To request an expedite through Emma, you need to go to the USCIS home page from a computer, or use the desktop version of the site on your phone ( video of how to do this on an iPhone )

  1. Type in the text field - Live agent
  2. From the list that appears, choose - Case Status
  3. From the list that appears, choose - Connect to Live Chat You will be asked either for the reason for your request or for the petition number.
  4. Petition number / I'd like to request an expedite After that you will be connected with a USCIS employee, and that is who you can request the expedite from - Thank you for contacting USCIS Contact Center, my name is Kendra and my agent ID is G-6\***. I’ll be more than happy to help you today. Do you currently have an A-number or a receipt number available sir/ma'am?*
  5. Type the petition number (WAC for K1, IOE for family immigrant visas) - Hi! Are you the applicant or petitioner? Will you please provide me your first and last name, date of birth, mailing address, phone number and email address.
  6. Give your First name, Middle name, Last name, date of birth, address, phone number (in the U.S.) and email - Great! What can I assist you with today?
  7. I'd like to request an expedite for my case, please - In order to expedite you have to have an emergency or urgent circumstance and it requires documentation to support the approval of an expedite request. You have to prove you meet the expedite The wording here may be a little different; they may describe what criteria there are and ask which one applies to you.
  8. The expedite category is - Emergencies and urgent humanitarian reasons - Can you please provide me a little more information
  9. Here you describe, in literally a couple of sentences (it's better to write them in advance and copy them), the reason for the expedite. The text should of course be your own, not a copy. In my practice, it works best to write about the following:
  • Sanctions in Russia that make it impossible to support the petitioner's family
  • Closed air routes, which make it impossible to meet
  • Fear for the life of a Russian citizen because of the war in Ukraine - Can you provide a phone number and email please?
  1. Give your email and phone number (in the U.S.)

In the end you will be given a referral number for your request, which will start with T1B or T1S.

This number is just so that you can give it if you call/write to them and ask why your request hasn't been reviewed yet.

Frequently asked questions about expedites:

  • How long do I wait for a decision on the expedite? - Basically 7 days; if more time has passed, you can call/write
  • Why does my status say - Request for Additional information/Received - In general you can ignore it; most often it is a sign that your expedite will be approved in a couple of days
  • I was refused, what do I do? - You can file another expedite request, and another, and another, but only after 7 days have passed since you received the refusal.
  • Can wives request an expedite? - Yes!
  • Can I request an expedite with an RFE? - In my practice I have not had an RFE, but I don't see any reason why you couldn't request an expedite
  • How long do I wait for approval after the expedite is approved? - Well, first of all, you need to understand that approval is not guaranteed; you may get either an RFE or a denial if the petition has a lot of mistakes or is missing required papers. But according to the statistics for the cases I handle, the decision on the case comes from 2 weeks on. In the instructions they warn that the review can take up to 45 days