TorchLight USCIS Case Tracker

Privacy Policy

Effective date: 2026-03-03

Summary

TorchLight USCIS Case Tracker is developed and operated by Yu An, a sole proprietor based in California. TorchLight stores all user data locally on your device. The app collects USCIS receipt numbers, which are considered Personally Identifiable Information (PII), solely to query case status updates through the official USCIS Case Status API. The app also fetches public visa bulletin data from our backend. Yu An does not sell, share, or track any personal data.

Data Collected

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

USCIS receipt numbers (user-provided)

Purpose: Receipt numbers are used exclusively to query the official USCIS Case Status API to retrieve and display your immigration case status updates. When you add a receipt number, the app sends it to the USCIS API endpoint to fetch your current case status, processing stage, and status history. This query occurs when you manually refresh and approximately once per hour via background refresh to check for status changes. Receipt numbers are stored locally on your device and are never sent to any server other than the official USCIS API.

Case Information

User-defined case nicknames
Case status information (retrieved from USCIS API)
Form type and submission date
Status history and timeline

Purpose: Storing and displaying case tracking details locally in the app

Visa Bulletin Preferences

Priority date (user-provided)
Visa category selection (e.g., EB-2, F1)
Country of birth selection

Purpose: Displaying relevant visa bulletin cutoff dates and priority date progress

Data Not Collected

TorchLight USCIS Case Tracker does not collect the following:

Other personal identity information (name, address, date of birth, SSN)
Location data
Financial information
Photos, videos, or contacts
Device identifiers or advertising IDs (IDFA)
Usage analytics or diagnostics
Browsing or search history
Health or biometric data

Permissions

Background App Refresh

TorchLight periodically checks your tracked cases for status updates in the background (approximately once per hour). This allows the app to notify you of changes even when it is not open.

Notifications

Used to alert you when one of your tracked USCIS cases has a status change. You can disable notifications at any time in iOS Settings.

App Group (Internal)

Used internally to share case data between the main app and the home screen widget. No data leaves your device through this mechanism.

Third-Party Services

USCIS Case Status API — Official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services API used to retrieve case status by receipt number. Only the receipt number is sent in the request. This is a government-operated service.

Visa Bulletin Data Service — A read-only backend service that provides publicly available visa bulletin cutoff dates. No personal data is sent — only category and date queries. Uses anonymous API access.

Data Storage

All user data is stored exclusively on your device using iOS local storage. Case data, nicknames, status history, and visa bulletin preferences are stored locally. No data is synced to the cloud, backed up to our servers, or transmitted to any remote storage. Uninstalling the app permanently deletes all stored data from your device.

Data Sharing

Yu An does not share your data with any third parties, marketing partners, advertisers, or data brokers. The only external data transmission is sending receipt numbers to the official USCIS API for case status queries. Yu An does not sell, rent, lease, or otherwise monetize your data in any way. No de-identified or aggregated data is shared with any entity. Third parties that may receive data through the USCIS API query process are bound by this privacy policy and may not use or disclose user information without your active consent.

Data Retention and Deletion

Your data is retained on your device for as long as you keep it in the app. There is no server-side data retention — we do not store any of your data remotely. You can delete individual cases at any time by swiping left on a case in the case list. You can clear your Priority Date profile in the Visa Bulletin settings. You can delete all app data at once through the Settings screen using the "Delete All Data" option, which immediately and permanently removes all cases, preferences, and profile data from your device. Alternatively, uninstalling the app from your device will immediately and permanently delete all stored data. Since no data is stored on our servers, there is no additional deletion request needed — deletion is instant and irreversible.

Your Rights and Choices

You have full control over your data at all times. You may choose not to provide any information — the app functions only with the receipt numbers you voluntarily enter. You can view, modify, or delete any stored data directly within the app. You may stop using the app at any time, and uninstalling it will remove all data. Since no data is collected remotely, there is no data sharing to opt out of. The risks of providing receipt numbers are minimal — they are only used to query the official USCIS API and are never stored outside your device. Your use of this app does not affect other individuals' data.

Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your data. All communication with the USCIS API uses HTTPS encryption. OAuth credentials are securely stored and never exposed in the app's source code. Tokens are cached only in memory with automatic expiration. In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting any service we operate, we will notify affected users promptly and provide guidance on recommended actions.

Ownership Transfer

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, we will notify users before any ownership transfer occurs. Any successor entity will be required to honor the commitments made in this privacy policy. If the new entity's privacy practices differ materially, you will be given the option to delete your data before the transition. Since all data is stored locally on your device, an ownership transfer would not affect your existing data.

CCPA Compliance

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, request its deletion, and opt out of its sale. Yu An does not sell personal information. All data is stored locally on your device and can be deleted at any time as described in the Data Retention and Deletion section. To exercise your CCPA rights or make any data-related request, contact Yu An at yu@anyu.dev.

Children’s Privacy

Yu An does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through TorchLight. The app does not require account creation or collect identity information from any user. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the app, please contact Yu An at yu@anyu.dev and it will be promptly deleted.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by updating the app and posting a clear summary of what changed in plain language. Continued use of the app after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. We will obtain your active consent before making changes that materially affect how your data is collected, used, or shared.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy, contact us at yu@anyu.dev.