Since the introduction of the New I-539 form with Biometrics, the processing delays have skyrocketed. Many are waiting for months with H4 EAD pending after Biometrics… It is a challenge for many to travel out of US with pending H4 with USCIS as it can lead to I-94 mismatches or abandonment of the change of status (COS) applications. One of the better things to do is to withdraw H4 application with USCIS. Recently, one of our readers (anonymous as requested for privacy) sent a H4 withdrawal letter to USCIS and got confirmation from USCIS for the same. The user was kind enough to share the exact sample H4 withdrawal letter template they sent to USCIS. Also, they shared their H4 withdrawal notice confirmation from USCIS as well. Thanks a lot to our awesome reader for taking time to share the details to help the community. We really appreciate it! You can share your experiences to us by emailing at redbus2us (at) gmail.com.
Process to withdraw H4 or I-539 Application with USCIS?
The process is pretty simple, all you need to do is send a withdrawal letter to USCIS requesting them to withdraw your application. There is no official letter or form that USCIS provides for you to use for the requesting the withdrawal of your application. All you need to do is write up a simple letter on plain paper, sign it and send it to USCIS. Nothing fancy, you can create your own letter as well as there is no special format or template. You can use our sample that we used, see below. You need to provide the reason for withdrawal for the same. In short below are the steps and process with details at each step.
Step 1 – Craft H4 Withdraw Letter:
Create a simple withdrawal letter with your reason for withdrawal. Below is the letter we used to send to send to USCIS and it worked for us. You can use the same sample letter or create your own. Key thing to remember is you need to mention the reason, details of your application. You can copy paste the text as well from the document.
Sample H4 Withdrawal Letter to USCIS
Sample H4 Withdrawal Letter in Word / Google Docs Format to Copy
Step 2 : Mail the Withdrawal Letter to USCIS :
Once you have the letter ready, all you need to do is enclose the supporting document copy of your H4 receipt notice and send it using USPS, UPS or Fedex. We send it using USPS Priority mail. It is recommended that you mail it with tracking for your records and confirmation for future reference.
Step 3 : Wait for USCIS to send acknowledgement Letter:
This is the part that is difficult for most of us…waiting for the confirmation from USCIS… It can take anywhere from few weeks to few months. There is no set SLA for USCIS to send the acknowledgement letter. There is no way to track the status of your letter as well…so, it is kind of a black box, you just hope they will send it soon. It took us 3 months to get the acknowledgement letter.
Step 4: Receive the Acknowledgement Letter :
We got our acknowledgment letter from USCIS after close to 3 months. It looks like below.
Sample H4 Withdrawal Acknowledgment Letter from USCIS :
Below is the letter we received from USCIS. It says Decision letter and indicates that our request to withdraw the Form I-539, Application to extend/ change non-immigrant status filed on XXX date. It clearly tells the fees are not refundable.
Overall, it is a very straightforward process, just that it can take time and
there is no way to track your request that you sent to USCIS…
Common FAQs on H4 Withdrawal Letter
No, there is no specific form to withdraw your H4 petition.
No, there is no such format given by USCIS. You can create your own letter. Check the sample letter in article for guidance on what worked for us.
No, you cannot track it. There is no tracking number. All you can track is your mail delivery, that’s it.
There is no SLA from USCIS for this process. It can take anywhere from few weeks to few months.
Yes, you can use the same format and send H4 EAD Application withdrawal as well. There is no format given by USCIS, all they need it details of your application and reason for withdrawal.
No need to notarize the H4 or H4 EAD withdrawal letter. You can send it by signing it by yourself.
Once you are sure that you are traveling out of the country or do not need the H4 application, you should send it immediately. It should be sent before the decision is made by USCIS.
What has been your experience withdrawing your application from USCIS ?
Any other samples or templates to share ? Any other pointers to share with community ? Share your thoughts in comments.
Comments ( 2 )
Another reason to withdraw H4/H4 EAD application is if when your pending (not your spouse’s) H1B application gets approved and you do not want to get back into H4 status inadvertently.
Yes, absolutely !