Before submitting a case to NAFSA's IssueNet for scholar issues with non-premium processing, be sure to follow the protocol below:

Step 1: Call the National Customer Service Center 

Call at 1-800-375-5283 for case related inquiries.Please note that National Customer Service Center (NCSC) does not consider a case to be beyond processing times until it is 30 days past posted processing times. Make sure you write down the following information:

  • Date of your inquiry with the NCSC
  • Name of the Customer Service Representative(or ID number) you talked to regarding this inquiry
  • Also, if you were referred to "Tier Two," the name of the Immigration Services Officer (or ID number) you talked to regarding this inquiry
  • Service Request Referral Number for the inquiry

Step 2: Follow up with the Service Center

If more than 30 days has passed and the issue is not resolved or explained after placing the inquiry and receive a Referral Number, applicants/petitioners and their G-28 attorneys may use the following e-mail addresses to follow up directly with the service centers (SC):

Special Considerations

If the NCSC...

  • Advised that it would take _"X"_ days, THEN wait that amount of days before following up with the Service Center e-mail address.
  • Refused to process or refer your request without providing an explanation, THEN you may follow up with the Service Center immediately. In the e-mail, provide all the information collected regarding the call (see #1, above). Also provide a brief explanation of why you believe the inquiry was not addressed (e.g., NCSC advised you that you would receive a response from a USCIS office within 45 days and 45 days have elapsed without any response).

Step 3: Request Assistance thru Get Liaison Help 

If an issue is urgent, advisers can request assistance through their regional NAFSA Regulatory Ombudsperson, who can follow up with his/her Service Center contact or USCIS SCOPS directly. In addition, Regulatory Ombudspersons and other NAFSA leaders report policy interpretation questions, or inconsistencies between service centers, through these special contacts. Request case assistance from your NAFSA Regulatory Ombudsperson on IssueNet thru Get Liaison Help.

View instructions on using "Get Liaison Help."