Where they are

Open your case and choose Messages. The heading on that page is Messages. You can also open Messages from the dashboard to see every case that has a conversation.

To start a new question, use Send a Message. The send button is labelled Send Message. You can optionally set Related to to a document name, or leave it as General message.

Email arrives too

When the team writes, a copy is sent to the email address on your account. The dashboard Messages list puts it this way: replies arrive by email as well, so nothing waits on you being signed in.

The email tells you that there is a new message. It does not include your documents or a download link to them. Sign in and open Messages to read the full thread and reply.

There is a Notifications page in the dashboard with Send updates as they happen and Send one summary a day, described as covering non-urgent case updates. Security email, such as a password reset, is always sent immediately.

Replies stay with the question they answer

Each question is its own thread. Use Reply under that question. The reply sits beneath it, rather than in a single mixed list. The send button on a reply is Send reply.

If a message is about a document, it is labelled Re: followed by that document’s name.

Starting from a document

On Your Application Preparation, open the item and use I need help. What you write there is sent as a message about that document. The team’s answer appears in Messages, still attached to the same item.

You can also start from Messages and choose the document under Related to. Both routes end in the same thread.

When messaging is closed

If the case has been archived, the page says: this case is archived. Messages cannot be sent. Earlier messages remain visible.