Education for Justice FACT SHEET I-6 Fall 2009

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, you are supposed to tell the United States Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) what your current address is. 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?

If you need to let USCIS know that you changed your address, you should fill out Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card. You can find the form at the USCIS website www.uscis.gov/AR-11. After you fill it out, make sure you make a copy of the form for your records. We suggest that you send the form by certified mail, and ask for a return receipt. That way, you will know if the USCIS gets it, and you can prove that it was sent if you need to.

You can also file Form AR-11 online instead of by mail. To file online, go to the USCIS website listed above. On the right hand side of the screen under “More Information” click on “electronic change of address” from the list. Read the instructions. The electronic form is at the bottom of the page after the instructions. Make sure to print the verification (proof) for your records.

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.

PENALTIES FOR FAILING TO REPORT AN ADDRESS CHANGE

If you do not report your change of address on Form AR-11 within 10 days of moving you can be charged with a misdemeanor crime. 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 have an immigration application that is currently pending with the USCIS, you must send in Form AR-11 to report your change of address. But you also have to notify USCIS separately so that your address will be changed in connection with 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. 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.

You can also report your address change for your pending application online instead of calling. If 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 notified automatically. Be sure to print verification (proof) that you reported the change and keep it with your records. If you do this online, you do not need to call USCIS or send a separate letter about your address change to the office where your application is pending.

IMPORTANT: If you have an application pending and you 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.

Minneapolis Legal Aid – CLE MN Legal Services Coalition 2324 University Avenue W- Suite 101B St. Paul, MN 55114

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