The I-140 statuses, at a glance
| USCIS status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Sent | USCIS logged a filing; on NIW cases, usually the premium upgrade |
| USCIS Is currently Processing the Case | Pending, no action yet |
| Request for Additional Evidence Was Sent | USCIS wants more evidence; the premium clock stops |
| Cancellation Notice for Request for Additional Evidence | An RFE was withdrawn |
| Response To USCIS' Request For Evidence Was Received | Your answer is logged; a new premium window starts |
| Case Approved / Approval Case Decision Rendered | The I-140 is approved |
| Case Was Denied | The I-140 is denied |
| Fee Refund Was Mailed | USCIS missed the premium deadline and refunded the fee |
Tracked cases: EB2-NIW I-140s whose status NIWStats reads from USCIS Case Status Online, counted once per status they have shown. Check your own with the receipt number from your I-797 at egov.uscis.gov.
Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Sent
USCIS logged a filing and mailed a receipt notice (Form I-797C). On an EB2-NIW I-140 already on file, this status usually marks the premium processing request (Form I-907), not the petition itself.
The receipt date on the I-140's own notice is your priority date. Where it stands in the visa bulletin →
USCIS Is currently Processing the Case
The petition is pending and USCIS hasn't acted on it yet. Most pending I-140s show this status, premium and regular alike, and it doesn't change while an officer works the file.
How long I-140s wait → · Silent updates while it reads Processing →
Request for Additional Evidence Was Sent
USCIS wants more evidence before it decides. The notice arrives by mail and in your USCIS online account with a response deadline. On a premium case, the 45-business-day clock stops until USCIS receives the response.
Cancellation Notice for Request for Additional Evidence
USCIS withdrew an RFE it had issued. Nothing is owed on the withdrawn request.
Response To USCIS' Request For Evidence Was Received
USCIS logged your RFE response. On a premium case, a new 45-business-day window starts from this date.
Case Approved
USCIS approved the I-140. Some approvals read Approval Case Decision Rendered instead; both are an approval. The approval notice (I-797) follows by mail.
Next comes the priority date. EB-2 visa bulletin dates →
Case Was Denied
USCIS denied the I-140. The denial notice gives the reasons and says whether an appeal or a motion to reopen or reconsider (Form I-290B) is available. A new petition can also be filed.
Fee Refund Was Mailed
On a premium case, USCIS refunds the premium processing fee when it misses the 45-business-day deadline. The case stays in premium processing.
Statuses that aren't part of an I-140
Fingerprints taken, interview scheduled, and card produced or mailed belong to the green card stage (Form I-485), not the I-140. If one shows up, check which receipt number you entered.
Recent I-140 status changes
The newest status change on each tracked case, newest first.
Change week and filing month shown, not exact dates.
I-140 case status FAQ
How do I check my I-140 case status?
Enter the receipt number from your I-797 receipt notice (three letters and ten digits, such as IOE or SRC followed by numbers) in USCIS Case Status Online, or open the case in your USCIS online account.
How long after an RFE response is an I-140 decided?
On premium cases, a median of ~38 business days after USCIS logs the response (79 tracked decisions), inside the new 45-business-day window. A status change back to Processing has usually come just before the decision.
Why does my I-140 status show an old date?
The date shown with "USCIS Is currently Processing the Case" is often not recent, and it doesn't mean the case stopped moving. On 293 of 562 tracked cases first read at that status, it was the I-140's original receipt date or older than the premium upgrade.
Are "Case Approved" and "Approval Case Decision Rendered" the same?
Yes. Both mean USCIS approved the I-140. Of the approvals NIWStats has tracked, 105 read "Case Approved" and 12 "Approval Case Decision Rendered".
Why hasn't my I-140 status changed?
The public status only changes at milestones, so it can read "USCIS Is currently Processing the Case" for months. USCIS can still work on the file in between; those silent updates show in the USCIS online account, not on Case Status Online.
What happens after I-140 approval?
The approval locks in your priority date, the date USCIS received the I-140. The green card step (I-485 or consular processing) can move once that date is before the EB-2 final action date for your country in the Visa Bulletin.
Status wordings are USCIS's. Figures come from crowdsourced EB2-NIW receipts NIWStats reads from USCIS at least once a day (hourly in the premium decision window), not official USCIS statistics. Not legal advice. How we track cases →
Waiting on your I-140?
NIWStats reads each shared case from USCIS every day and shows approvals, denials and RFEs as they land, by field and profile.
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