This is one of the most common questions I get during online calls, so I thought it would be useful to lots of applicants to put the answer into writing.

Whether you are a prospective immigrant whose case is still pending with authorities for processing, or an established Legal Permanent Resident (Green Card holder), foreign nationals are required by law to notify the USCIS of any address changes while they are in the U.S.
If you fail to inform the USCIS about changing your address in due time, you may expose yourself to fines, legal action and even deportation from U.S. territory, in some particularly (severe) cases. Simply put, you don’t want to forget to keep them in the loop - even if the USCIS is generally forgiving when the failure or delay was clearly an honest mistake.

For those who need to report a change of address while their case is still being processed, the first and primary reason you will want to keep your address updated in the USCIS database is that you may otherwise miss crucial correspondence that may lead to significant delays or even outright rejection of your application.

Let’s take a better look at why, when, and how to update your address and contact information with the USCIS. 

WHY should I let the USCIS know of any change in my address?

Well, presuming you are waiting for a response from them on an application you submit, it makes sense that you want them to always have up-to-date contact details through which they can reach you if and when necessary. If you fail to do this, you are likely to miss important correspondence and face significant delays in your case. The same would be applicable to U.S. citizens who have filed an affidavit of support to sponsor someone else.

If you already have an immigrant visa or if you are a Green Card holder, you have a legal obligation to advise the USCIS of any change of address while you are in the U.S. - Section 256 of the Immigration and Nationality Act requires you by law to inform authorities of any change of address whether you are in the U.S. or not. Failure to do so can lead to fines, imprisonment and even deportation if it is determined that you willfully attempted to confuse or lie to authorities regarding your place of residence.

In either case, it is in your own best interest to be diligent in filing the appropriate forms on time and correctly, or you may face unpleasant consequences further down the road.

WHEN do I need to inform authorities of an address change?

You only need to inform authorities of an address change if you are moving to a new place of residence, where you will be spending most of your time and receiving mail going forward. That is, if you are leaving on a 2-week holiday to Hawaii, for instance, you don’t need to let the USCIS know about that.

• If you are definitely moving to a new place of residence, you are expected to file appropriate documentation and forms within no more than 10 days after the address change has taken place. 
• If you are a U.S. citizen who is sponsoring a prospective immigrant, you are expected to report any address change within a maximum of 30 days after you have moved.

In case you failed to report a move in the past and want to file an address change now, you likely will not face consequences when you do, as long as your attempt to comply is in good faith. If you have any doubts about your situation, it is strongly recommended to talk directly to a licensed immigration lawyer for advice.

HOW do I report my new address to the USCIS? 

You can update your address either via physical mail or online, using your USCIS account (if you have a case pending with the USCIS, you probably already have one) or directly on the dedicated USCIS webpage available to this effect (for those who do not have pending USCIS cases).

If you do have a request in progress, you should keep your USCIS case receipt number at hand if you didn’t file your case online. If you filed online, you can only update your address through the USCIS account you filed with.

The standard form for reporting a change of address is Form AR-11 (Alien’s Change of Address Card), and filing it online will update your address on all pending applications, petitions, or requests that you include on the form. You do not need to mail Form AR-11 physically if you use the change of address webpage. 

There are certain exceptions to the above, for the following cases:

1. Victims of Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking and Other Crimes

You would fall under this category if you filed one of the following forms previously: I-360; I-485; I-765; I-765V; I-914; I-918; I-929.

If any of these apply to you, you will not be able to file your address change online, nor do you need to reach out to the USCIS contact center. Instead, you will need to print and physically mail your AR-11 Form to the below address:

U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services

Attn: Humanitarian Division

Vermont Service Center

38 River Road

Essex Junction, VT 05479-0001

2. Conditional Legal Permanent Residents who have received a domestic abuse waiver (filed form I-751)

In this case as well, you will need to send your AR-11 Form physically to one of the USCIS Service Centres, depending on your location. You can find out the specific address on the USCIS website.

3. U.S. Citizens acting as sponsors for a prospective immigrant

U.S. Citizens who have submitted an affidavit of support to sponsor someone else’s application with the USCIS will have to send a different form (Form I-865, Sponsor’s Notice of Change of Address) to their nearest USCIS Service Center no more than 30 days after moving. 

To find out which Service Centre is responsible for your area of residence, you can check this link.
Requesting/reporting an address change with immigration authorities in the U.S. is typically a rather straightforward administrative task. Nevertheless, it should not be neglected or forgotten, as the enforcement policy of the USCIS can vary in its severity over time. In general, if you are unsure in any way of how your case fits in the above criteria, it is very recommendable to speak with a licensed immigration attorney beforehand, and make sure that you are taking the right approach.

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available are for general informational purposes only.