On Friday, January 8, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Made the following announcement:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, USCIS is experiencing delays in issuing receipt notices for some applications and petitions filed at a USCIS lockbox facility. The information below explains the current state of our lockbox operations and the issues affecting receipt notices.
Current Situation
As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, an increase in filings, current postal service volume and other external factors, you may experience a delay of four to six weeks in receiving your receipt notice after properly filing an application or petition with a USCIS lockbox. These delays will not affect the receipt date which is determined pursuant to 8 C.F.R. 103.2(a)(7). Delays may vary among form types and lockbox locations. In some cases, you may experience significant delays if you filed a non-family based Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, or Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, based on eligibility categories described in 8 C.F.R. 274a.12(c)(3), relating to F-1 students.
The health and safety of our workforce remains a top priority. Across all USCIS offices, including lockbox facilities, the agency has taken necessary measures such as increased social distancing and frequent cleaning in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control guidance to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Some lockbox operations in locations that have been severely impacted by COVID-19 must adhere to stricter local guidelines.
What USCIS Is Doing
The USCIS lockbox workforce¹ is working extra hours and redistributing its workload in order to minimize delays. Once we open and process your application, we print and mail the receipt notice. We do not anticipate any receipting delays that would result in a payment that is past its validity date.
What You Can Do
If it has been 30 days since your application was received, you may contact the USCIS Lockbox (see “Inquiries Based On Filing Location”). It may also be possible to ask for Case Assistance through the USCIS Ombudsman. All applicants are advised to keep confirmation of the delivery of their application. OPT/STEM OPT Extension deadlines are linked to the date USCIS receives your application, not the date you receive your Receipt Notice.
If you receive any letters from USCIS, including the possible notification that your application has been transferred to another lockbox facility, please email a pdf of the letter to the OISS for us to review and advise you accordingly.
In addition, the USCIS has adjusted the filing location for certain foreign students filing Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. All new applications must be filed at the Direct Filing Address for Form I-765.