Vermont or California Service Centre

[Tater&Bugger 3]

I posted this in the Canadian forum but have not received any feedback and REALLY need advice.

My fiance is currently in Iraq and now that we know when he is scheduled to return we can begin this process. I received all his papers in the mail Friday, and although he is stationed in NY and has an address there, he has a MI license and uses it for most of his documents and says it's his home address... but he doesn't live there, nor has he since 2007. His mom lives there. We will be living in NY but his application lists all his info for MI (and deployment in Iraq which is current)... which Service Centre to I apply to? I thought it would be Vermont but now I am confused. We prepared all the paperwork addressing the VCS office. He doesn't get back until mid May so it's not like we can just fill out a new letter of intent and cover letter. We've been waiting since last summer to be able to start this so I really don't want any errors to slow us down even more.

Where do you say we apply?

Thank you.

[Tater&Bugger 3]

sorry, I should add. According to the US Army, his home of record is 'MI' so I think thats the route we will take. Wht should I do about his letter of intent? He sent it to me with the VCS address on it. Can put a line through it and include a supplemental form on the back explaining he thought he has to apply to VCS because he is posted in NY, but really he has to apply through CSC? And state I cannot get a new form filled out because he sent these ones to me from Iraq? Sounds like the route I have to take.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

sorry, I should add. According to the US Army, his home of record is 'MI' so I think thats the route we will take. Wht should I do about his letter of intent? He sent it to me with the VCS address on it. Can put a line through it and include a supplemental form on the back explaining he thought he has to apply to VCS because he is posted in NY, but really he has to apply through CSC? And state I cannot get a new form filled out because he sent these ones to me from Iraq? Sounds like the route I have to take.

I don't think it matters what's in the address line of his letter of intent....CSC or VSC. The point of the letter is to say he wants to marry you, which it says. It's just going in a big packet and the formality of putting an address on that paper is nice, but not critical to to big picture of stating his intentions and signing it. That wouldn't be a deal breaker in my opinion and they probably won't even notice it. I personally would skip a lot of extra pages explaining it.

[Tater&Bugger 3]

Do you think we should apply to VSC or CSC though? His 'home address' according to the military is MI, but he will be posted in NY when he is back and thats where we will live. I would prefer CSC because It seems to be quicker haha.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Do you think we should apply to VSC or CSC though? His 'home address' according to the military is MI, but he will be posted in NY when he is back and thats where we will live. I would prefer CSC because It seems to be quicker haha.

I didn't follow your original post completely. Are you saying you are going to mail the petition yourself before he gets back since you have all the paperwork done? In that case, I think I would use the "permanent" address of his parents home so they can receive any mail that comes. There will be a quick NOA1 arriving. Or they could send the whole packet back if you left out something important...like the check. It would make sense to have somebody dependable and related to open the mail and get in touch with you.

If you are waiting until he is physically in the NY place of residence to apply, then the above concerns wouldn't matter. He could apply using his new NY address since he will be present to receive the NOA1 and NOA2.

The month difference between VSC and CSC isn't that big of a deal in my (hindsight) opinion. But to you it seems huge, so pick the one you prefer. However, if you've got everything, mail it now with the MI address and you're a month ahead of waiting for him to physically be present at the NY address. And you know Mom and Pop will be there to report to you anything that arrives from USCIS.

[Tater&Bugger 3]

I will go with CSC then, that way his mom can receive the paperwork in MI for him. When he is back she can just fwd his mail or we can pick it up when we visit, or we can list a new address afterwards when it's possible to do so.

A month is a huge difference to us. Long story haha.