Filing Form I-130
Immigration Attorney
Note: The following is not intended as legal advice. One should consult an attorney with experience in a relevant practice area before making legal decisions.
Many people find themselves in a situation in which they move after they file an I-130 with USCIS. In such a circumstance it is important that you update your address with USCIS, and if applicable, with the National Visa Center (NVC), as soon as possible. If you do not update your address with USCIS and NVC, you risk the possibility of missing key notices regarding your immigration petition or your beneficiary’s case with the NVC. If you are expecting USCIS to send you key documents or notices, and you are unable to receive them due to not updating your address with USCIS, then USCIS could potentially require a fee to send you a new copy of any key item that you were supposed to receive.
The procedure for updating your address with USCIS is filing a Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card. You can file an AR-11 either through the mail by completing a paper version of Form AR-11 or you can file your AR-11 online through the USCIS website. To fill out an AR-11 online you should be prepared to enter the receipt numbers of all petitions and applications which are currently pending with USCIS, as well as the date that you moved, your old address, and your new address.
You can update your address with NVC by sending an inquiry through the public inquiry page. In order to send an inquiry to NVC, you must have the case number or USCIS receipt number, the petitioner’s full name, the beneficiary’s full name, the beneficiary’s date of birth, the role of the person sending the inquiry, and an email address. You should then write in the field that says “type your question below.” In this field you should explain that you moved from your old address to your new address and state the date that moved to your new address.
Changes of address after filing an immigration petition is one of many things that can affect an immigration case after an I-130 is already filed with USCIS. You may want to consider hiring an immigration attorney to help you navigate the stage in your immigration petition that comes after USCIS receives your petition. An Immigration Attorney can help respond to things like Requests for Evidence, uploading documents to the NVC, or changes of address after already filing an immigration petition.