I'm having a problem with my mailing address!

[MonicaMexico 0]

Ok folks, I've got a sticky situation here and I'd like your advice:

I've spent the last 1.5 years living/working in New York. I moved September 1st back to Mexico to be with my fiance ... we submitted the K1 paperwork (when I was visiting family in Michigan) on September 22nd. The address that I used for myself on all the paperwork was where I have now forwarded my mail - still in New York. I submitted the paperwork to the Vermont service center, which represents New York. Eventually, my finance and I would like to move back to New York to live and work when he gets his visa.

The problem? Apparently, some of my mail is being sent back to the sender - and I have no idea why. A friend of mine sent something to my NY address, and although the address was CORRECT (I doubled checked), it got sent back to her.

So my delimma ... should I change my address to something more secure, like my mother's address in Michigan? But then, will that affect the service center? Or should I give them my address here in Mexico? Will that affect anything?

I have no idea what to do! I don't want the service center to get the return NOA back and reject my K1 application!

P.S I checked my bank account today, on 10-4, and my check still has not been cashed. Is that normal? Its been almost two weeks!

[kitkat1 5]

I would give it some more time to see if your check is cashed. Your mailing address is not a very big deal aside from receiving the hard copy of the NOA1 and 2. But making an address change with USCIS can be a real pain from what has been posted here. Using a Michigan address means you will be processed in CA which can double the wait time. Using an address in Mexico is not an option. Good Luck.

[Mew 0]

I would give it some more time to see if your check is cashed. Your mailing address is not a very big deal aside from receiving the hard copy of the NOA1 and 2. But making an address change with USCIS can be a real pain from what has been posted here. Using a Michigan address means you will be processed in CA which can double the wait time. Using an address in Mexico is not an option. Good Luck.

Just to add... hard copies of NOAs and RFEs, if any.

[MonicaMexico 0]

Um ... so what if I never receive the NOA's in the mail? Its been two weeks and so far, nothing. it seems like most people get them in a few days ...

How important is it to have the hard copies of the NOAs? And what do I do if I don't recieve them?

Please help!!!!!!!!!!!

[kitkat1 5]

Give it 4 weeks - things have slowed down. If they never come but your check is cashed, you'll know that part is ok and you can request a duplicate. You will need the NOA2 down the road at AOS in the US. Good luck.

[meauxna 15]

Is your name on this mailbox you're concerned with?

Depending on your mail carrier, this can be an issue.

[jezebelseven 0]

Not sure if this is an issue but depending where you get your mail (Mailbox, in your door, PO box, etc) , its possibly being returned to sender due to your mailbox being too full-- which, if you aren't having someone get your mail every few days, a mailbox can get filled and I believe gets marked as abandoned or something. I could be wrong...

[Chemist_Geek 0]

Using a Michigan address means you will be processed in CA which can double the wait time.

California processes I-129Fs from Michigan? The instructions in the pdf read to send it to Nebraska...

[Mew 0]

Using a Michigan address means you will be processed in CA which can double the wait time.

California processes I-129Fs from Michigan? The instructions in the pdf read to send it to Nebraska...

NSC and TSC transfer I-129fs filed with them to CSC.

[aidan80 9]

Is your name on this mailbox you're concerned with?

Depending on your mail carrier, this can be an issue.

I couldn’t agree more !

My advice is get your name on the Mail Box if it isn’t already! Contact your local USPS office and tell them who you are, where you live and that you suspect or know mail is being returned to the original sender. That’s what we did and so far it appears to have worked!

I entered the US on a K1 Visa; my then fiancée didn’t have her name on her mail box during the K1 process and never had a problem. We never knew till a few months ago.. about having our name on the mail box!

We found out when USPS was nice enough to return my EAD! It took almost two months to discover it and have it corrected and resent ! We ended up going to the local USCIS office to talk to an immigration officer who confirmed that if we didn’t have our name on our mail box then mail sent from USCIS could be returned and that is exactly what happened to my EAD. I’m glad it was an EAD that was returned and not an AOS notice which arrived a few weeks later. Worse again would be having a green card returned or an RFE which we also got in the mail.

Better safe than sorry is my advice!

Good Luck!

Edited October 5, 2006 by aidan80

[Barry2005 0]

Is your name on this mailbox you're concerned with?

Depending on your mail carrier, this can be an issue.

I couldn’t agree more !

My advice is get your name on the Mail Box if it isn’t already! Contact your local USPS office and tell them who you are, where you live and that you suspect or know mail is being returned to the original sender. That’s what we did and so far it appears to have worked!

I entered the US on a K1 Visa; my then fiancée didn’t have her name on her mail box during the K1 process and never had a problem. We never knew till a few months ago.. about having our name on the mail box!

We found out when USPS was nice enough to return my EAD! It took almost two months to discover it and have it corrected and resent ! We ended up going to the local USCIS office to talk to an immigration officer who confirmed that if we didn’t have our name on our mail box then mail sent from USCIS could be returned and that is exactly what happened to my EAD. I’m glad it was an EAD that was returned and not an AOS notice which arrived a few weeks later. Worse again would be having a green card returned or an RFE which we also got in the mail.

