MPEP 200
Types and Status of Application; Benefit and Priority Claims
This is the Ninth Edition of the MPEP, Revision 10.2019, Last Revised in June 2020
Chapter 200: Types and Status of Application; Benefit and Priority Claims
201: Types of Applications
201.01: National Applications
201.02: General Terms Used to Describe Applications
201.03: Reserved
201.04: Provisional Application
201.05: Reissue Application
201.06: Divisional Application
201.06(a): Former 37 CFR 1.60 Divisional Continuation Procedure
201.06(b): Former 37 CFR 1.62 File Wrapper Continuing Procedure
201.06(c): --
201.06(d): --
201.07: Continuation Application
201.08: Continuation-in-Part Application
202: Cross-Noting
203: Status of Applications
203.01: New
203.02: Rejected
203.03: Amended
203.04: Allowed or in Issue
203.05: Abandoned
203.06: Incomplete
203.07: Reserved
203.08: Status Inquiries
203.08(a): Congressional and Other Official Inquiries
204: Reserved
210: Priority to, or the Benefit of, the Filing Date of a Prior-Filed Application
211: Claiming the Benefit of an Earlier Filing Date Under 35 U.S.C. 120 and 119(e)
211.01: Requirements Related to the Prior-Filed Application
211.01(a): Claiming the Benefit of a Provisional Application
211.01(b): Claiming the Benefit of a Nonprovisional Application
211.01(c): Claiming the Benefit of an International Application Designating the United States
211.01(d): Claiming the Benefit of an International Design Application Designating the United States
211.02: Reference to Prior Application(s)
211.02(a): Correcting or Adding a Benefit Claim After Filing
211.03: Time Period for Making a Claim for Benefit Under 37 CFR 1.78
211.04: Delayed Benefit Claims
211.05: Sufficiency of Disclosure in Prior-Filed Application
212: Reserved
213: Right of Priority of Foreign Application
213.01: Recognized Countries and Regional Patent Offices of Foreign Filing
213.02: Formal Requirements Relating to Foreign Priority Application
213.03: Time for Filing U.S. Nonprovisional Application
213.04: Requirement to File Priority Claim and Certified Copy During Pendency of Application
213.05: Right of Priority Based Upon an Application for an Inventor’s Certificate
213.06: Claiming Priority and Filing a Certified Copy in a National Stage Application (
213.07: Claiming Priority and Filing a Certified Copy in a Nonprovisional International Design Application
214: Formal Requirements of Claim for Foreign Priority
214.01: Time for Filing Priority Claim
214.02: Unintentionally Delayed Priority Claims
214.03: Office Acknowledgement of Priority Claims
214.04: Proper Identification of Priority Application in Foreign Priority Claim
215: Certified Copy of Foreign Application
215.01: Electronic Priority Document Exchange
215.02: Time For Filing Certified Copy – Application Filed On or After March 16, 2013
215.02(a): Timeliness Requirement – Met By Priority Document Exchange
215.02(b): Timeliness Requirement – Met By Interim Copy of Foreign Application
215.03: Time For Filing Certified Copy – Application Filed Before March 16, 2013
216: Entitlement to Priority
216.01: Perfecting Claim for Priority Under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) or (f) After Issuance of a Patent
217: Incorporation by Reference Under 37 CFR 1.57(b)