Green card is forwarded?!?

V

Vegas98

Registered Users (C)
Ok...so after 4 years of waiting I finally started to get updates online. Last week I received an email stating that " We will mail you your card as soon as it is ready...." and "We will mail you a welcome notice..." So yesterday I received a notice that said "the document we sent to you was returned as undeliverable"
Thing is, I sent an AR-11 back in January when we moved. So I called them today and they told me that that change of address stays in Kentucky and they are not given to the other service centers. (!?!?!?) So, my questions are the following:
1. What is the point of the AR-11 if it doesn't work???

2. As per the posts on this board, I thought that the green card was forwarded because it does not have the "do not forward" line on it. Is this true? Will they still send the card if the welcome notice gets returned?

Thanks
 
Hi Vegas,

I also moved in January, also sent AR-11 and also thought this would automatically update any pending application, which it doesn't. (NOW we know!!).

Anyway, to answer your second question: I received the EAD which arrived just after my move and thus I think it was forwarded by USPS (need to check again). So if the EAD gets forwarded, so should the GC.


(But right now I am not that sure anymore, got 485 approved 4/28 and have not received anything, only the status update via email). Please drop me an email to stay in touch, my email is same as my login @gmail.com.

Thanks
Tom

Vegas98 said:
Ok...so after 4 years of waiting I finally started to get updates online. Last week I received an email stating that " We will mail you your card as soon as it is ready...." and "We will mail you a welcome notice..." So yesterday I received a notice that said "the document we sent to you was returned as undeliverable"
Thing is, I sent an AR-11 back in January when we moved. So I called them today and they told me that that change of address stays in Kentucky and they are not given to the other service centers. (!?!?!?) So, my questions are the following:
1. What is the point of the AR-11 if it doesn't work???

2. As per the posts on this board, I thought that the green card was forwarded because it does not have the "do not forward" line on it. Is this true? Will they still send the card if the welcome notice gets returned?

Thanks
Click to expand...
 
Vegas98 said:
1. What is the point of the AR-11 if it doesn't work???
Click to expand...

AR-11 does not go to USCIS. It goes to DHS as a requirement of Immigration and Nationality Act 265. AR-11 does not change the address for your pending application in USCIS.

Vegas98 said:
2. As per the posts on this board, I thought that the green card was forwarded because it does not have the "do not forward" line on it. Is this true? Will they still send the card if the welcome notice gets returned?
Click to expand...

Most of USCIS envelopes have RSR stamp ("return service requested") and normally do not get forwarded. My green card envelope did have RSR stamp on it.
 
fivemiletom said:
Anyway, to answer your second question: I received the EAD which arrived just after my move and thus I think it was forwarded by USPS (need to check again). So if the EAD gets forwarded, so should the GC.
Click to expand...

If so, you are lucky. Otehrwise you need to contact USCIS service center requesting to forward your card.
 
pralay said:
If so, you are lucky. Otehrwise you need to contact USCIS service center requesting to forward your card.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info pralay. Question: Was the same not-forward-stamp on your 485 approval letter, too?
 
Ok, so it DOES have the Do Not Forward line on it after all? Honestly, after all these years, all the laws and all the research, I Really thought I had it in the bag! I thought "Well, I'll just send the AR11 as they specifically tell you to in order to get your updated address and that will surely do the trick!" You think they would tell you that it will not change where your green card goes, which I would assume would be the key component!!

Anyway, when I called the service center, the CSR I got was really obnoxious, and he proceeds to ask me:

When did you originally apply ? I dunno...it was 4 years ago or so!
Then he asks me all these completely irrelevant questions and in the end I never trust that they're going to do what they claim they will do. I got the "if you don't get it in 30 days, call us" Well, why would I have to call you if you're allegedly taking care of it? Anyway, I was so excited when I got those emails, and my heart just sank when I got the one that said it had been returned. Ugh.

Thanks for all the replies. So now the consensus is that: THE GREEN CARD DOES NOT GET FORWARDED... :rolleyes:
 
Green Card Envelope

I received my green card in November, 2004. It arrived in a plan white envelope with no other markings, etc. on it. The only text visible was the PO Box address of the TSC. It did not have any identifying info from USCIS. Mine would have definitely been forwarded to a new address.
 
Funny that... the "lost" approval notice was NEITHER returned NOR forwarded by USPS but just lef irrespective of the fact that I have a forward for me still ongoing.
I guess it is just random.
 
fivemiletom said:
Funny that... the "lost" approval notice was NEITHER returned NOR forwarded by USPS but just lef irrespective of the fact that I have a forward for me still ongoing.
I guess it is just random.
Click to expand...

Mine got forwarded to the new address.. No probs.
 
I am in kind of similar situation.
We are about to move ane I am waiting for my spouse approval letter.
I am also waiting for my card to com.
I have received cards for my kids.
None of them had anything like "Do NOt forward" or "Return Service Requested"!!

What do you all feel the best thing to do?

Anyone please?
 
Well, I don't really know what to do...It seems that sometimes it's not marked and sometimes it is. Apparently, mine was since it was returned....but some people on this board have said that theirs was forwarded. So, shockingly USCIS has different methods! I called the 800 # to change my address and they told me I should get it within a month...the guy that I spoke with was mean, so I figured that he wouldn't change it....so now it's been 3 weeks now and I have not received it. So I think I will be calling them again in a week and hopefully I'll get a nicer person on the line. Randomness seems to be the standard with them. Some people get it, some don't. Some get it in 2 weeks, some 2 years...so just call them to change it and hope it works!! Good luck!!
 
