Hi, I'm new to this forum, so please indulge my ignorance.

I've recently filed an I-130 with VSC and today I sent off the I-129F petition to the Chicago lockbox, both on behalf of my wife who is currently in Germany. I have been looking around the postings and I think (or rather, I hope) that I understand the basic procedure. One thing I'm not clear about is this business of one's application being 'touched'. I presume it means that somebody at USCIS has changed the 'last updated' entry in the online status. Is this correct? Does it mean that I have to monitor that status everyday to see whether the application has been touched? Is there any real significance to this, or is it mostly psychological?

Thanks.
-hh

Being 'touched' means your online status date has changed. It means that your case has been touched. It could have been actually worked on, or just moved from one pile to another.... don't place too much faith in it. You'll only get an email about it if your actual status has changed... acknowledgement, RFE, transfer, approval.... that sort of thing.

Welcome to VJ!

Jen

Your file has a barcode on it. Everytime a caseworker 'touches' your file they scan it. Even if they move it from one pile to another. At least that's the urban legend. When your status changes, then you get an email.

I told my husband that we got "touched" today.

me: "They touched us today"

him: "How long?"

me: "huh?"

him: "for how long did the touch last?"

me: "i dunno"

him: "can you ask them? If they are going to touch me I want to know for how long"

me: "i'll get right on that habibi"

It's not urban legend - it's what happens, the bar-code on your file is 'wanded' (scanned) when it is handled. It is used to keep track of your file so can be found (and not lost). Each time it is 'wanded', your status changes and that's what 'we' call a 'touch'. Does it mean anything? Maybe, maybe not. Some get lots of 'touches' before being approved while others (like myself) touched only once.

Welcome hhk3,

You are correct on just about every point (I didn't check every day, but some do).

~Otto

Thanks, everybody, for your quick response.
Much appreciated. Great forum!
-hh