I-821 Case Tracker & Status Guide

Track your Temporary Protected Status registration and its work permit.

Have a case with USCIS? Check my case free

Form I-821 — TPS. Track your Temporary Protected Status registration and its work permit. The public tracker only shows your latest milestone; the internal USCIS API exposes the full sequence, including silent updates the website hides.

What is Form I-821?

Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, is filed by nationals of designated countries to obtain TPS, which provides protection from removal and work authorization during the designation period.

TPS is usually filed with Form I-765 for the EAD, and re-registration windows are tied to country designations. The internal API tracks both filings.

The I-821 milestone sequence

Behind each plain-English status the public site shows, USCIS records an internal event code. Here is the typical I-821 ladder and the codes that drive it:

IAFCase Was ReceivedReceipt notice issued.
FTA0Database Checks ReceivedBackground and database check results came back. Not a decision.
DACase Was ApprovedTPS granted; EAD may follow.

How long does I-821 take?

TPS timelines depend on country designation cycles and re-registration windows. Watch the linked I-765 for work-permit production.

Time to first internal update · live community data
17 daysmedian from receipt to first database check (FTA0) — typically 0–37 days
This is how long I-821 cases take to show their first internal movement, not the full time to approval. Measured from real cases tracked on CaseStatusAPI.
● Based on 5+ tracked cases
See where your I-821 actually stands

That is what each I-821 status means in general. Paste your own case data and we decode your exact position — your full timeline, hidden silent updates, and how your case compares to similar ones.

Your full decoded I-821 timeline — every silent update the public site hides
How your case compares to similar cases at the same service center
Plain-English read of your raw JSON flags and anomaly warnings
Analyze my I-821 case

Common I-821 questions

Does TPS come with a work permit?

Yes — file Form I-765 with your I-821 to receive an EAD. Track the I-765 for card production and mailing.

What is TPS re-registration?

When a country’s TPS designation is extended, current holders must re-register during a specific window to keep their status and EAD.

See your own case, explained.

See every step USCIS has recorded for your case, in plain English: your timeline, silent updates, and what usually comes next for cases like yours.

Check my case free
CS
Written by the CaseStatusAPI Team

We are immigration applicants and technologists who built CaseStatusAPI to help others navigate the USCIS process with transparency. Our guides are informed by firsthand experience, community feedback, and deep analysis of USCIS internal API data.

Learn more about us

Explore more community tools

Community TimelinesCommunity Forum
Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. CaseStatusAPI is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or any government agency. For official case information, visit uscis.gov.