> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.karmacheck.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Case lifecycle > How a case moves through its states, from ordering through adjudication. Every case goes through multiple states within its lifecycle. The following diagram depicts the overall status of a case as it moves through its lifecycle. A diagram of the lifecycle of a case. ## Case statuses A combination of the following case attributes determines the overall status, or the state, of a case: * **Primary status:** Every case has a primary status that describes the status of a case at a high level. * **Secondary status:** In certain scenarios, a case has a secondary status that provides additional information about its status. * **Adverse action status:** An adverse action flow can be initiated after a case reaches a primary status of `Complete`. When this occurs, an adverse action status is associated with the case. * **Result type:** The result type of a case indicates the outcome of the background check. A case remains open until a decision is made to place the candidate or initiate an adverse action. The following tables describe the different states that a case can be in, and the corresponding statuses and result type that determine its overall status. See [Case-level result and statuses](/background-check-api/reference/case-status) for the system-defined IDs of all the possible statuses and result types. ### Onboarding and processing | Overall status | Description | Primary status | Secondary status | Adverse action status | Result type | Final state? | | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | **Invitation sent** | A case was ordered, and an invitation was sent to the candidate. | `Pending` | `Waiting for Authorization` | `null` | `Open` | No | | **Authorization in progress** | **Candidate-provided PII flow:** The candidate started onboarding. **Customer-provided PII flow:** A case was ordered, and the system is verifying the input data. | `Pending` | `Authorization in Progress` | `null` | `Open` | No | | **Processing screenings** | The processing of screenings is in progress. The case remains in this state until all screenings are complete. | `Pending` | `null` | `null` | `Open` | No | | **Waiting for parental consent** | The processing of screenings is on hold until parental consent is provided on behalf of the minor candidate, who is under the age of 18. | `Blocked` | `Waiting for Parental Consent` | `null` | `Open` | No | | **Verifying candidate input** | The candidate-provided PII differs from existing candidate data in the system. The case cannot proceed until it's reviewed by KarmaCheck Support. | `Blocked` | `Verifying Candidate Input` | `null` | `Open` | No | | **Reviewing order** | The customer-provided PII differs from existing candidate data in the system. The case cannot proceed until it's reviewed by KarmaCheck Support. | `Blocked` | `Reviewing Order` | `null` | `Open` | No | | **Blocked** | An unexpected issue occurred. Processing is blocked until KarmaCheck Support can review the case. | `Blocked` | `null` | `null` | `Open` | No | | **Canceled** | The case is canceled. This occurs when the case gets replaced with a new case, or when the case gets archived while in a secondary status of `Waiting for Authorization`, `Authorization in Progress`, or a primary status of `Blocked`. | `Adjudicated` | `Canceled` | `null` | `Open` | Yes, unless KarmaCheck is explicitly asked to reopen the case | ### Processing complete The "Processing complete" state is a rollup (aggregate) status, determined by the terminal status of all services or screenings ordered on the case. For details on individual service lifecycles and terminal statuses, see the [Service Lifecycle](./service-lifecycle) page. | Overall status | Description | Primary status | Secondary status | Adverse action status | Result type | Final state? | | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | **Needs review** | Processing is complete, and at least one screening requires customer review. | `Complete` | `Consider` | `null` or `Cancel` | `Open` | Yes, unless adverse action is initiated or another screening is added to the case | | **Clear** | Processing is complete, and all screenings are clear. | `Complete` | `null` | `null` | `Open` | Yes, unless adverse action is initiated or another screening is added to the case | ### Adjudicated results | Overall status | Description | Primary status | Secondary status | Adverse action status | Result type | Final state? | | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | **Placed** | The candidate meets the hiring criteria. | `Adjudicated` | `null` | `null` or `Cancel` | `Placed` | Yes, unless another screening is added to the case | | **Pre-adverse action** | The adverse action flow was initiated on the case, which previously had a result of `Open` and a primary status of `Complete`. The candidate will receive a pre-adverse action letter. | `Complete` | `Consider` or `null` | `Pre-Adverse` | `Pre-Adverse Action` | No | | **Dispute adverse action** | The candidate disputed the adverse action. | `Complete` | `Consider` or `null` | `Dispute` | `Dispute Adverse Action` | No | | **Adverse action** | The final phase of the adverse action flow was initiated. | `Adjudicated` | `null` | `Post` | `Adverse Action` | Yes, but the case can be taken out of adverse action if a mistake was made | ## Status changes Due to the fluid nature of background checks, a case can cycle through different states more than once. A case that reaches the end of a typical lifecycle could still be subject to change, so your system should account for potential state reversals. For example, a case with a `Placed` result can transition to `Open` with a secondary status of `Consider` (in other words, an overall status of **Needs review**). This might occur after the discovery of information that affects the initial adjudication decision.