Form G-1145 is the USCIS form you use to ask for a text message, an email, or both when USCIS accepts your form. USCIS says it is only available for certain forms filed at its Lockbox locations. The message is a convenience notice that shows your receipt number. It is not a receipt notice, and USCIS says it does not grant any status or benefit.
What the form does
The USCIS page for Form G-1145 says: "Use this form to request a text message and/or email when USCIS accepts your form." The form itself describes the purpose as requesting "an electronic notification (e-Notification) when U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services accepts your immigration application."
The form asks for the applicant or petitioner's full name, an email address and a mobile phone number for text messages.
Which filings it applies to
USCIS says the service "is only available for certain forms filed at" its Lockbox locations, which the page names. The page lists the forms you may submit it with. The list includes Forms I-90, I-130, I-131, I-140, I-485, I-751, I-765, I-824 and N-400, along with others. Read the full list on the official page, because it is long and USCIS can change it. If your form is not on the list, the page does not offer this service for it.
How to attach it
The page says: "Clip the completed Form G-1145 to the front of the application or petition you are filing." The form uses nearly the same wording, telling you to clip it "on top of the first page of your immigration form(s)." It also says you "will receive one e-mail and/or text message for each form you are filing."
In the Tips for Filing Forms by Mail, USCIS recommends an assembly order. Payment documents such as Form G-1450 or G-1650 come first, followed by "Form G-1145, Request for e-Notification (if applicable)", then Form G-28 if applicable, then the form you are filing.
What the message says, and does not say
USCIS states that "E-Notifications do not include any personal information, including your name, because email and text message are not secure ways for us to transmit this information." It adds that "The notification will list your receipt number and tell you how to obtain case status information."
The form says the e-Notification "does not grant any type of status or benefit; rather it is provided as a convenience to customers." It says USCIS "will also mail you a receipt notice (I-797C)" and that you should "use this notice as proof of your pending application or petition." So treat the text or email as a heads-up, and keep the paper notice when it arrives. Our page on the status Case Was Received explains what that first status means. For the types of paper notices, see our article on Form I-797 notice types.
Timing, and what happens if it does not arrive
The form says: "We will send the e-Notification within 24 hours after we accept your application." It also says domestic customers receive an email and/or text message, overseas customers receive an email only, and "Undeliverable e-Notifications cannot be resent." That wording is from the 09/26/14 edition of the form, which the USCIS page lists as the edition date. The page also says you can use previous editions. We did not find a more recent USCIS statement of the 24-hour figure, so treat it as the form's own wording.
USCIS states what the message is, and does not say what it means if you never get one. A missing message is therefore not evidence of anything either way. For help with a specific case, an immigration attorney or the USCIS Contact Center is the right place to ask.
Fee
The page says only: "You can find the filing fee for Form G-1145 by visiting our Fee Schedule page." It does not state an amount in that sentence, so check the current USCIS Fee Schedule instead of relying on this article.
Common questions
Is the G-1145 text or email my receipt notice?
No. USCIS says it will mail a receipt notice (I-797C), and tells you to use that notice as proof of your pending application or petition. The e-Notification is described as a convenience.
Does the message mean my case is approved?
No. The form says the e-Notification "does not grant any type of status or benefit." It is sent when USCIS accepts the form.
Will the message include my name or case details?
USCIS says it does not include personal information, including your name. It lists your receipt number and tells you how to get case status information.
Can I use it with any form?
No. USCIS says the service is available only for certain forms filed at its Lockbox locations, and the form page lists which forms.
Do I mail the G-1145 separately?
The USCIS page says to clip the completed form to the front of the application or petition you are filing, so it travels in the same package. The mail-filing tips say to mail your forms "to the address listed on that form's webpage," which is the page for the form you are filing, not the G-1145 page.
Official sources
- USCIS: Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance
- Form G-1145 (PDF, edition 09/26/14)
- USCIS: Tips for Filing Forms by Mail
- USCIS: Fee Schedule (G-1055)
GreenLight is not affiliated with USCIS or the U.S. government. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.