location of a case.
For most applicants today, the important rule is simple:
Use the complete 13-character receipt number exactly as USCIS assigned it when identifying or tracking your case.
Do not rely on number-decoding formulas to determine whether your case is delayed, approved, likely to be approved, or physically located at a particular office.
Can a Receipt Number Tell You Your Case Status?
No.
Your receipt number identifies the case, but the number itself does not tell you whether the case is:
- Pending;
- Under active review;
- Transferred;
- Approved;
- Denied;
- Waiting for evidence; or
- Scheduled for an interview.
You use the receipt number to retrieve that information.
USCIS allows applicants to enter the number into its Case Status Online system to see available updates.
Our separate guide, How to Track Your USCIS Case Status Online, explains that process in detail.
Does the Receipt Number Tell You How Long USCIS Will Take?
No.
A receipt number does not contain a reliable countdown to a decision.
USCIS processing times depend on factors such as:
- The form you filed;
- The type or category of the case;
- USCIS workload;
- Staffing and workload transfers;
- Whether USCIS requests additional evidence;
- Operational or policy changes; and
- The office or processing structure applicable to the case.
USCIS says its published processing times are based on recently completed cases and that many factors can affect how long an individual filing takes.
If you are checking whether your case may be outside normal processing time, use USCIS’s current processing-time information rather than trying to calculate the answer from the receipt number.
Receipt Number vs. A-Number
A receipt number and an A-Number are not the same thing.
Your receipt number identifies a particular USCIS filing.
An Alien Registration Number, commonly called an A-Number, is used to identify an individual’s immigration records. USCIS instructions describe the A-Number as a number used to identify immigration records.
This distinction matters because one person can potentially have several USCIS filings—and therefore several receipt numbers—while the person’s A-Number may remain associated with their broader immigration record.
For example, someone might have separate receipt numbers for:
- Form I-130;
- Form I-485; and
- Form I-765.
Those numbers refer to separate filings even though they may all involve the same person and immigration process.
Receipt Number vs. USCIS Online Account Number
These are also different identifiers.
Your receipt number identifies a particular case.
Your USCIS Online Account Number is associated with your USCIS online account.
USCIS specifically warns in its form instructions that the Online Account Number is not the same as an A-Number. Certain people who have filed online or have qualifying IOE paper-filed cases may have an Online Account Number.
We cover this distinction separately in USCIS Online Account Number vs. Receipt Number.
Can You Have More Than One USCIS Receipt Number?
Yes.
If multiple applications or petitions are filed, USCIS may assign a different receipt number to each accepted filing.
For example, someone applying for adjustment of status might have separate numbers connected to an application for permanent residence and an employment authorization application.
Do not assume that an update to one receipt number automatically means every related application has received the same decision.
When checking USCIS notices or case status, make sure you are looking at the receipt number for the particular form you want to track.
Does Your Receipt Number Change If USCIS Transfers Your Case?
Usually, a case transfer does not mean you should start tracking the case under an entirely new receipt number.
USCIS may move work between offices or service centers. USCIS specifically instructs applicants to review receipt notices and subsequent transfer notices when determining which office or center has a case.
This is another reason the first three letters should not be treated as proof of the case’s current location.
If USCIS transfers your case, pay attention to the transfer notice and later correspondence.
See What Does “Case Was Transferred” Mean? for a fuller explanation.
What If Your USCIS Receipt Number Does Not Work Online?
First, check the number carefully.
Make sure:
- You entered all three letters.
- You entered all 10 numbers.
- You did not insert spaces unnecessarily.
- You omitted dashes when entering the number into USCIS’s online case-status tool.
- You copied the number from the correct USCIS notice.
USCIS instructs users to enter the 13-character receipt number without dashes when using Case Status Online.
A recently issued number may also not immediately provide the information you expect through every USCIS system.
If you continue to experience problems, use official USCIS assistance rather than assuming that the case has been rejected or lost.
What If You Lose Your Receipt Number?
If you filed online or linked your case to a USCIS online account, check your account first.
USCIS states that receipt numbers for online or linked cases can be found in the online account. USCIS also directs people who no longer have their receipt number to contact the USCIS Contact Center.
Keep copies of USCIS notices whenever possible. Your receipt number may be needed repeatedly while the case remains pending.
Is a USCIS Receipt Number Private?
Treat your receipt number as personal case information.
While a receipt number is not the same as a password, it provides access to information concerning an immigration filing. Avoid unnecessarily posting complete receipt numbers publicly, including on social media, forums, screenshots, or public discussion groups.
If you need help explaining a case online, it is generally safer to redact identifying portions of documents before sharing them publicly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many characters are in a USCIS receipt number?
A standard USCIS receipt number contains 13 characters: three letters followed by 10 numbers.
What does IOE mean on a USCIS receipt number?
IOE indicates electronic USCIS processing. It may appear on cases filed online and on some paper filings USCIS has placed into its electronic processing system. It does not identify one particular physical service center.
Is a USCIS receipt number the same as a case number?
People commonly call the receipt number a USCIS case number because it is the identifier used to track a particular USCIS filing. However, USCIS generally refers to the 13-character identifier as the receipt number.
Is a receipt number the same as an A-Number?
No. A receipt number identifies a particular filing, while an A-Number is associated with an individual’s immigration records.
Can I tell when my case will be approved from the receipt number?
No. The receipt number does not predict an approval date or guarantee a particular outcome. Use USCIS case-status and processing-time tools for current information about the case.
Can the first three letters tell me where my case is?
They can provide information about the original service center or processing system associated with many cases, but they are not always reliable evidence of the case’s current physical location. USCIS can distribute and transfer casework between locations.
The Bottom Line
Your USCIS receipt number is primarily a case identifier, not a prediction tool.
The number contains three letters followed by 10 numbers. The prefix can provide useful information about the system or service center historically associated with the filing, but modern USCIS processing—especially for IOE cases—means you should not use the receipt number alone to determine where your case currently sits.
Keep the number available, use it when checking your case through official USCIS tools, and read any subsequent notices carefully because those notices may contain more current information about how and where USCIS is processing your case.
Legal Process Explained provides general educational information about U.S. legal and immigration processes. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship.