Moving is stressful enough, and in addition many US immigrants need to make sure that they need to change their address with the USCIS. There are two main reasons why you may need to change your address with the USCIS if you have moved: because of legal requirements and because you have petitions outstanding. For example, if you have applied for citizenship, a green card renewal, or have submitted any immigration petition or application, it is important to update your address with the USCIS if you move, so that the USCIS can inform you of any changes to your status. In addition, many immigrants, except for those who have G or A visas, are required by law to report to the USCIS any change of address within ten days of a move.
If you need to change your address with the USCIS, you can do so by filing USCIS Form AR-11 (Change of Address). The change of address USCIS form is available online. The simple one-page form must be mailed to the U.S Department of Homeland Security once completed and there is no filing fee for the form. You can also file the form online on the USCIS website (https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=coa). In general, you will want to file the form as soon as you move, to ensure that any information that the USCIS needs to send to you can reach you.
If you are a non-US citizen and need to file a change of address to comply with the law but also have an immigration petition pending, you must follow two steps. First, you must file USCIS Form AR-11 (Change of Address). Then, you must contact the National Customer Service Center (at (800) 375-5283) or file a change of address online to ensure that the USCIS has the updated information needed for your application.
If you move and you have any petitions or applications pending with the USCIS, you may also want to fill out a change of address form with your local postal office. This will ensure that any mail sent to your old address will be forwarded to your new address, so you will not need to worry about losing important letters in the mail. However, keep in mind that filing a change of address request with the post office is not enough; you still need to file USCIS Form AR-11 (Change of Address) to ensure that the USCIS has your new address. Failure to tell the USCIS about a new address can result in delays of your immigration applications and can even result in legal problems.
