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How to Check US Visa Status Online? CEAC Website, Errors Info

If you plan to go to the US, unless exempted, you need a US Visa. You may have applied for US Visa and if your visa was approved, your passport would have been taken to the US Consulate.  If you attended the interview and even though the visa officer said it is approved, you may be curious to know the status of the US Visa stamping in your passport.

The question is, how do you check the status of your US Visa online? Also, even if your passport was returned and you were issued a slip saying something like administrative processing, you still would like to check the status of your visa online. We will look at the process to check the US visa status online below with full screenshots.

Step-by-Step Guide to Check US Visa Status Online for Stamping in Passport

Step 1  – Visit CEAC Website: You need to go to the US Dept. of State’s Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website. CEAC is part of the US Dept of State and is used to create DS-160, and DS-260 visa applications. You would have used the same to create your US visa application.   Here is the link : https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/ .

Check visa status -CEAC Website State Gov Website

Step 2 – Click Check My Visa Application Status: Depending on the kind of US Visa, you applied for, either a Non-immigrant Visa or an Immigrant Visa, you need to click on Check My Visa Application Status. Below are the direct links as well to check the status.

Enter Details to check US Visa Status on CEAC Website
Enter Details to check US Visa Status on CEAC Website

Step 3 – Enter Location, Application ID, or Case Number: Once you are on that page, you need to enter the below information as highlighted in the above screenshot with arrows and click on Submit button.

  • Location: In the dropdown select the location where you went for the US Visa interview
  • Application ID: The Application ID is on your US Visa Appointment confirmation letter. It looks like the below screenshot on the letter or DS-160 application. US Visa Application ID
  • Case Number:  A ‘Case Number’ is something that the consulate would give and it is usually on a slip that is given to you, usually for Administrative processing or 221g.  It is in the format 2020118 145 1001.  You need to enter it correctly with spaces, otherwise, you will get an error saying “Your search did not return any data”. See the below screenshot on how the ‘Case Number’ looks. The Visa officer would have written it.Case Number - US Visa Status Check
  • Captcha Code: You need to enter the code that is shown in the image for spam bot check verification for humans.

Step 4 – View US Visa Status: Once you enter everything correctly and there are no errors, you will get the US Visa status displayed. It can be in a few statuses like Administrative Processing, Issued, or other statuses. See the below screenshots for examples of what you can expect to see. If in Administrative processing, you need to wait. If it says issued, then your visa was issued and you can be sure that your Visa stamping is complete and your US visa was issued.

US Visa Status – No Status

Usually, when you submit your documents for US Visa renewal using the dropbox option or occasionally after you attend an in-person visa interview, you may see the online status on the CEAC website that says ‘No Status’. It looks as in the below screenshot.

You see this status very commonly seen for dropbox cases. The reason for this is that they take some time to review the documents and update the case status online. There is a few days delay. Some users have reported that it took them up to 10 days. You may see this status anywhere from a few days up to 10 days from the date you dropped off the document or visited the consulate.

Do not panic, if you see the ‘No Status’ online for up to a week or 10 days. Only reach out to the consulate, if it continues to be in that state for longer.

CEAC Website Status shows as No Status
CEAC Website Status shows as No Status

US Visa Status – Administrative Processing

If you get the Administrative Processing, it means that the visa is not yet issued and there are checks in progress. You see this usually also for the first few days after your interview is done. If you were issued a 221g Administrative Processing, then this may take a longer time to move to issued.

US Visa Status Administrative Processing

Update: Since March 3rd, 2020 Users are not seeing the Administrative processing status anymore, they are seeing a new status that shows as refused. It looks like the below. Do not panic, it is a system-wide change to the text displayed.

See the below screenshot for updated text for Administrative processing cases. It says clearly that “If you were informed by the consular officer that your case was refused for administrative processing, your case will remain refused while undergoing such processing. You will receive another adjudication once such processing is complete. ” See highlighted text.

221g - Status Refused - CEAC Website

Did you know you can track your passport status on CGI Federal website? Read How to check Passport Status, Meaning of Various Statuses

US Visa Status – Issued

If you have the Issued status, it means that your visa stamping is almost done and it is final stages. You should receive it soon in a week to 10 days. If you do not receive anything, then you can contact the consulate for the same.

US Visa Status - Issued

US Visa Status – Refused

If your visa was denied or refused, then you will see the ‘Refused’ status on the CEAC website. It essentially means that you could not prove to the consular officer that you are eligible for the issuance of a visa. There could be many reasons, sometimes, they are denied under 214(b) or other reasons. Your consular officer would give you a slip or indicate a reason for your denial.