USCIS is one of the most fucked up institution. These people have ruined my life. After 4 years, i got my 485 approved and my passport was stamped in phoenix local office in November 2004. I decided to move to maryland in jan 2005 and send my AR11 form. I also called 800 number to update my address before i moved. And then i moved to maryland in Feb 2005. On march 15, 2005 my online status indicated that they have mailed my greencard. I never recieved it. only God knows where they did sent my card. If they send it to my old address in phoenix, i did have a forwarding address on it but obviosuly it never got forwarded. They did not send it to my new address either because i never got it.

but you guys are making some stupid claims. How come AR11 forms only stay at Kentucky only and the address never gets updated in service centres? are you guys stupid? I have moved at least 4 addresses during my green card process and each and every time, my address was changed by submitting AR11 form except the last time. So stop making stupid claims and creating confusion.

I have called 800 number at least 10 times without any help......they have no idea where my physcial card is. one of them asked me to submit new 1-90 formw ith 180 dollar fee and 2 pictures.......is that right? please help
 
Watch your tone and the words you use to talk to people. People here are just trying to help each other out and talk about their experiences/ideas/solutions...etc. No need to be calling people stupid or telling them what they are saying is stupid. This is what happened to me, and that is what I was told. I've dealt with immigration for long enough to know, that every case is different. And for your information, the AR-11 DOES NOT change your address for where your GC gets forwarded. It's kind of hard to get people to answer your questions and help you out when you start out by telling them how stupid they are.
 
My Plastic Card was forwarded!

I recently received my Plastic Card ( Jun 9, 05). I had a change of address since my 485 got approved. i did call up the uscis and filed a AR-11 for the address change, but they still sent the card to the old address.

The card was forwarded to my new address. Further the envelope had no "Return Service Requested" stamp on it.

State: Virginia. Vermont Center.
Hope this helps anyone in a similar situation. :)
 
kalcyk said:
I recently received my Plastic Card ( Jun 9, 05). I had a change of address since my 485 got approved. i did call up the uscis and filed a AR-11 for the address change, but they still sent the card to the old address.

The card was forwarded to my new address. Further the envelope had no "Return Service Requested" stamp on it.

State: Virginia. Vermont Center.
Hope this helps anyone in a similar situation. :)
Click to expand...

I had exactly the same experience. I filed AR-11 AND called them to change the address on the pending Physical Card (AR-11 will NOT change your address on pending cases). Still, they sent it to my old address and the envelope got forwarded. There was no Return Service Requested stamp.

One new info, though. I called USPS when I knew that the card was mailed. The confirmed that Return Service Requested stamp does NOT mean that the mail will be returned. It will still be forwarded. Only difference is that the sender gets a copy of your changed address.

Bottomline: Physical card WILL be forwarded even if the envelope has Return Service Requested stamp on it.
 
nsc030104 said:
I had exactly the same experience. I filed AR-11 AND called them to change the address on the pending Physical Card (AR-11 will NOT change your address on pending cases). Still, they sent it to my old address and the envelope got forwarded. There was no Return Service Requested stamp.

One new info, though. I called USPS when I knew that the card was mailed. The confirmed that Return Service Requested stamp does NOT mean that the mail will be returned. It will still be forwarded. Only difference is that the sender gets a copy of your changed address.

Bottomline: Physical card WILL be forwarded even if the envelope has Return Service Requested stamp on it.
Click to expand...

Can you tell me how long that takes? Because I got the email saying that the card was returned to them undeliverable on 5/4/05 and I still have received nothing. I Called the service center again yesterday, and the rep told me that the card was returned to them. Could it take more than a month for all of this to happen? :confused:
 
Vegas98 said:
Can you tell me how long that takes? Because I got the email saying that the card was returned to them undeliverable on 5/4/05 and I still have received nothing. I Called the service center again yesterday, and the rep told me that the card was returned to them. Could it take more than a month for all of this to happen? :confused:
Click to expand...

The only possible explanation for this is: The USPS employee who spoke to me, was wrong. USPS does not forward if the envelope says "Return Service Requested".

But why does USCIS use different envelopes to different people? Some of them says "Return Service Requested", but some don't??

Could it be that if you called USCIS with an address change request and/or AR-11, they will use a plain envelope. Otherwise, they will use the one that says "Return Service Requested"???

We all know USCIS is not that logical. So we have to decide that this is as random as everything else is inside USCIS. It all depends on which side you woke up from bed on that day :rolleyes:

And, sorry. I have no idea how long it takes for USICS to resend it.
 
nsc030104 said:
The only possible explanation for this is: The USPS employee who spoke to me, was wrong. USPS does not forward if the envelope says "Return Service Requested".
Click to expand...

Yes, he was wrong.

nsc030104 said:
But why does USCIS use different envelopes to different people? Some of them says "Return Service Requested", but some don't??
Click to expand...


In general USCIS notices do not get forwarded. That's the consistent USCIS policy. So it's always better not to count on "forwarding". If USCIS did not put RSR stamp on some envelopes and as a result some people's GC got forwarded to their new address, good for them (they are lucky). But they are merely exceptions and as you know exception does not prove the rule.
 
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