Education for Justice

FACT SHEET I-6

Fall 2011

Reporting a Change of Address to

the Immigration Service

DO I HAVE TO LET IMMIGRATION KNOW WHEN I CHANGE MY ADDRESS?

If you are not a U.S. citizen, or if you are sponsoring someone who is not a U.S. citizen, you need to tell the United States Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) where you are living. You have to tell them within 10 days every time you move or change your address.

U.S. citizens and non-citizens who “sponsor” an immigrant in the U.S. by signing an “affidavit of support” must also tell USCIS when their address changes. Sponsors have to report address changes within 30 days.

HOW DO I REPORT A CHANGE OF ADDRESS?

You need to fill out Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card. You can file the form online or print it out and mail it in. The USCIS website is available in English and Spanish, and you can fill out the application online in English or Spanish. But the printable form is available only in English.

Online:

To file online, go to the USCIS website www.uscis.gov/AR-11. On the right hand side of the screen it says “Related Links” click on “online change of address” from the list. Read the instructions. You will go through a few more pages of choices before you get to the form. Read everything carefully. Make sure to print the verification (proof) for your records.

By Mail:

If you want to mail the form in go to the website listed above. On the main page click on “Download AR-11” at the top of the page. That is a link that will open the form. You can fill it out on the computer and print it, or you can print it out and fill it in by hand.

After you fill it out, make a copy of the form for your records. It is a good idea to send the form by certified mail, and ask for a return receipt. The post office can tell you how to do this. That way, you will know when the USCIS gets it, and you can prove that you sent it if you need to.

For Sponsors:

If you are a U.S. citizen or non-citizen sponsor, you have to update your address by filing Form I-865, Sponsors Notice of Change of Address. This form has to be mailed to the USCIS, and cannot be filed online. Print it off from the USCIS website, at www.uscis.gov/I-865. If you are a non-citizen and a sponsor, you should file both Form AR-11 and Form I-865.

WHAT IF I DON’T REPORT AN ADDRESS CHANGE?

You could be charged with a misdemeanor crime. It is very important that you report the change on Form AR-11 within 10 days of moving. USCIS has to prove you did not report it on purpose. If you are found guilty of the crime, you could be fined up to $200 and imprisoned for up to 30 days. You could also be deported. Reporting an address change is one of the responsibilities that non-citizens have if they want to stay in the U.S. or get immigration benefits in the future.

If you are a sponsor who does not report your change of address on Form I-865 within 30 days, you could be fined for not reporting the change.

PENDING CASES

If you report your address change online it will be good for any pending applications you have also. When you file Form AR-11 online, the instructions will ask you for information about pending applications. Enter the information, and the USCIS office that is in charge of your pending application will be told automatically. Be sure to print verification (proof) that you reported the change and keep it with your records.

But if you mail your change of address form to the USCIS and you have an application pending, you also have to tell USCIS separately so that your address will be changed for the pending application.

There is no specific form to use for this. You can call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 to change your address for the pending application. After the phone call, USCIS should write you a letter, to confirm that your address is changed for the pending application. Save this letter from USCIS! If you do not get a letter from USCIS within 30 days after your phone call, call again.

Some people also like to send a letter about the address change after calling to make sure USCIS gets the information. If you want to do this, write a letter that has your full name, your alien registration number, your application receipt number, and your new and old addresses. You can also attach a copy of the receipt notice from your pending application. Mail the letter to the USCIS office where your application is pending. Be sure to send the letter by certified mail, and keep a copy of the letter and the certified mail receipts.

IMPORTANT: If you have an application pending and do not report your address change to USCIS for that application, you will not get letters from USCIS about decisions or other important information on your case. This could cause USCIS to deny immigration benefits that you applied for. In some kinds of cases, it could lead immigration authorities to place you in deportation proceedings.

NON-CITIZENS WITHOUT LEGAL STATUS

If you are a non-citizen and do not have any legal immigration status in the U.S., and do not have an application for legal status pending, you should get legal advice before telling the USCIS about an address change.

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