For some cases, the refused status would be shown online as soon as the interview is done…for some cases like H1B, where they usually give Administrative processing, which is 221(g), and let’s say eventually refuse or deny the visa, then it will show up much later…

Below are screenshots of the Refused status of a US visa on the CEAC website one in Calgary, the other in Chennai.

Refused Status in Calgary US Consulate
US Visa Status Refused Sample
Refused Status on CEAC website for US Consulate General Chennai

Update : The text for actual refused cases also changed from the previous text. It has slightly different text that says, ” A U.S. consular officer has adjudicated and refused your visa application..” Check below.

Refused - Actual Status from 2020 CEAC Website
Refused Status at Calgary US Consulate

Common FAQs – US Visa Status Check

Error – “Your Search did not return any data”?

If you are on the CEAC website and trying to check your US Visa status and get the error “Your Search did not return any data”, it means that you did not enter the data properly. You would have removed the spaces in the Case Number. You need to enter it with spaces properly. Example: 2020118 145 1001. Notice there are two spaces in the number. Below is the error screenshot for your reference. If you fix the spaces, error will go away.

Error – Invalid Application ID or Case Number?

If you get an error saying “Invalid Application ID or Case Number” like below, then you have either selected the wrong location and entered the Application ID or case number or you have entered the Application ID number wrong. It also can occur, if you enter the case number and miss some digits or add more digits. If you fix the numbers entered, then the error would go away.

You may check the below articles related to US Visa Stamping

   

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448 Comments

  1. Hello All,
    I submitted the docs on Oct 17th through dropbox and still the VISA Status is showing” The search did not return any data”.
    It is been 8 days working days now. what should i do ? Based on your experiences, does it take time or i need to email to thecounselor.

    Thanks
    S

    Reply
  2. Hi,
    We had drop box for h1b and H4 on 31st July and it says No Status.
    What does that mean, I emailed to them. Please help if anyone knows. My kids school has started.

    Reply
    • No status in case of drop box usually means that it hasn’t reached the consulate yet. Once it reaches the consulate the status should change to “Application received”. Call the embassy, something is wrong. It shouldn’t take this long.

      Reply
  3. Dear all,

    I had an F1 visa interview on July 31 the consul told me that my visa approved and he took my passport, in the next day I checked the ceac website it says approved. But in Aug 11 they called me but unfortunately I couldn’t respond because I was far away from my phone, on the same day Aug 11 the ceac says refused ( see the letter u received after the interview) …. I don’t know what happened… my passport still until now in the embassy for more than 20 days.

    Reply
  4. Seems there was an update on CEAC visa status checker. Now when you select nonimmigrant visa, it asks for passport number and surname. When I submit the details it says “Your search did not return any data.”
    My application was in Refused (admin processing) stage, no 221g on Aug 14. How to check status now?

    Reply
    • I have a similar problem, my application was refused , but after I did the needful it went back to approved, i was waiting for it to move to issued, but it started showing me the “Your search did not return any data” error today. I have written an email to the consulate and waiting for their response.

      Reply
      • I had an F1 visa interview on July 31 and the consul told me that he approved my visa, I checked on ceac it says approved, but on Aug 11 the ceac told me refused ( see the letter u received after the interview) I don’t know what happened… my passport is still until now in the embassy. Can anyone inform me about my case.

        Reply
    • I am having a similar problem, wondering if it’s just a system failure. The CEAC website is saying “Your search did not return any data.” I’m in the Caribbean my H1-B visa was approved on June 14 and I’m still awaiting visa printing. Did the embassy respond to anyone?

      Reply
    • Yes I have the same issue my visa was approved on August 03rd until now it’s stuck on approved but I can’t check the status any more it’s says no data yet I entered the collect information

      Reply
    • I also couldn’t check my immigrant visa status I got invalid case number .could anyone plz suggest me what should I do

      Reply
    • The system added two more fields for login details hence it was showing your search did not return any data . give it a day ,you will be able to login again

      Reply
  5. I had my h1+h4 visa restamping on July 27. h4 visa was approved and issued on Aug8th while my H1 is still in approved state. Anyone faced with similar situation?

    Reply
  6. Hi
    Did anyone get the change in status after “application received”?

    mine is stuck in application received status since a month now.

    Reply
      • Hi V,
        Did you get any updates after your comment on August 2nd? If yes, do you remember the date when the status finally changed?
        Thanks.

