Application In Progress vs. Under Review: What’s the Difference?

Published: June 13, 2026

Application in progress and under review are both active-ish job application statuses. Under review often means evaluation has started or the application is waiting in a review queue, while in progress can mean the application is moving through a broader workflow.

Neither label is as important as direct recruiter contact, interview scheduling, or a specific next-step request.

The short version

Job application under review usually points to evaluation. Someone or some workflow may be checking your application against the role.

Application in progress usually points to process movement. The application may be active, routed, waiting on another step, or moving through a wider applicant tracking system workflow.

The difference is real, but it is not clean in every employer system. Employers configure applicant portals differently, and one company's "in progress" can look like another company's "under review."

What under review usually means

Under review usually means the employer has your application in a review path. That can include:

automated eligibility screening
recruiter review
queue assignment
resume or profile review
review before a shortlist decision
review before a status change

It is usually more specific than "submitted," but it still may not mean active human review at that exact moment.

For the broader comparison, see What "Pending" and "Under Review" Usually Mean.

What in progress usually means

In progress usually means the application is not closed and may be moving through a workflow. It can appear while the application is being routed, reviewed, held for a next step, or carried through a multi-step process.

In some systems, in progress appears before under review. In others, it appears after review starts. Some candidates also see status changed from under review to in progress, which can mean the record moved to a different internal step without clearly improving or worsening the situation.

Why actual contact matters more than either label

Portal statuses are coarse. Recruiter contact is more useful because it means a person or team is taking a visible action.

Higher-value signals include:

a screening call request
an assessment invitation
an interview scheduling link
a request for more information
a note that the application moved to hiring manager review
a clear rejection or closure update, such as under review to not selected

If you only have a status label, treat it as context, not a decision.

Which one is better?

Neither status is automatically better.

Under review can feel stronger because it suggests evaluation. In progress can feel broader because it suggests activity. But the employer's configuration matters more than the wording.

A candidate who is "in progress" and receiving recruiter messages is in a clearer position than a candidate who is "under review" with no contact for several weeks.

What to do if either status lasts a long time

If either label stays unchanged for more than one to two weeks and no timeline was shared, one concise follow-up can be reasonable.

If you were given a timeline, wait until that timeline passes. If the job is old, reposted, or no longer visible, the status may be lagging behind the real hiring process.

Keep applying elsewhere while you wait. These statuses often mean "not closed yet," not "next step is coming soon."

Sources

Jobscan - 2025 Applicant Tracking System usage report, for context on how common ATS workflows are in large employers: https://www.jobscan.co/blog/fortune-500-use-applicant-tracking-systems/