USCIS to Mail Receipt and Approval Notices Directly to Applicants and Petitioners | Practical Law

USCIS to Mail Receipt and Approval Notices Directly to Applicants and Petitioners | Practical Law

On September 12, 2011, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services began sending original I-797 receipt and approval notices directly to applicants and petitioners.

USCIS to Mail Receipt and Approval Notices Directly to Applicants and Petitioners

Practical Law Legal Update 3-508-7746 (Approx. 3 pages)

USCIS to Mail Receipt and Approval Notices Directly to Applicants and Petitioners

by PLC Labor & Employment
Published on 03 Oct 2011 • USA (National/Federal)
On September 12, 2011, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services began sending original I-797 receipt and approval notices directly to applicants and petitioners.
On September 12, 2011, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began sending original I-797 receipt and approval notices directly to applicants and petitioners. The USCIS implemented the change to ensure that original documents are sent directly to the applicant or petitioner. These notices contain important information including:
  • A unique receipt number for case tracking.
  • Original approval notices, which must be presented at a visa application.
  • In some circumstances, original approval notices include a new form I-94 arrival departure card that sets out an individual's terms and conditions of stay in the US.
Previously, original notices were sent to applicants' or petitioners' attorneys or accredited representatives; petitioners and applicants received only a copy. Representatives and their clients relied on this custom to track cases and related file documents from USCIS. Because USCIS implemented the change without notifying immigration stakeholders, many petitioners, applicants and representatives were unprepared. As a result, necessary documents have been lost and a long-standing practice has been changed .
Those involved in the immigration sponsorship process should make note of the change and take the necessary steps to carefully track any filed, pending or recently processed USCIS petitions and applications to avoid losing documents.
For more information, see Practice Notes, Business Immigration Sponsorship: Overview and Hiring and Employing Foreign Nationals in the US: Overview.
On October 20, 2011, USCIS overturned this policy and restored its former practices. For more information, see Legal Update, USCIS Restores Policy of Mailing Original Notices to Representatives.