        Reply
        • Hi All – Can anyone guide how many days it is taking for the status to change from “Application Received”? For me it has been 7business days with same status & no change. Thanks in advance

          Reply
  7. Same Situation here.
    Submitted : 9th May
    Received on: 26th May
    Approved on: 6th June
    No change of status till now.
    Drop box renewal case. B1/B2 renewal of my Mother.

    Reply
  8. Hi, I dropoff my passport and status updated to “Received” on May 16 and changed to “Approved” on May 19. Till now, the status is shown as Approved. I have classes started from June 12 but no change in the status. Is anyone facing the same issue?

    Reply
    • Same Situation here.
      Submitted : 9th May
      Received on: 26th May
      Approved on: 6th June
      No change of status till now.
      Drop box renewal case. B1/B2 renewal of my Mother.

      Reply
  9. Hi,
    Almost same case here too. We submitted documents at Hyderabad dropbox on June 5th although our location was Kolkata. On June 8th status showed ‘Application Received’ on CEAC portal. Till date no change. Case updated changed to today’s date. Yet the status remains the same. Already 9 working days up.
    Anyone has same issue?

    Reply
  10. I have submitted my Passport for H1B Visa extension stamping on 21st May, and my visa status is showing as “No status” as of Today (June 3rd) after 14 days. Any one else in the same situation? Any one ho previously experienced this, and how many days did it take for your status to be updated?

    Reply
    • Same with me. I did submitted H1 and H4 documents for me and my family on May 25th and in status ‘No Status’.

      Checking how long it would take. I have flight ticket booked for June 11th return.

      Reply
    • Same with me. I submitted my documents on May21 and today it shows No status.

      Please advise if anyone has similar experience and what to expect out of this?

      Reply
    • Submitted B1/B2 visa renewal in dropbox on May 9th. May 27th received status as Application received and same update on 5th. Yesterday status updated as ‘Approved’. But no other details received till now.

      Reply
    • I submitted my H1B extension documents on may 25th, status changed to Approved subject to consular sevyion final processing on june10th.

      Reply
      • What happened finally & what is the meaning of final processing by consular section? In how many days thereafter you received your Visa duly renewed?
        Please post reply for the benefit of all.

        Reply
  11. Hello
    I have completed my visa interview on 27 april in mumbai and it was approved since then the status is still approved just displayed messages got changed and did not received passport yet anyone facing same problem.
    Please let me know.

    Reply
      • The consular officer has approved your application subject to final processing by the consular section that is necessary to issue your visa. When that processing is complete, the status will change to “Issued”. However, a final screening step must still be completed prior to issuance that could lead a consular officer to conclude that you are not eligible for a visa. If that occurs, the consular officer will notify you that your application has been denied and your status will change to “Refused”.

        Reply
  12. I tried to Google this message but nothing came up. Anyone else?
    Here is the message that I am getting:

    The consular officer has approved your application subject to final processing by the consular section that is necessary to issue your visa. When that processing is complete, the status will change to “Issued”. However, a final screening step must still be completed prior to issuance that could lead a consular officer to conclude that you are not eligible for a visa. If that occurs, the consular officer will notify you that your application has been denied and your status will change to “Refused”.

    Reply
      • Hi ,I too received the same message
        The consular officer has approved your application subject to final processing by the consular section that is necessary to issue your visa. When that processing is complete, the status will change to “Issued”. However, a final screening step must still be completed prior to issuance that could lead a consular officer to conclude that you are not eligible for a visa. If that occurs, the consular officer will notify you that your application has been denied and your status will change to “Refused”.

        Reply
    • Does anyone have solutions on this message?

      The consular officer has approved your application subject to final processing by the consular section that is necessary to issue your visa. When that processing is complete, the status will change to “Issued”. However, a final screening step must still be completed prior to issuance that could lead a consular officer to conclude that you are not eligible for a visa. If that occurs, the consular officer will notify you that your application has been denied and your status will change to “Refused”.

      Reply
          • Congratulations!!
            Is the text under status “Issued” similar to the one below?
            “The consular section has completed processing your application and your visa has been issued. If you do not receive your passport and visa within 10 working days, please contact the embassy or consulate where you submitted your application. If at any time additional information is discovered that indicates you may no longer be eligible for a visa, the U.S. government may revoke your visa. See Section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
            For more information, please visit U.S. Consulate General Mumbai.”

