04/09/03: Advisory for Service Center I-485/I-765/I-131 Filers Relating to Receipt Notices Problem
Lately, people have been experiencing some difficulty relating to proof of applications because of delays or failure to receive Receipt Notices. The confusion was added by the changes in filing fee schedules, not one time but two times in less than three months early this year. During this period, people received the small machine-generated white sheet money receipts without sufficient information on the applicants and other details. There are plenty of incidents where people are waiting for the receipts months after filing the above-named applications. The Receipt Notice for I-485 is not only a proof of "in status pending the application," but also an evidence to apply for I-131 (Advance Parole) and I-765 (EAD) at local offices in emergency. I-765 Receipt Notice is an absolute document to apply for Interim EAD after 90 days of filing I-765.
In this unusual environment, please should take precautionary measures to deal with the Receipt Notice problems. People should remember that the Service Center writes in on the rear side of the filing fee checks the case number and receipt date. We have seen some people who filed applications using money orders or certified checks or personal checks with no arrangement with their banks for return of the cancelled checks. Additionally, some people write one check for several different applications, even adding all the filing fees into one check for entire family members. This is a big mistake. For the purpose of dealing with Receipt Notice problems, people should write one check separately for each application and separately for each applicant with the type of case and applicant's name in the memo part of the personal check so that one can match that check with the BCIS online receipt printouts. In I-485/I-765/I-131 filing, one may want to write three separate checks.
Once one gets the case number through the cancelled checks, he/she will be able to get access to his/her case through the BCIS online case status check and print it out as the BCIS Receipt Notices. We understand that the Service Centers and local district offices usually accept these online receipt notices in lieu of the hard copy receipt notices. Never, Never, Never pay the filing fees with an instrument that does not give you evidence of filing and case number!
Lately, people have been experiencing some difficulty relating to proof of applications because of delays or failure to receive Receipt Notices. The confusion was added by the changes in filing fee schedules, not one time but two times in less than three months early this year. During this period, people received the small machine-generated white sheet money receipts without sufficient information on the applicants and other details. There are plenty of incidents where people are waiting for the receipts months after filing the above-named applications. The Receipt Notice for I-485 is not only a proof of "in status pending the application," but also an evidence to apply for I-131 (Advance Parole) and I-765 (EAD) at local offices in emergency. I-765 Receipt Notice is an absolute document to apply for Interim EAD after 90 days of filing I-765.
In this unusual environment, please should take precautionary measures to deal with the Receipt Notice problems. People should remember that the Service Center writes in on the rear side of the filing fee checks the case number and receipt date. We have seen some people who filed applications using money orders or certified checks or personal checks with no arrangement with their banks for return of the cancelled checks. Additionally, some people write one check for several different applications, even adding all the filing fees into one check for entire family members. This is a big mistake. For the purpose of dealing with Receipt Notice problems, people should write one check separately for each application and separately for each applicant with the type of case and applicant's name in the memo part of the personal check so that one can match that check with the BCIS online receipt printouts. In I-485/I-765/I-131 filing, one may want to write three separate checks.
Once one gets the case number through the cancelled checks, he/she will be able to get access to his/her case through the BCIS online case status check and print it out as the BCIS Receipt Notices. We understand that the Service Centers and local district offices usually accept these online receipt notices in lieu of the hard copy receipt notices. Never, Never, Never pay the filing fees with an instrument that does not give you evidence of filing and case number!