Checking the status of your immigration visa is easy, but waiting for the day it is actually approved is not. There are many backlogs in the USCIS system, and visas take a long time to be approved. However, you can stay up to date on your visa processing times by making frequent status checks.
Check processing times and case status on USCIS website. You can register for an account on the site. You can then see when the case was last touched, and if it has been transferred to another office. Just being able to see what is going on with your visa application, even if the signs of progress are few and far between, is helpful to applicants.
Sign up for case updates via email. Anytime there is something new to be reported regarding the status of your case, you will receive an email.
Call USCIS customer service with your receipt number. Just don't expect them to be overly helpful. Most of the time, they will provide you with the same information that was contained in your last letter. They can't tell you when your case will be transferred or when it will be processed. They are not the people who process the immigration visas.
You can always just wait for the mail to come from USCIS. Any major change in your case status will warrant a letter. When you receive it, it will explain what is happening with your case in very vague terms. You will never be able to get any details out of USCIS, other than that your case was moved to another office, you need to provide more information, or your case has been denied. That's just the way the USCIS works.
If your case is taking an extremely long time (and some of them do), then contact your representative or senator to have him look into the case. He has every right to do so, and should be able to help you out, especially if your case has been pending for years.
