CA(California) Service Center
California Service Center is an office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for dealing with immigration & naturalization petitions and is located in Laguna Niguel, California. It processes applications & forms filed from different states through mail or online. CA (California) Service Center does not accept walk-in applications, conduct meetings with petitioners, or provide in-person services through appointments. Applications are accepted only through mail at the address provided below or online e-filing. Appointments are scheduled at other local offices for interviews, bio metric data collection, etc. For filing an online application, a USCIS account has to be created on the website. Visit the
login page if an account is already created. If assistance or instructions are needed for the filing of a petition, contact the service center using the phone number provided below or visit the official USCIS website. Also, if there is an issue with the case filed or other services are required, inform the center by calling the service line. The list of the applications processed at the CA (California) Service Center can be found on the website in the
Service Center Forms Processing section. In-person services for immigration support are available at several application support centers, field offices, and asylum offices in California. Contact using the same phone number to schedule an appointment.
CA Service Center Processing Times
CA (California) Service Center deals with thousands of petitions from all over the United States every year. The applications are generally processed in the order they are received. So, the processing may take months to several years depending on workload, pending cases, and other factors. The processing time also depends on the type of application filed. Contact the service center to inquire about the processing time before the filing of an application.
Check Case Processing Times on the website to get the estimated processing time ranges of different applications at the CA (California Service Center). The service center cannot guarantee completion within the estimated time frame. If the case is taking longer than usual to process or if documents and notices are not received, an
e-request can be filed for a case inquiry.
CA Service Center Premium Processing Time
If fast services are required for applications such as petitions for non immigrant workers, immigrant petitions for alien workers, etc. under different classifications (E-1, E-2, H-1B, H-2B, etc.), the applicants can request premium processing which expedites the process. This facility is available by paying a premium fee between $1500 and $2500 depending on the type of form. The CA (California) Service Center guarantees to process premium applications within 15 days of the receipt or the fee will be refunded. The expedited processing will still continue even after the refund. Regular H-1B processing takes 3 months to 1 year for approval. Call the service line to confirm eligibility and receive instructions for premium processing. For other questions on
receiving premium processing , check out the USCIS website.
CA Service Case Status Check
The service center sends a receipt notice to the petitioners after an application has been received. The status of the case can be tracked using the 13-character receipt number which is printed on the receipt notice. The service center assigns a unique code to every application so that these can be easily identified and tracked. Call the service center on the service line and provide the receipt number to receive updates on the progress of the case or use the
case status online tool available on the website. Petitioners can also use the receipt number to register online to get automatic e-mail updates and/or text message notifications informing them of the status of the case.
CA Service Center I-130
To help an eligible relative immigrate to the United States and get a green card, a petition using Form I-130 has to be submitted. If applying through the mail service, the filing location depends on the address of the petitioner. Use the information provided in the
Direct Filing Addresses Table to find the correct mailing address. The petition can also be filed online by creating an online USCIS account. The processing time for alien relatives can run into several years depending on the relation.