This isn’t BIA-related, but it’s a great development both for immigrants checking on their applications and for their attorneys trying to help them.  USCIS has a service called E-Requests which, as of November 19, 2012, allows individuals to

  • Create a service request for all forms to either inquire about the status of your application or petition if it is outside of the normal processing time OR notify USCIS about an administrative error in a notice or document we sent you.
  •  For Forms I-90 and N-400 only, inquire about an Application Support Center appointment notice or other notice you were expecting to receive. 
  • Accessibility to individuals with disabilities (section 508 compliant).
Until now, you had to call the 1-800 number and wait for hours at times, just to talk to a person who often didn’t know what they were talking about.  It was up to them whether to submit an official inquiry. Now, you can submit your own inquiry, and don’t have to wait on the phone forever.  Welcome to the 21st Century, USCIS!