diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-title-check.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-title-check.yml
index a51cc4b327c..9eef239007c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-title-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-title-check.yml
@@ -14,15 +14,67 @@ jobs:
     timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - name: Verify Title Format
+        id: pr_title
         env:
           PR_TITLE: ${{ github.event.pull_request.title }}
         run: |
-          title="$PR_TITLE"
-          regex="^FINERACT-[0-9]+: "
+          set -euo pipefail
 
-          if [[ ! "$title" =~ $regex ]]; then
-            echo "::error::PR title '$title' is invalid."
+          regex="^(FINERACT-[0-9]+): "
+
+          if [[ ! "$PR_TITLE" =~ $regex ]]; then
+            echo "::error::PR title '$PR_TITLE' is invalid."
             echo "::error::It must start with a Jira Ticket ID (e.g., 'FINERACT-123: Description...')."
             exit 1
           fi
-          echo "Success: PR title matches the required format."
+          echo "jira_id=${BASH_REMATCH[1]}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "Success: PR title references ${BASH_REMATCH[1]}."
+
+      - name: Verify Jira Story Status
+        env:
+          JIRA_ID: ${{ steps.pr_title.outputs.jira_id }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+
+          python3 <<'PY'
+          import json
+          import os
+          import sys
+          import urllib.error
+          import urllib.request
+
+          jira_id = os.environ["JIRA_ID"]
+          browse_url = f"https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/{jira_id}"
+          api_url = f"https://issues.apache.org/jira/rest/api/2/issue/{jira_id}?fields=status"
+          request = urllib.request.Request(
+              api_url,
+              headers={
+                  "Accept": "application/json",
+                  "User-Agent": "apache-fineract-pr-compliance-check",
+              },
+          )
+
+          try:
+              with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=30) as response:
+                  issue = json.load(response)
+          except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
+              if error.code == 404:
+                  print(f"::error title=Jira issue not found::{jira_id} does not exist in Apache Jira: {browse_url}")
+              else:
+                  print(f"::error title=Jira lookup failed::Apache Jira returned HTTP {error.code} for {jira_id}: {browse_url}")
+              sys.exit(1)
+          except (TimeoutError, urllib.error.URLError) as error:
+              print(f"::error title=Jira lookup failed::Could not reach Apache Jira for {jira_id}: {error}")
+              sys.exit(1)
+
+          status = issue.get("fields", {}).get("status", {}).get("name", "")
+          normalized_status = status.strip().upper()
+          if normalized_status not in {"OPEN", "IN PROGRESS"}:
+              print(
+                  f"::error title=Jira issue status not allowed::{jira_id} has status '{status}'. "
+                  f"Expected 'Open' or 'In Progress': {browse_url}"
+              )
+              sys.exit(1)
+
+          print(f"Success: {jira_id} exists and has status '{status}': {browse_url}")
+          PY