Create an individual account—not a family login
USCIS instructs each person to create an individual online account with an email address they control. Couples and families should not share one applicant account, even when they filed related forms or use the same mailing address.
Choose a strong, unique password and a reliable method for receiving verification codes. Save the account recovery code in a secure place separate from the password. Anyone who controls the email, verification method and recovery information may be able to reach sensitive immigration records.
A paper filing may still be managed online
An applicant can add many paper-filed cases to an online account by selecting the option to add a paper-filed case and entering the receipt number. Basic case status and history may then appear even when the filing did not begin online.
For an eligible paper filing with a receipt number beginning in IOE, USCIS may mail an Account Access Notice containing an Online Access Code. Linking with that code can unlock functions such as viewing notices, sending secure messages, uploading permitted evidence and responding to a Request for Evidence. Available functions vary by case.
Treat the Online Access Code as sensitive
An Online Access Code helps connect a case to an account; it is not a public tracking number. Do not post it, email it to an unverified helper or hand it to someone simply because they promise faster processing.
A licensed attorney or accredited representative should use their own representative account and the proper Form G-28 process. USCIS expressly says representatives can manage filings through their accounts but cannot use the client’s personal account.
An expired code can be reset
USCIS provides an Online Access Code reset process. After signing in and choosing to add a case, an applicant can enter the receipt number, expired code and date of birth, then follow the prompt to request a new code. USCIS says a replacement may take up to seven days.
If a code appears to have been used already, first check whether an attorney, accredited representative or trusted family member linked the case. Do not create multiple accounts impulsively; duplicated accounts can make the record harder to manage.
Cases in separate accounts may not be mergeable
USCIS warns that a paper case may fail to link to an existing account when the filer did not include the correct USCIS Online Account Number on the paper form. The agency’s system may create another account record for that case.
USCIS says cases in different online accounts cannot be merged into one account. Its support guidance may require a different email address and a new account to access the separated case. Follow USCIS technical-support instructions before changing email addresses or abandoning an account.
The dashboard is useful, but the notice controls
Online status messages are helpful summaries, not substitutes for the complete notice. Download each available notice, compare it with any paper copy and calendar the exact response, appointment or appeal deadline printed by USCIS.
Do not wait for an email reminder before acting. A spam filter, old phone number or missed account alert does not normally extend a legal deadline. Keep delivery evidence for every response and retain a complete copy outside the USCIS account.
- Record the receipt number, form type, applicant and filing date in one case index.
- Download notices with filenames that begin with the notice date.
- Use secure messages for appropriate case questions and save the exchange.
- Upload documents only through the function and instructions provided for that case.
Changing an account profile is not always an immigration address change
USCIS allows many people to report an address change through the online account, but changing contact details in one screen does not guarantee every pending case has been updated. Review the confirmation and the list of receipt numbers attached to the request.
USCIS generally requires most noncitizens to report a change of address within 10 days. A person in immigration court must also use EOIR’s separate address-change process. Account technical support, USCIS address reporting and immigration-court reporting are three different tasks.
Build a small continuity file for account access
Keep the Account Access Notice, account email, recovery-code location, linked receipt numbers and technical-support requests in a secure record. Do not store the password in the same unprotected file or send it through an ordinary consultation form.
If a former helper controls the account email or authentication method, use official recovery support promptly. Questions about a missed deadline, unauthorized filing, address problem or representative conduct may require legal advice beyond technical account recovery.