The Service Center Operations Directorate (SCOPS) consists of five service centers which process and adjudicate certain authorized immigration applications and petitions. The five service centers are located in California, Nebraska, Potomac, Texas, and Vermont. Applications and petitions can only be received through the mail, filed online or filed with a USCIS Lockbox.
On occasion, cases are transferred between service centers in an attempt to balance the workload and ensure timely processing. Recently, USCIS has transferred case work from the Vermont Service Center to the California Service Center after it experienced an excess of workload.
You’ll receive a transfer notice
In the event that your case has been transferred, you will receive a transfer notice listing the transfer date and the new service center where it will be processed. Please be advised that your receipt number will not change and the transfer will not further delay the processing of your case.
If your case has been transferred, it is recommended that you continue to file your forms according to the existing instructions. You can file the correct filing address listed under the “Where to File” section provided in the form instructions as well as on the form web page provided by USCIS. If you are sent any notice, such as a Request for Evidence (RFE), please be sure to read the notice carefully and follow the instructions provided. Furthermore, if you happen to move while your case is pending, it is required of you to inform USCIS of your address change.
Visit USCIS to stay up to date
Be sure to visit USCIS to receive up to date information on any workload transfers that have been made.
You may check the status of your case on USCIS using your receipt number. You can also sign up to receive automatic case status updates by email each time a case is transferred by subscribing to the Alerts GovDelivery distribution list.
If you do not receive a decision on your case within the published processing time for the new service center, you may submit an online inquiry or contact the USCIS Contact Center. For more information on which forms to submit, you may refer to the Service Center Forms Processing and Workload Transfer Updates webpages. You may also contact Yao Law Group for further guidance.