After filling any application or petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), they will respond by mailing a Form
I-797C, Notice of Action, within approximately 1 to 4 weeks.
USCIS mainly uses form I-797 to announce results and decisions for a petition submitted for processing. It can be H1B or I-40, etc. Let’s see H-1B Visa as an example in this article.
Sample i797 copy
An H-1B visa approval notice form is called an I-797. It has three different types.
Difference Between H-1B Visa Approval Notices: I-797A, I-797B, and I-797C
I797A vs I797B vs I797C
Forms I-797A or I-797B are given to applicants, while I-797C is given to employers.
Form I-797A:
An I-797A is an original approval notice with the I-94 attached.
- Is issued ONLY to people who are currently in the United State (U.S.) and those who are undergoing a change of status (F-1 to H-1, H-1 to H-1, L-1 to H-1, etc.).
- The “A” is for change of status approved, which means that the applicant can continue to remain in the U.S. and work. Hence, I-797A will have an I-94 attached to it to endorse the status approved.
Form I-797B:
An I-1797B is an original approval notice with no I-94 attached.
USCIS issues Form I-797B in 2 cases:
Case 1: Applicant had never been to the US and applying for H1b from their home country like India.
Case 2: If change of status cannot be approved
Change of status cannot be approved means "that they are qualified for the job but their change of status cannot be approved". So, they cannot stay and work in the U.S. for two reasons:
- They are NOT currently in the U.S.A.
- They may have committed an immigration violation; the documents submitted during filing did not provide enough evidence that they were legally always employed; they had never been out of status as a student, etc.
Hence, such applicants, if they are still staying in the USA must leave and apply for a visa at an American consulate.
The officer will determine they you are eligible for re-entry based on the evidence that you will provide during the interview.
Note: If a person is applying from within the US and their stay is nearing an end, they may need to return home to have their passport stamped by the US embassy in their country of residence after receiving an I797B. This process can include an interview in which they will need to supply relevant documentation to support their request.
Form I-797C:
This form is a copy of the approved petition and this is usually given to employers for their reference file. Hence, Forms I-797A or I-797B are given to applicants, while I-797C is given to employers.
For instance, if you did not receive the approval notice, then a copy of the original will be provided.
Here’s an additional reason why I-797c is issued:
Additionally, I-797c is issued to communicate receipt of payments, rejection of applications, transfer of files, fingerprint biometric, interview and re-scheduled appointments, and re-open cases.
What are I-797D, E, and F?
- I-797D, Accompanies benefit cards.
- I-797E, Notice of Action Issued to request evidence.
- I-797F, Transportation Letter issued overseas to allow applicants to travel.
How to read a USCIC receipt number?
The USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) receipt number is a unique identifier assigned to each immigration case. Understanding how to read this receipt number can help you in getting more information about your candidate. The format of the receipt number is generally as follows:
XYC-XX-XXX-XXXXX
Each of the 13 digits in a USCIS receipt number has a specific purpose. Let’s take an example receipt number to explain it:
Service Center Code (EAC XX XXX XXX):
The first three characters indicate the service center that is processing your case.
| Code | Service Center Name/Location |
| EAC / VSC | Vermont Service Center Formerly known as Eastern Adjudication Center |
| SRC / TSC | Texas Service Center Formerly known as Southern Regional Center |
| LIN/NSC | Nebraska Service Center |
| WAC/CSC | California Service Center Formerly known as Western Adjudication Center |
| YSC | Potomac Service Center |
| IOE | ELIS (E-Filing), Applications filed online |
Fiscal Year (XX 20 XX XXXXX):
- The next two digits represent the fiscal year in which USCIS received your petition.
- For instance, "20" would indicate the fiscal year 2020.
- The government fiscal year runs from October 1st until September 30th.
Example: “20″ means that the petition was received between Oct 1, 2019 to Sep 30, 2020.
Computer Workday (XX XX 123 XXXXX):
- The third set of digits indicates the computer workday that the case was opened. The computer workday is basically the same thing as a workday. Therefore, it excludes most weekends and holidays. Our example case was opened on the 123rd workday of the 2020 fiscal year.
- There 3 digits represent the working day during the current fiscal year on which the receipt was processed, and the fee was taken.
Note: If October 1st is Saturday and October 2nd is Sunday, then October 3rd would be the first computer day.
USCIS Case Number (XXX XX XXX 12345):
- The last five digits are unique sequential numbers (kind of counter).