By: Angelita Chavez-Halaka

Most foreign nationals are required by law to notify USCIS of a change of address within 10 days of moving. This procedural requirement is important so that USCIS can properly mail documents or any other communication to the individual. Foreign nationals who move to another location but fail to properly inform USCIS now face the risk of having their benefit documents destroyed if the communication is returned as undeliverable.

USCIS announced that beginning April 2, 2018, it will begin to destroy Permanent Resident Cards, Employment Authorization Cards (EADs), and Travel Documents that are undeliverable by the U.S. Postal Service after 60 business days.

For individuals who have been waiting for their approved benefits, destroyed documents may lead to further delay.

In light of this new policy, we encourage employers to inform their foreign national employees of the consequences of failing to notify USCIS regarding any change of address. Although it may be challenging to always follow-up on employees who change their residential addresses, it is recommended that employers educate employees of the risks for failure to do so with USCIS.

For more information on how to properly change your address with USCIS, please follow the instructions below.

How Do I Notify USCIS?

Notifying USCIS of a change can be easy. Please visit the Change of Address Information and instructions located here for specific instructions: https://www.uscis.gov/addresschange. USCIS request that you fill out and mail Form AR-11 (Alien’s Change of Address) at the address provided on the form. In some circumstances, you can submit your change of address online and complete the process expeditiously this way.

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Sources:

• Instructions for Changing Your Address with USCIS
• USCIS Alert issued April 3, 2018 “Undeliverable Permanent Resident and Employment Authorization Cards and Travel Documents to be Destroyed After 60 Days”