          • Mine was H1B extension.
            Drop box
            Received 221g
            Attended interview at Chennai on 17th
            Status changed to Approved on 17th
            Status changes to Issued on 23rd

      • did yours say this? “The consular officer has approved your application subject to final processing by the consular section that is necessary to issue your visa. When that processing is complete, the status will change to “Issued”. However, a final screening step must still be completed prior to issuance that could lead a consular officer to conclude that you are not eligible for a visa. If that occurs, the consular officer will notify you that your application has been denied and your status will change to “Refused”.” when it was approved?

        Reply
    • Hello, mine had that exact message. Status updated on May 18 to approved. Visa issued on May 24. Dropbox visa for my child. Good luck everyone. Hope this helps.

      Reply
    • AC , I recieved the same message on June 10th . Did you recieve your passport? How long it took after you got this message?

      Reply
      • It took me almost 10 months to get to this message.

        Since there was no update, I sent an email to support@ustraveldocs.com.
        I got a response from them asking me to submit my passport.

        I submitted my passport on 23rd June 2023. Status still ‘Approved’.
        The status then updated on 30th June 2023 to ‘Administrative Processing’.
        The status again updated on 5th July 2023 to ‘Application Received’.

        I’ve been waiting since April 2022. Tired and Stressed.

        Reply
  13. Hi

    I had drop box appointment in Hyderabad on May 16. Did drop off all the required documents at Hi-Tech city metro station. Was looking up ceac website for application status. The status is shown as “No Change”. Is this normal? After how many days does the status change.

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Hi,
      Almost same case here too. We submitted documents at Hyderabad dropbox on June 5th although our location was Kolkata. On June 8th status showed ‘Application Received’ on CEAC portal. Till date no change. Case updated changed to today’s date. Yet the status remains the same. Already 9 working days up.
      Anyone has same issue?

      Reply
  14. Hello, I’m a Dropbox applicant. My visa status is showing as below when I track

    Your case is open and ready for your interview, fingerprints, and required documents. If you have already had your interview, please check your status after two business days. If no interview was required, please check back in two business days for the status of your application.

    Does this mean I need to go for an interview?? Kindly suggest

    Reply
  15. My status was approved on 30jan and after in april 9th when i check again ceac status shows application received , whats that i really confused kindly help us .

    Reply
    • Same been same case for me my interview was on 19 April 2023.
      Visa was approved.
      24- April -2023 changed to administrative processing.
      27-April-2023 changed Application received.

      Any update you got since then please write it here.

      Reply
  16. My status was approved on 30jan and after in april 9th when i check again ceac status shows application received , whats that i really confused kindly help us .

    Reply
  17. DB : March 8
    Application received: 30th March
    Approved: 1st April.
    H1b extension & Hyderabad VAC

    Till now there is no change in status, Anyone is in similar situation ?

    Reply
  18. Hello,
    Here is my situation-

    1. Dropped H1 b docs(First time H1b stamping from F1) at Hyd Consulate – 27th Feb
    2. March 6th – Application received
    3.March 9th – Approved
    4. March 27th – Refused(Long Text)

    Since then, no change in my CEAC status. Spoke with ‘Just Answer’ Immigration attorney and they confirmed it as ‘Administrative Processing’. A week has passed(5 business days) and so far, no 221g has been issued and no additional documents were asked.

    Please let me know any info if there are similar cases.

    Reply
    • I am in kind of same situation, Mar 02 db Mar 31 Approved and Apr 06 refused and no other status update or email since then. Did you receive any update?

      Reply
    • I am also in similar situation. They told me to drop off my passport at the embassy seven months after my interview. After some days my case status change from refused with long message about administrative processing to approved status then back to refused with long message about administrative processing. I am so confused.

      Reply
  19. Greetings,
    On January 11, 2023, I applied for a B1 visa at Mumbai. However, I received a Blue slip 221g . On February 1st, 2023, I submitted the documents requested by the authorities. On March 2nd, 2023, my visa status changed from “Refused” to “Administrative Processing”. The last update on my case was on March 30th, 2023. Although there has been an update, my visa status remains unchanged, and it is still shows Administrative Processing. I would appreciate it if anyone could guide me on how long it usually takes for the status to change from Administrative Processing to issued. Thank you for your help in advance.

    Reply
  20. We were informed in the interview by the officer across the counter that visa is approved. The passport was also taken by the officer. Later when we collected the passports after 4 days we found the visa is not stamped!!!

    Reply
  21. I have received the “Approved” Status on a March 1st 2023. Till now I haven’t received my passport status.

