Thousands of Cubans with residence cases stalled for months or years now have a specific tool to move their files: the e-request with USCIS. Immigration attorney Liudmila Marcelo explained step by step how to use it, both electronically and by phone.
The online process is the simplest. According to Marcelo, the USCIS website itself guides the applicant by indicating exactly what information to enter: the receipt number, the type of application, the applicant's name, and a brief description of the situation.
"The USCIS website itself guides you on what you need to include in your request. When you visit the USCIS page to make an e-request, it will prompt you to enter the receipt number, the type of application, your name, and then briefly describe what happened," explained the attorney.
In that description, Marcelo recommends being direct. "I applied for my residency on this date, it has been stagnant for so many days, however many that may be, and I still haven't received any response or update regarding my case. That's a way to do it electronically, and it's quite simple."
The second option is by phone. Marcelo states that you can call 1-800-375-5283 from USCIS and, when prompted by the automated system, select the "info pass" option to be transferred to a representative. The message to the agent is the same: how long the case has been pending without a response and what is happening.
However, the lawyer warns that for Cuban adjustment cases, this process does not always yield results, as USCIS does not have a defined official processing time for that category.
"It is happening that you are being told you are in processing time, precisely because they do not have a defined one for the Cuban adjustment, and then they tell you that we are still on time, and you get left hanging," he pointed out.
Still, the phone call has an additional usefulness that Marcelo considers crucial: it allows you to find out which office is handling the case. "I want to know which office my case is in because I have new evidence to send. Once you know which office your case is in, you also send a written one," he explained.
This written submission to the appropriate office also allows you to attach updated case evidence. "You might send updated evidence of your status, whatever you wish to send, but it's important for the official to see that you are actively following up on the case," said the lawyer.
Regarding the types of recommended documents, Marcelo particularly emphasizes proof of good conduct and personal achievements, since USCIS strictly enforces the eligibility requirement and the officer's discretion in Cuban adjustment cases.
"People who have completed courses, who have distinctions, that is, those who have achieved things in their work, who have started companies, that sort of thing—well, those are indicators of good character... it's updated evidence and it's evidence that will be useful when the official reviews the case," she stated.
It is also recommended to include a criminal background check, especially if there are none, to strengthen the applicant's profile before the officer reviewing the file.
This advice comes at a time of paralysis for Cubans with pending procedures. Green card approvals for Cubans dropped by 99.8% between October 2024 and January 2026, falling from more than 10,000 monthly to just 15 cases.
A judicial ruling from June 2026 overturned four USCIS policies that had frozen applications and mandated the resumption of processing for nationals from 39 countries, including Cuba, and since May 2026, new interview appointments are being reported, which Marcelo interprets as a sign of easing tensions.
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