How To Resolve Problems with USCIS

Before asking the Ombudsman for help with an application or petition, try to resolve the issue with USCIS by:

• Obtaining information about the case at USCIS My Case Status at www.uscis.gov.
• Submitting an e-Request with USCIS online at https://egov.uscis.gov/e-Request.
• Contacting the USCIS National Customer Service Center (NCSC) for assistance at 1-800-375-5283.
• Making an InfoPass appointment to speak directly with a USCIS Immigration Services Officer in a field office at www.infopass.uscis.gov.

If you are unable to resolve your issue with USCIS, you may request assistance from the Ombudsman. Certain types of requests involving refugees, asylees, victims of violence, trafficking, and other crimes must be submitted with a handwritten signature for consent purposes. This can be done using Option 1 below and uploading a signed Form DHS-7001 to the online case assistance request.

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After receiving a request for case assistance, the Ombudsman:

The Ombudsman is an office of last resort. Prior to contacting the Ombudsman, individuals and employers must attempt to resolve issues directly with USCIS through the agency’s available customer service options. These include: My Case Status; the National Customer Service Center (NCSC); InfoPass; and the e-Service Request tool.

Individuals, employers, and their legal representatives are now required to indicate prior attempted actions when submitting case assistance requests to the Ombudsman. In 70 percent of case assistance requests submitted to the Ombudsman, individuals and employers first contacted the NCSC, while 28 percent appeared at InfoPass appointments at a USCIS local field office.

The Ombudsman recognizes that individuals and employers seeking assistance often have waited long periods of time for resolution of their cases. For that reason, the Ombudsman recently revised its website content and stated its commitment to review all incoming requests for case assistance within 30 days and take action to resolve 90 percent of requests within 90 days of receipt.

The revised content also makes clear the requirement that individuals and employers first avail themselves of the USCIS customer service options and wait 60 days past USCIS posted processing times before contacting the Ombudsman for assistance.