USCIS Authentication App Login and Setup Help
What Is the USCIS Authentication App?
The phrase “USCIS authentication app” can be misleading. USCIS does not require a special USCIS-branded app for this purpose. Instead, a USCIS online account can use a compatible authentication app to confirm your identity during sign-in.
This type of app generates a temporary, one-time code on your phone or another device. It is commonly called a time-based one-time password, or TOTP, app. USCIS states that most TOTP authentication apps can be used and advises users to review an app’s privacy policy. The app itself may be provided by another company and is not a USCIS case-management tool.
The authentication app is separate from your main USCIS online account. It does not replace your email address and password, display your case status, submit forms, or change information in your case. Its only role is to provide the additional code required by two-step verification.
Never give an authentication code, password, setup key, or backup code to someone who contacts you unexpectedly. A current code may allow another person to enter your account.
How to Use the App to Sign In
- Open {site} and choose the option for signing in to your USCIS online account.
- Confirm that you are on the official government service before entering account information.
- Enter the email address and password belonging to the account that was linked to your authentication app.
- When USCIS asks for a verification code, open the authentication app on the enrolled device.
- Find the entry associated with your USCIS account. If the app contains several entries, check the account label carefully.
- Enter the code currently shown and submit it promptly. These codes change automatically after a short period.
The authentication app normally creates codes without a text message. It may also work without a mobile connection after setup because the code is based on time. However, you still need a connection to load and use the USCIS account.
How to Set Up Authentication
Enrollment takes place while creating an account or changing the two-step verification preference inside an account you can already access. Select the authentication-app option when USCIS asks how you want to complete two-step verification.
- Install a compatible TOTP authentication app from a trusted source. Remember that this is generally a third-party app, not a USCIS product.
- Keep the USCIS setup screen open. It should display a QR code and may provide a setup key for manual entry.
- In the authentication app, choose the control for adding an account. Scan the QR code, or enter the displayed setup key exactly if scanning is unavailable.
- The app will create a temporary code. Enter that code on the USCIS setup screen to confirm that enrollment worked.
- Save the backup or recovery code USCIS provides. Store it somewhere secure and separate from the phone running the authentication app.
Do not save a screenshot of the QR code or setup key in an unprotected shared location. Anyone who obtains that information may be able to generate valid codes. Before replacing or erasing a phone, review the transfer or export instructions supplied by your particular authentication app.
Authentication Codes Not Working
If a code is rejected, wait for a new one and enter it immediately. A code near the end of its cycle may expire before the sign-in form receives it.
Wrong account entry: If the app lists several services or USCIS accounts, make sure you selected the entry connected to the email address used on the sign-in screen.
Device time is incorrect: TOTP codes depend on accurate time. Turn on automatic date, time, and time-zone settings, then reopen the app and try a fresh code.
Old enrollment remains in the app: Reinstalling the app, enrolling again, or changing verification settings can leave an outdated entry. Use the most recently enrolled entry.
Typing error: Enter only the current digits, without copying extra spaces. Do not reuse a code that has already changed.
Browser problem: Refreshing repeatedly can interrupt the sign-in session. Return to the official sign-in page, start a new attempt, and try a private browser window or another supported browser if the page is unresponsive.
Changed or reset phone: Installing the same app on a new device does not always restore the USCIS enrollment. If the USCIS entry is missing, use a saved backup code or the official recovery process.
Do not keep guessing codes if the account reports a lockout. Stop, check the time and account entry, and follow the instructions shown on the USCIS screen.
Recover Access to Your USCIS Account
If you lost the enrolled device, deleted the app, or cannot retrieve its USCIS entry, look for the option to use a two-step verification backup code. USCIS provides this code during account setup, and it can be entered instead of the normal one-time code.
After signing in with the backup code, open the account settings and update the two-step verification method. Save the newly provided backup code securely. USCIS guidance indicates that an old backup code stops working after a new verification preference is confirmed.
If you do not have the backup code, use the account-help option on the official USCIS sign-in service. Choose the issue that best describes the problem and complete the technical-support request. Follow only the recovery choices displayed by USCIS; creating a second account may not restore access to information connected to the original account.
Password recovery and two-step verification recovery are different. Resetting the password may solve a rejected-password problem, but it does not necessarily restore an authentication app that was lost or erased.
Get Official USCIS Support
Open {site} and look for online account help or technical support. Use the account-help request for problems such as account access, password resets, lockouts, verification delivery, or an authentication method you can no longer use. Questions about a case should go through the case-related channel USCIS identifies, rather than the technical-access form.
Before requesting help, have your full name, the email address associated with the account, the type of form involved if applicable, and the date it was filed. USCIS may also request identifying case information, such as a receipt number or account-related details, to verify that it may discuss the account with you.
Describe the exact screen and error message, when the problem began, and whether you changed phones or verification methods. Never include your password, a current authentication code, the authentication setup key, or a backup code in the request. Submit one clear request and retain any confirmation information USCIS provides.