Better safe than sorry is my advice!

Good Luck!

almost no one puts their names on mailboxes here. Maybe in Chicago its an issue?

I get my K1 lawyers mail from the CSC since they moved. my lawyer says they did a change of address but it always gets sent back to CSC and then eventually me.

Um ... so what if I never receive the NOA's in the mail? Its been two weeks and so far, nothing. it seems like most people get them in a few days ...

How important is it to have the hard copies of the NOAs? And what do I do if I don't recieve them?

Please help!!!!!!!!!!!

After you get your case number you might want to register for email notifications on the USCIS website.

[meauxna 15]

almost no one puts their names on mailboxes here. Maybe in Chicago its an issue?

How do you know no one puts their name on the box?

I don't live in Chicago--this is an issue that can tag anyone, anywhere. USPS' policy is to only deliver mail to the named person for a given address. They won't necessarily deliver something to your house if it has my name on it--even if the addy is correct.

I put our names on the inside of my mailbox so that there could be no mess up--my spouse and I have different last names.

I also receive mail for various people when they are out of the country, so I keep an up to date list of the mail I'll accept in my box. Just a CYA tactic. Happy to report we never had a lost piece of CIS mail in 5 years.

[aidan80 9]

Is your name on this mailbox you're concerned with?

Depending on your mail carrier, this can be an issue.

I couldn’t agree more !

My advice is get your name on the Mail Box if it isn’t already! Contact your local USPS office and tell them who you are, where you live and that you suspect or know mail is being returned to the original sender. That’s what we did and so far it appears to have worked!

I entered the US on a K1 Visa; my then fiancée didn’t have her name on her mail box during the K1 process and never had a problem. We never knew till a few months ago.. about having our name on the mail box!

We found out when USPS was nice enough to return my EAD! It took almost two months to discover it and have it corrected and resent ! We ended up going to the local USCIS office to talk to an immigration officer who confirmed that if we didn’t have our name on our mail box then mail sent from USCIS could be returned and that is exactly what happened to my EAD. I’m glad it was an EAD that was returned and not an AOS notice which arrived a few weeks later. Worse again would be having a green card returned or an RFE which we also got in the mail.

Better safe than sorry is my advice!

Good Luck!

almost no one puts their names on mailboxes here. Maybe in Chicago its an issue?

I get my K1 lawyers mail from the CSC since they moved. my lawyer says they did a change of address but it always gets sent back to CSC and then eventually me.

Um ... so what if I never receive the NOA's in the mail? Its been two weeks and so far, nothing. it seems like most people get them in a few days ...

How important is it to have the hard copies of the NOAs? And what do I do if I don't recieve them?

Please help!!!!!!!!!!!

After you get your case number you might want to register for email notifications on the USCIS website.

I don’t know about Chicago but here in central Florida we never had a problem with our USCIS mail until the EAD . The immigration officer at the USCIS Orlando sub office confirmed that if our name wasn’t on the mail box then USPS could return our mail . I can only assume that this practice is a USPS policy/rule and is country wide not just limited to any one state or area.

I wouldn’t take any chances with mail from USCIS, a missing AOS notice, RFE or AP could cause all kinds of problems if returned to sender. Better running down to the local Wal-Mart and getting a few sticky letters and putting your name on the box.

I 110% agree with you about registering for email notifications and registering to view your case status online. If we hadn’t checked our case status online we’d never have known that the EAD was returned by USPS nor would we have found out about the name on the mail box rule I didn’t know excised.

Good Luck!

[Barry2005 0]

almost no one puts their names on mailboxes here. Maybe in Chicago its an issue?

How do you know no one puts their name on the box?

I don't live in Chicago--this is an issue that can tag anyone, anywhere. USPS' policy is to only deliver mail to the named person for a given address. They won't necessarily deliver something to your house if it has my name on it--even if the addy is correct.

I put our names on the inside of my mailbox so that there could be no mess up--my spouse and I have different last names.

I also receive mail for various people when they are out of the country, so I keep an up to date list of the mail I'll accept in my box. Just a CYA tactic. Happy to report we never had a lost piece of CIS mail in 5 years.

cause I have eyes. lol! I was talking about the state where I live. I see almost all people don't have their names on their mailboxes and some don't even have numbers. Kids around here love to destoy mailboxes with bats I guess that is why so many are unmarked. Maybe I misunderstood. You were talking about inside the mailbox? Anyway.....I was just curious I wish people would mark there mailboxes around here since my work requires me to go to customers houses and it would make it easier for me to find them.

[meauxna 15]

Maybe I misunderstood. You were talking about inside the mailbox? Anyway.....I was just curious I wish people would mark there mailboxes around here since my work requires me to go to customers houses and it would make it easier for me to find them.

lol, yeah, looks like we crossed wires. In the good ole days I wouldn't mind having my name on the outside of the box, but nowadays it's low-profile time, so yes, I mean on the *inside* of the box is where I keep our names on a little card attn: Postie or similar. It just doesn't seem like a good idea to advertise our names to the street.