How reliable is the USCIS online case update?

[ddy51 20]

We have been waiting patiently for our RFE to get approved. The question here is, how reliable is the case status update on USCIS website? Why I ask this question is because I have read some comments on VJ itself wherein people have alleged that USCIS case status doesn't get updated even if there has been some update. Is that true? If yes, what other way is there to get the same information because the helpline reps of USCIS tell you whatever there is on the website verbatim.

 

Wait is so frustrating.

[Going through 5,671]

30 minutes ago, Dinesh Dutt said:

Why I ask this question is because I have read some comments on VJ itself wherein people have alleged that USCIS case status doesn't get updated even if there has been some update. Is that true? If yes, what other way is there to get the same information because the helpline reps of USCIS tell you whatever there is on the website verbatim.

It's not always updated, no.

 

You can always call USCIS and ask to be transferred to a L2 officer (don't just deal with the customer service person who answers the phone) who can look into your actual case details and confirm the RFE has been received, if that is your concern.  However there is no online case status that reflects the "RFE has been approved" if that's what you were hoping for.

[ddy51 20]

2 minutes ago, Going through said:

However there is no online case status that reflects the "RFE has been approved" if that's what you were hoping for.

Yes, USCIS has updated the status to "your response to our RFE has been received".
So the status never reads "RFE has been approved" rather I am guessing it would say "Your case was sent to department of state".

Does this update happen with reliability?

[shumway1756 304]

Exactly what @Going through said. My case status didn't even show up online until the day it was sent to NVC. So for 7 months, while they had my case, if I looked online it just said that my case didn't exist.

So definitely call and talk to a Tier 2 rep if you want to know they received your RFE materials and what your general case status is. The Tier 1's (the ones who answer the phone initially) only lookup what we can already see online and they can't see beyond that. I can't tell you how many times the Tier 1 said to me "sir, the number you gave me is wrong, it's not pulling up online", and I had to explain that this was the reason I was calling in the first place.

[Going through 5,671]

10 minutes ago, Dinesh Dutt said:

Yes, USCIS has updated the status to "your response to our RFE has been received".
So the status never reads "RFE has been approved" rather I am guessing it would say "Your case was sent to department of state".

Does this update happen with reliability?

Someone has to manually update things in the system when they send out/receive responses (usually by scanning a barcode)...sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes the update is delayed, sometimes there are glitches.  I became a citizen in Oct 2017 and the day after my case status  read that they are reviewing my case and will let me know of any updates.  I still get emails from them monthly saying the same thing.

 

  The main thing, is that you can rest assured they received your response by what you stated above as your last update.  If it's not adequate enough, or they require something in addition, you will receive another RFE for that.

Edited June 19, 2018 by Going through

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Progress Reports to USCIS Service Centers forum; topic is about the case status update feature of the USCIS website with is applicable to multiple processes.