Forwarding Mail

[Not Available 0]

I was wondering, why doesnt the USCIS mail get forwarded to your new address? I read this somewhere and don't understand why.

[Peter Miami 0]

Hopefully someone that knows will answer this question. What I have read here on VJ was because official government mail does not get forwarded.

Peter Miami

[Dr_LHA 3]

It's a security measure. It's pretty easy to get mail forwarded, for nefarious means. I mean you can sign someone up to get their mail forwarded to yourself for example quite easily, then intercept someones mail. For example its easy to get mail forwarded over the web. Given that important documents that USCIS don't want to get stolen are sent, then forwarding isn't allowed.

[diadromous mermaid 36]

It's a security measure. It's pretty easy to get mail forwarded, for nefarious means. I mean you can sign someone up to get their mail forwarded to yourself for example quite easily, then intercept someones mail. For example its easy to get mail forwarded over the web. Given that important documents that USCIS don't want to get stolen are sent, then forwarding isn't allowed.

Not all USCIS mail is restricted. It depends on the franking on the upper left hand corner of the envelope.

[Waiting in Vancouver 6]

While we are on the subject of the government mail ... I am sure I read here that they won't deliver the greencard unless your name is on the mail box of your house ... Is this correct and if so how is it to be displayed ??

[allynella 0]

Our name has never been on the box, and we have received every piece of mail sent by USCIS, so this is just one big mystery. But then, the postman is a friend of ours

[Cassie 8]

While we are on the subject of the government mail ... I am sure I read here that they won't deliver the greencard unless your name is on the mail box of your house ... Is this correct and if so how is it to be displayed ??

Not true -- all we have on our box is our house number and I received mine just fine. That. and all five Welcome to America letters.

Edited September 20, 2006 by Cassie

[Reba 2]

yeah, I got my card just fine and there's no name on my mail box.

As for mail forwarding, some gets forwarded and some doesn't. Its still a good idea to pay USPS to forward your mail regardless.

[john_and_marlene 162]

While we are on the subject of the government mail ... I am sure I read here that they won't deliver the greencard unless your name is on the mail box of your house ... Is this correct and if so how is it to be displayed ??

If there is no name on the mailbox there shouldn't be a problem. The problem arises if there is SOME name on the mailbox other than the recipient unless the recipient's name is also on the mailbox.

[aidan80 9]

We got all our post from USCIS without our name on the mailbox, even an RFE.. until one day we checked our status online . It basically told us that the USPS had returned the item they had sent out a month earlier. Long story short, 2 months after issue we had my EAD in had and this time our name was on the mailbox and it’ll be staying on there! Not long after that we got our AOS interview notice, if that had been sent back we'd be back to square one if we missed the interview!

I’ve read a few stories similar to mine on VisaJourney about people having had various documents returned by USPS and not finding out till it’s too late. I feel lucky in my case that it was an EAD and not an AOS notice or an RFE!

My advice is to avoid any possible problems by putting your name on the mailbox and informing the local post office where you live. It’s a small thing to do to ensure that you green card or even AOS interview letter reaches you on time or the AP you applied arrives or in my case the EAD I was so desperately waiting for gets there.

Good Luck!

Edited September 20, 2006 by aidan80

[nemu 0]

Why couldn't they:

1. Use the "mailing address" and "residential address" approach as they do for N400? That way, one can rent a USPS PO Box and avoid this post-people BS alltogether.

2. Better yet, add $2-3 to processing fees and use registered mail for all communiques? You know, go to the PO, show your ID, get your USCIS mail. A hassle, but I'll take that over undefined deliverables

3. Stop subcontracting support services to incompetents, aka "Help line".

... and since we at it, eternal sunshine and the spotless mind

[achauhan 0]

We recently moved and had requested USPS to forward our mail. But it seemed to take a long time for things to get moving. anyway we eventually got the mail and in it was my biometrics appointment. It was for 8/22/06 and i received it 3 weeks later. So although they did forward the stuff it was late. But no harm done and was able to get my biometrics done. So i guess they do forward some pieces of mail.

[Kweli 3]

We recently moved and had requested USPS to forward our mail. But it seemed to take a long time for things to get moving. anyway we eventually got the mail and in it was my biometrics appointment. It was for 8/22/06 and i received it 3 weeks later. So although they did forward the stuff it was late. But no harm done and was able to get my biometrics done. So i guess they do forward some pieces of mail.

Let me make sure I'm getting this right.

1) Will post office forward the USCIS mail or not? I'm asking because we moved last week end and just asked the post office to forward the mail to my new adress.

2) Now if post office will not forward the mail then I should file a AR 11 right away. Now is the AR 11 filing gonna delay my case?

[Peter Miami 0]

We recently moved and had requested USPS to forward our mail. But it seemed to take a long time for things to get moving. anyway we eventually got the mail and in it was my biometrics appointment. It was for 8/22/06 and i received it 3 weeks later. So although they did forward the stuff it was late. But no harm done and was able to get my biometrics done. So i guess they do forward some pieces of mail.

Let me make sure I'm getting this right.

1) Will post office forward the USCIS mail or not? I'm asking because we moved last week end and just asked the post office to forward the mail to my new adress.

2) Now if post office will not forward the mail then I should file a AR 11 right away. Now is the AR 11 filing gonna delay my case?

Hi Kweli,

Besides filling an AR-11 for my wife, I filled an I-865 “Sponsor’s Notice Change of Address”. I originally file an I-864 with my AOS package not the new one, it was not around when I filled. Also call USCIS and let them know you moved. Hope this helps good luck.

Peter Miami

[Kweli 3]

We recently moved and had requested USPS to forward our mail. But it seemed to take a long time for things to get moving. anyway we eventually got the mail and in it was my biometrics appointment. It was for 8/22/06 and i received it 3 weeks later. So although they did forward the stuff it was late. But no harm done and was able to get my biometrics done. So i guess they do forward some pieces of mail.

Let me make sure I'm getting this right.

1) Will post office forward the USCIS mail or not? I'm asking because we moved last week end and just asked the post office to forward the mail to my new adress.

2) Now if post office will not forward the mail then I should file a AR 11 right away. Now is the AR 11 filing gonna delay my case?

Hi Kweli,

Besides filling an AR-11 for my wife, I filled an I-865 “Sponsor’s Notice Change of Address”. I originally file an I-864 with my AOS package not the new one, it was not around when I filled. Also call USCIS and let them know you moved. Hope this helps good luck.

Peter Miami

Thanks For the information Peter. Do you think I should write a letter to CSC as well, since my case has been transfered there?

Did the change of adress delay the process in any way?