    I had my Visa appointment on Feb 13th 2023.
    I got refused status on Feb 20 2023.
    They called me for Finger printing on Feb 24th 2023 at Hyderabad. Till March 1st 2023 my status was on Administrative processing.
    I have received “Approved” status on March 01 2023.
    And today is March 23rd 2023 still it shows “Approved”
    Can “Approved” status go to “Refused” or “Administrative processing”? I am bit worried about that.

    Reply
  22. Kumar my my status still showing approved since 30jan, after i send mail to embassey they said esclated post after 15 days sent mail again now status still same but when i check mail now over there on hold , whats that i dont understand.

    Reply
  23. Hi I submitted my documents for dropbox on 6th march but my status still shows no status as of 3/20

    Its at the hyderabad consulate

    Is there any way i could contact them ? Its a bit unusual to see no status for 15 days

    Reply
  24. Hi I applied for drop box for B1/B2 visa on 1st Feb. on 2nd Feb status showed as approved. But in 14 Feb it show refused and I recd passport back with 221G no additional documents asked. Then on 10 March I recd email with subject REQUEST TO SUBMIT PASSPORT I submitted passport the same day and next day the status changed from refused to administrative processing. I have not recd passport back or heard nothing. Anyone having similar situation

    Reply
  25. My initial drop box appointment was on 24th Jan 2023 on 2nd Feb 2023, the status updated to Refused and I was given 221G. I submitted the requested documents on Feb 9th, 2023 except the Passport. Today last update date changed as of March 8th, 2023 but the status remained as Refused. What does this mean?

    Reply
  26. I observed the process to be slow for those who choose Dropbox. The moment a Passport is dropped in the consulate (Dropbox facility) the application screening process starts and normally candidates are called for a personal interview in case of any questions by the Consular. Furthermore, the Passport is handed over to the applicant if the Consulate wishes to conduct a background check on the documents submitted (Especially Client Letter).

    This process of background check normally is completed in a week, the consulate will take anywhere between 6-8 weeks to update the status from “Refused” to “Approved”. An Email is received by the applicant suggesting Him/Her to deposit the Passport at the nearest Dropbox Center.

    As soon as the applicant drops the passport, it takes almost a week to have the status changed to “Issued”.

    I guess the applicant has to wait for a week for the passport with the Visa stamped via BlueDart Courier.

    I also hope this processing will be quicker in the future. Maybe there’s a challenge at the Consulates to handle such a volume of Passport applications. I also guess they have shortage of staff to expedite the process.

    Reply
  27. Hello Everyone,

    My dropbox h1b extention was approved on March 1st, since then i havent gotten any response or change in status on ceac. Anyone in the similar situation? Is there anything we can do to know how long can it take from here ? I had to extend my flight for 2 more weeks.
    Anyone knows how long can it take? As per the status on ceac, they are asking to contact consulate in 10 days but that seems to be a standard message.

    Reply
    • I am in a similar situation
      Dropbox location: Hyderabad (the most unorganized dropoff located in the Metro station (may because its temporary). Spent 2 hours in the queue, dropped off at 2 pm for a 12.45 pm appointment
      Date of dropoff: 25th Feb
      Date since the CGI says “Passport is still with Embassy consulate”: 27th Feb
      CEAC status:
      Case submitted on 28th Feb
      Case approved on 3rd March
      Case Issued on 9th March
      Current CGI status: ‘Document Delivery Information ‘ (blank)
      Did not receive the passport yet.

      I did email support@ustraveldocs.com as I was unable to track my passport using any the listed websites, they responded stating its under final processing and it depends on the consulate on when it will ready.

      Will post once I receive the passport.

      Reply
      • I am in a similar situation except that my CEAC status still says “Application Received” while there is that ‘Document Delivery Information ‘ (blank) on the CGI website. My visa interview was on March 3rd in Mumbai.

        Is there anything I can do to check with someone somewhere, really clueless as the dropbox counter person told me “you will get your passport in two weeks” and its been more than that now

        Reply
        • Hi I submitted my documents for dropbox on 6th march but my status still shows no status as of 3/20

          Its at the hyderabad consulate

          Is there any way i could contact them ? Its a bit unusual to see no status for 15 days

          Reply
          • even my situation is same, submitted on 6th feb for b1/b2 and no status on tracking as of 3/21 . whom should I contact ?

        • I am in same situation. My visa interview was on March 1st in Hyderabad. I am still seeing status as “Application Received”. I didn’t receive any email for additional documents too.

          Reply
        • Can you please give us info if possible, We are stuck in Application received status from July 10h , so far no update at all . We sent emails ,called them . But nothing has changed.

          Reply

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