USCIS receipt number: where to find it and what the letters mean
The three letters show which USCIS office or center your case started at. We decode the number right here: it never leaves your browser.
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Where to find your receipt number
- Form I-797C, Notice of ActionAfter USCIS receives your application, it sends a receipt notice. The number is in the Receipt Number field.
- USCIS online accountIf you filed online or added the case to your account, the number is there too. For a paper filing with an IOE number, USCIS mails a USCIS Account Access Notice to create an account.
What the number looks like
A receipt number has 13 characters: 3 Latin letters and 10 digits. On the USCIS website you type it without dashes. If your notice shows an asterisk (*) in the number, type it too.
According to USCIS, the letters help find the office or service center where the case began. Today another office may be handling it: the receipt number does not change after a transfer.
We do not decode the digits: we have not found an official USCIS description of their structure.
What the letters mean
Electronic filing and processing
- IOEUsed for online filing, for some paper filings and for USCIS Immigrant Fee payments. With such a number you can add the case to a USCIS online account.
National Benefits Center
- MSCNational Benefits CenterMSC is the old Missouri Service Center prefix. Today these cases are handled by the National Benefits Center, which USCIS says is not a service center.
- NBCNational Benefits CenterThe National Benefits Center handles cases with MSC and NBC numbers. USCIS says it is not a service center.
Service centers
- LINNebraska Service Center
- SRCTexas Service Center
- EACVermont Service Center
- WACCalifornia Service Center
- YSCPotomac Service CenterCases sent to the Potomac Service Center get a receipt number starting with YSC.
Asylum offices (Z)
- ZARArlington, VA
- ZBOBoston, MA
- ZCHChicago, IL
- ZHNHouston, TX
- ZLALos Angeles, CA
- ZMIMiami, FL
- ZNKNewark, NJ
- ZNYNew York, NY
- ZOLNew Orleans, LA
- ZSFSan Francisco, CA
Do not enter your number on unfamiliar websites
Check your status on egov.uscis.gov, in your USCIS online account or in trusted apps. USCIS warns that scammers pose as government officials, run fake websites and promise faster processing for a fee.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check my case status by receipt number?
Enter the number without dashes in Case Status Online at egov.uscis.gov; no sign-in is needed. You will see the last action on the case and the next step, if there is one. So do not post your own or anyone else's number in public chats: anyone can see the status with it.
Why does my number start with IOE if I filed by mail?
IOE numbers belong to USCIS electronic processing, and some paper filings get them too. Then USCIS mails a USCIS Account Access Notice, and you can add the case to an online account. Payment of the USCIS Immigrant Fee also gets an IOE number: use it in Case Status Online to track your Green Card.
Does the number change if my case is transferred to another office?
No. USCIS says it sends a transfer notice and your receipt number does not change. The letters stay the same, so they show where the case started, not where it is now. After a transfer, look at the processing times of the new office.
Is the receipt number the same as an A-number?
No. Each application or petition gets its own receipt number. An A-number is your personal number in the immigration system, and the USCIS Online Account Number (OAN) is a third, separate number. Immigration court cases are looked up by A-number.
What next
Updated November 4, 2026 · Sources: USCIS: Checking Your Case Status Online; USCIS: Outreach for Online Account Creation; USCIS: Workload Transfer Updates; USCIS: Congressional Inquiries Refresher; USCIS: Identity Verification and the USCIS Immigrant Fee; USCIS: Contact Us; USCIS: Potomac Service Center Now Processing Certain Form I-765 Cases; USCIS: Asylum Statistics Key; USCIS: More Information About Case Processing Times; USCIS Glossary: Receipt Number