CEAC status “Application Received”: what it means and how long it takes
As of 2 November 2026, none of the 4,507 cases VisaMoves tracks record how long they spent in "Application Received", so we do not publish a time for this status.
Application Received is commonly reported to mean the embassy or consulate has your application and has not made a decision yet. It is neither an approval nor a refusal.
What it means
- CEAC shows a one-line explanation of this status when you look up your case; read it first. The notes below describe what applicants commonly report.
- Nonimmigrant applicants commonly see it after submitting the DS-160 and attending the interview, while the case is still open.
- If the officer issues a 221(g), the status usually changes to Refused or Administrative Processing. If the visa is approved, it changes to Approved or Issued.
How long people stay in this status
We do not track how long cases spend in this status, so we do not publish a number for it. Time here depends mainly on scheduling at your embassy or consulate or at the National Visa Center.
Based on reports applicants share publicly, anonymised. Cases with no outcome yet have no end date, so they are not in the medians. How we measure.
What to do next
- If you were not given a slip at the interview, wait for the status to change. Many cases change within days.
- If you were given a 221(g) slip, follow its instructions. The Refused and Administrative Processing pages explain what happens next.
Quick answers
Is Application Received good or bad?
Neither. It is commonly reported to mean no decision has been recorded yet.
Related CEAC statuses
- CEAC “Refused”: what it means
- CEAC “Administrative Processing”: what it means
- CEAC “Issued”: what it means
- CEAC Refused to Issued: how long it takes
- What a 221(g) white slip means
- Wait times by consulate
- The 221(g) playbook: what to do and when
Other statuses: Approved · Ready · At NVC · In Transit · Expired
Community data, not legal advice.