
What does the status “USPS processed through ISC facility, New York NY USPS” mean?
It can be very confusing when you see the status “USPS processed through ISC facility, New York, NY USPS”. This means that your international shipment has arrived at the International Service Center in New York. Once the package is processed through and leaves the ISC facility, NY, the status update will be changed to a different one.
The message “your item has been processed through our facility in ISC, New York, NY USPS” can have several derivatives. All the international mails and parcels first stock up in ISC or the International Service Center in New York, go through the customs and security check here, get packaged, and then dispatched to other locations.
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If there is a delay in the movement of the package from ISC to NY which means that if you do not see any progress or change in the status for a long time after the mail arrives in the ISC at New York, this does not always imply that the mailpiece is stuck there because of the customs. Also, experiences from various customers who have faced this issue indicate that the customs department or the USPS do not specifically give an answer as to why your package is stuck there and the cause for the delay. Instead, it only shared the following notification, “USPS processed through ISC facility,New York, NY USPS”

What is the ISC facility in New York and what kind of packages and mail does it deal with?
The ISC NY, also known as the International Service Center located in New York is the mail sorting facility or the New York distribution center where all the mails and packages entering the United States from foreign countries or the ones being sent overseas are organized, processed, and packaged before dispatching them for their next destination. This is also the place where the packages go through customs checks and security verification in order to make sure no illicit items are being transported to and from the country. This is done by the CBP Port of Entry which is co-located at the ISC. When dealing with international packages, they often have a strict rules to follow, hence the notification “Processed through ISC facility , New York, NY USPS.”
But how long do I have to wait?
It can take a few days to several weeks for the packages to move out of the ISC, therefore the weight can be long before the parcel actually hits the recipient’s destination for final delivery. There are numerous international parcels being dropped off at this facility in one day because of which there may be a huge backlog at the customs before your package is finally verified or the customs is holding back your item for a specific reason. It is also possible that the packaging and sorting of the mail piece is taking time because of the heavy volume of packages needing to be taken care of.
What kind of packages and mail does ISC deal with?
The International Service Center (ISC), NY deals with all kinds of parcels and mails that are crossing the borders of the United States in order to come inside the country or leave the country including mails, letters, or any sort of package containing other items.
Where does the package go after leaving the ISC, NY facility? What happens to the tracking during this process?
It is quite normal for you to get overwhelmed or anxious when you see the status “processed through sort facility ISC New York” for days and then there are no details to track your item. Here’s the thing. Your package is probably at the JFK airport either waiting to be loaded in the flight to be transported to the destination country or waiting to be loaded in the carrier to get dropped at the ISC facility for further process. In both cases, the parcel is placed inside the container and the shipping label or the tracking code cannot be scanned; therefore the USPS representatives are unable to provide tracking information until the package reaches its next destination or processing hub. This is the reason why the tracking is lost for a certain period of time once the parcel reaches NY.
How soon will USPS receive packages from the ISC? Who has your package if USPS hasn’t received your mail within the scheduled time?
As mentioned in the earlier sections of the article, it is hard to say how long it will take for the USPS to receive packages from the ISC. There are several processes the mail or the package undergoes before reaching the USPS hub which includes customs screening, repackaging, sorting and distribution, loading, etc. If your package has left the International Service Center or the New York distribution center but has not reached the USPS hub or the area post office, this can only mean that it is in the carrier and is on the way to the next facility. USPS should receive it soon and will be able to update the tracking status. Once the item reaches the USPS facility it will not take long for the package to reach you.
What are the steps you can take to retrieve your mail in case it is still stuck at the ISC?
If your package is stuck at the ISC in New York, there is nothing much you can do about it but wait for the parcel to finally reach you.
Many people get in touch with the USPS to know as to why their package is held back by the customs or at the ISC. It is important for you to know that USPS representatives or the customer service personnel are not be allowed to give a reason as to why your package is stuck at the customs because they do not have access to that information and there is no possible way to contact the customs or inquire about your package.
If you want to read up on some personal experiences of the customers who have gone through this situation you can visit the forum at the USPS office of the inspector general.

What do you do if you have waited for quite some time?
If you have waited for quite some time now without any update, you can visit the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to file a claim or a complaint about your package by following the below steps:
- Once you click on the above link it will take you to the homepage of the US customs and Border Protection.
- When you scroll down, you will find the ‘Submit a complaint’ tab. Click on the link in the tab.
- You will get various options to choose from as to what your complaint is about. You need to select the last option “My complaint is related to a lost, delayed, or seizure of any package”.
- Click on ‘Next’ after selecting your option.
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The next page will give you two options to choose from:
- The first one is “I require a review and a response”: If you choose this, you will have to provide some personal details and other specific details to the CBP in order to investigate your complaint like your name, address, contact information, Express Mail/Courier Tracking Number, date of the incident, content and the description of your package.
- The second one is “I wish to remain Anonymous”: If you choose this option, you will not receive appropriate responses from the team because they do not have your details in order to research your complaint, however, they will still try to help you out. The only information you need to provide them here is the location where your package has gone missing or is delayed; and details about your concern.
- Click on ‘submit’ after you have entered the required details.
What actually happens with my Package?
When you are eagerly waiting for your package to arrive, and you see the status “USPS processed through ISC facility, NY”, and then the tracking information goes into a black hole, you may be curious to know about what is happening to your parcel. If there is a delay caused due to this, it can add to your anxiety. Oftentimes, “processed through” status means that the processing is completed and the item is out of the facility for its next destination, but it may not always be the case.
Conclusion
The good news is, if your package does not contain any illicit items like illegal drugs or goods, illegal cigarettes, or any such unapproved items that can come under the scanner of the customs, then you do not have to worry about it. Yes, if it contains important medicine or a gift that needs to reach on a particular date, it can be a cause of concern. The best thing to do here is to wait patiently. We hope to have answered the riddle to the notification “USPS Processed through ISC facility, New York, NY USPS”.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
ISC is the International Service Center located in New York. It is a facility where all the international mails arrive that either has come from a foreign country or need to go overseas.
When your package leaves the ISC facility, New York, you may see statuses like “Metro NY Distribution Center, Arrived at USPS Regional Facility” or “Departed USPS Regional Facility”, “In Transit to Next Facility” etc. until it reaches the final location.
In a normal situation, it takes about 2 to 3 days for the package to leave the International Service Center. However, for some packages, it may take from a few days to several weeks. The above article will provide you more information about the probable circumstances under which it may take so long to be dispatched from the NY ISC facility, although the actual reason for this is not known.
The CBP department is co-located in New York where the ISC is. When the package arrives, it first goes through customs check and then the rest of the processing like packaging, sorting etc.