Improvements in USCIS Case Status Online System

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) continues to work on improving the Case Status Online system, which, as the name implies, allows stakeholders to check the status of a case using the internet. The USCIS provided an update on the progress being made to this online system during a December 2, 2014 meeting between representatives of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the USCIS Customer Service and Public Engagement Directorate.

Ability to Track Cases at USCIS District Offices

During the meeting, AILA representatives expressed concern that the Case Status Online system did not track cases pending at USCIS district or field offices. Fortunately, the USCIS was aware of this glitch and expected the issue to be resolved by December 21, 2014. Accordingly, as of the time of this writing, the system should be able to track such cases. And, while the system currently cannot indicate the office that has the file, the USCIS hopes to implement this feature in the future.

Ability to Review Multiple Cases at a Once

Attorneys and others who track multiple cases at a time are now able to view 50 or more cases at once, as was possible under the previous system. The USCIS is working on adding a range of sorting and tracking options and is seeking feedback as to the best options in this area.

More Liberal ‘Time-Out’ Feature

The Case Status Online system times users out of the system after five minutes of inactivity. This was implemented in order to protect those using the system on public computers. In response to complaints about this feature, however, the USCIS is working to extend the amount of time before the time-out occurs.

Infrastructure Improvements to Address Sluggish System

The Case Status Online system operates extremely slowly, at times, according to reports from various users. The USCIS is working to resolve this, noting that “…additional investments in the infrastructure [are being made] to allow for faster response times…”

Conclusion

The ability to obtain timely updates at the click of a button is much appreciated. And, while the Case States Online system clearly still has room for improvement, it is reassuring to know that the USCIS is taking steps to address the public’s concerns.

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