Address Change Headaches

[shie0023]

Alright, currently I have a pending case (N400) with USCIS (see my timeline below) and I'm moving in two weeks to another state. My questions for any of you are:

1. Have any of you had any bad experiences with address change stories?
2. Did you fill out an electronic AR-11 AND call the customer service to officially change your address? This step is no longer necessary, it can be accomplished just by completing the online AR-11 form
3. Were any of you in the same situation and interview notice came to your new address without any problems?
4. Did you receive a new address notice from the USCIS after you changed your address? You will receive a confirmation letter of the address change from USCIS

I feel that since I probably won't receive my interview notice for a while and my file probably hasn't transferred to my old address's original local office, everything should be fine!

Any advice or stories?

 

[McMahon]

I have good and bad news about moving while a petition is being processed.

Good news is that the petition ends up being processed.

Bad news is that it may take more time.

My Adjustment of Status has been in three Service Centers (Nebraska then Texas then Vermont) before processing completed more than two years after filing. But altogether the petition was successfully processed.

You should change the address via AR-11 (so the USCIS updates your address in their databases) and via a call to Customer Service (so the USCIS updates your address for this petition). I have read stories of applicants who had updated the address only via AR-11; the cirrespndence related to the N-400 had been sent to the address on the N-400, and this caused problems.
----------------------
Detroit DO - NSC
09/28/98 Entered on K-1 (Fiance) Visa
12/19/98 Married with US Citizen (still happily married 9 years after )
12/24/98 Filed I-485, I-130, I-765 in OKC (NSC)
01/03/99 Moved to Texas (TSC)
05/xx/00 Moved to Eastern PA (VSC)
11/xx000 Moved to Central NJ (VSC)
03/19/01 LPR
03/xx/03 Received GC dated 03/19/2001
03/20/07 N-400 Priority Date
04/12/07 FP done
09/19/07 Interview passed
10/26/07 Naturalized Citizen

 

[boatbod]

Best plan for at least 3-4 month delay. 90 days are required for you to establish legal residency in the new district, and extra time may be required for your file to find its way to the new DO.)

 

[shie0023]

After had gone throught the AR-11 (Change of Address) process, I can update you guys on everything and answer my own questions:

First, with the new online AR-11, you don't have to file for an AR-11 AND call the customer service center anymore. By filing the online AR-11, it will take care of both. At the end of the online AR-11 form, it will ask you "if you have pending application(s) with USCIS", if you do, then you can proceed and input the application receipt number and the online AR-11 will update the address for you for all your pending application.

At the end of the online AR-11 process, you should and will get two separate confirmation numbers (one for the change of address on USCIS system and the other for change of address on all your pending USCIS application(s)).

At first, I was nervious to if I had done this correctly because everywhere you read on online forums, people tell you to file an AR-11 AND call the customer service center.....well, a month after I've filed for AR-11 online, I received a notification/receipt from USCIS stating that both my address had been updated on their computer AND my pending applications.

So, for those of you need to file an AR-11 in the future, all you need to do is do it online. When you do file for an AR-11 online, please read every page slowly and carefully. It is at the end of the AR-11 where it will ask you if you have a pending application that you'll need to change the address also.

 

[chuang2830]

where to file regarding address

I have a question about where to file the N-400 application regarding address issue.

My child is attending college in Maryland and is living in dorm on school campus. The rest of the family lives in Seattle, Washington. My child comes home for winter (1 month), spring (a week), and summer (3 months) breaks. Does anybody know whether my child should file his N400 with Vermont (for Maryland State) or Nebraska (for Washington State) service center?

I called the USCIS toll-free number to seek help on this issue and seemed no one was sure about where to file. An answer given to me was the generic one that a person needed to live in the same district 90 days before filing and should notify USCIS every time the applicant changed address. Another answer was that I should seek help from an immigration lawyer on this issue.

Thank you for the help.

 

[shie0023]

I have a question about where to file the N-400 application regarding address issue.

My child is attending college in Maryland and is living in dorm on school campus. The rest of the family lives in Seattle, Washington. My child comes home for winter (1 month), spring (a week), and summer (3 months) breaks. Does anybody know whether my child should file his N400 with Vermont (for Maryland State) or Nebraska (for Washington State) service center?

I called the USCIS toll-free number to seek help on this issue and seemed no one was sure about where to file. An answer given to me was the generic one that a person needed to live in the same district 90 days before filing and should notify USCIS every time the applicant changed address. Another answer was that I should seek help from an immigration lawyer on this issue.

Thank you for the help.

OK, you definitely DO NOT need to waste your money on a lawyer on this issue. The answer, in my experience, is simple. Your college child should file based on where (s)he feels comfortable filing and where he would like to be interview at.

When I was back in college, I moved at least once a year so I filled my Green Card application with my parents' address (in a different state and district office). If your child know for a fact that (s)he will not move around in the next two years, then (s)he can easily file the N400 under their own college address. Just keep in mind that everytime you move, there may be a potential lost of mail.

Either address will be fine, just talk to your child where (s)he would feel more comfortable interviewing. Filing it with your WA address would be more stable, but filing it with their college address would be more accurate.