Currently our office is experiencing delays in receiving receipt notices for cases filed in November and December 2020. These are I-360 petitions (first step in the green card process), I-485 applications (adjustment of status), I-90 applications (green card renewal application), I-765 and I-131 applications (these are employment authorization and travel document applications). This delay is caused by a backlog at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS. American Immigration Lawyers Association, or AILA, reported that in response to its inquiry in late January 2021, USCIS provided the following information about the delay at these two lockboxes:

Dallas Lockbox

• The Dallas Lockbox facility is currently still intaking Employment Based I-485 Adjustment of Status applications and stand-alone cases filed around Oct. 29, 2020 and Oct. 30, 2020.
  • ~415,000 applications/petitions in the processing queue awaiting to be receipted
  • Case types include I-485, I-360, I-765, I-131.

Phoenix Lockbox

• The Phoenix Lockbox facility is currently intaking cases of all form types filed in early December 2020
  • ~67,000 envelopes (constituting about 100,000 applications) in the processing queue awaiting to be receipted
  • Case types include DACA, N-400, I-90, I-485, I-360.

An AILA practice pointer suggests that if a receipt notice is not received by the Petitioner/Applicant within 90 days after it was received by USCIS, the Petitioner/ Applicant can seek CIS Ombudsman Office case assistance. The Ombudsman office helps individuals and employers resolve issues related to their cases filed with USCIS. Please talk to your attorney about this option.

In the last two weeks, our office began receiving receipts notices for cases filed in November 2020, and clients also reported that their checks were cashed. We expect to receive more information about receipt notices in the upcoming weeks.