Your marriage ceremony location zip code must be the same as your home address?

[jane78 12]

Hi, I am new here, this is my first post, though I have looked around at some of the existing topics and I can tell this is going to be a very useful site. I am currently an H1-B holder, engaged to my U.S. citizen fiancé. We will be getting married in about a month and will apply for AOS immediately after the wedding.

I just wanted to run by you all a comment made by a friend of mine recently. He is a U.S. citizen and married his U.K.-born wife in the U.S. He told me that they had a small civil ceremony in the town where they live in the U.S. and the reason for this was that, according to him, the zip code of the location of the wedding listed on the marriage certificate supposedly MUST match the zip code of your home address that you put on your application forms for the green card process. He said that the first thing the immigration officials do is check that the zip codes match and if they don't match they automatically reject the application.

This is the first I have heard of this. The reason why I ask is that we will be getting married in the town in the northeast of the U.S. where we currently live pretty soon, but we might be moving after January 2013 to a town on the west coast. We were considering therefore applying from the west coast location and putting our west coast address on the application forms. Would this be a problem for us? If we did apply from our current northeast location and then subsequently moved to the west coast, how would that affect the collection of biometric data or being called into an interview? Would we have to return to the northeast from the west coast to attend those?

I know you can file a change of address form with the USCIS, so they clearly must understand that people have to move sometimes! Could my friend's advice be correct? Or is it that there is a rule that he is referring to, but he has misunderstood it somehow? Note also that his process was a little different from ours--his wife came out on a fiancée visa. So perhaps there are different rules for those visas?

Any light you all can shed on this would be greatly appreciated!

[akihon 129]

according to him, the zip code of the location of the wedding listed on the marriage certificate supposedly MUST match the zip code of your home address that you put on your application forms for the green card process. He said that the first thing the immigration officials do is check that the zip codes match and if they don't match they automatically reject the application.

what rubbish!

if that were true, then I'd be screwed because I got married in Hawaii and I live on the mainland!

do not pay heed to what he has said. It is untrue.

The reason why I ask is that we will be getting married in the town in the northeast of the U.S. where we currently live pretty soon, but we might be moving after January 2013 to a town on the west coast. We were considering therefore applying from the west coast location and putting our west coast address on the application forms. Would this be a problem for us? If we did apply from our current northeast location and then subsequently moved to the west coast, how would that affect the collection of biometric data or being called into an interview? Would we have to return to the northeast from the west coast to attend those?

it's generally not a good idea to move during the AOS process, but it's doable as long as you change your address online as well as send in a Form AR-11

Edited October 26, 2012 by akihon

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

agree with akihon, your friend has wrong info (or is making a bad joke).

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

No? He is full of it.

[jane78 12]

Thanks for the prompt replies, and it is reassuring to see you all agreeing that he must have it wrong. I was really surprised when I heard him say it.

So does anyone know what happens if we do file a change of address after we've gotten the process started? How does it affect things like biometrics collection and interview locations? Will they send you to the nearest location to your new address for those things? I'd hate to have to fly back across the country if I can avoid it.

Also, somewhat related--we have not yet decided whether to hire a lawyer or not. If we do hire a lawyer, I assume we can have all the paperwork and letters relating to our case sent to him/her. In that case even if we moved (and of course we'd still inform USCIS of the move), we'd still be sure to get our mail in the one place--the lawyer's office. That's another question I have--the pros and cons of hiring a lawyer versus DIY. I will look through the existing topics as I'm sure this question has come up before, but feel free to share your opinion if you have one.

[akihon 129]

I think they would know to reassign you to your nearest field office instead of your former location.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Thanks for the prompt replies, and it is reassuring to see you all agreeing that he must have it wrong. I was really surprised when I heard him say it.

So does anyone know what happens if we do file a change of address after we've gotten the process started? How does it affect things like biometrics collection and interview locations? Will they send you to the nearest location to your new address for those things? I'd hate to have to fly back across the country if I can avoid it.

Also, somewhat related--we have not yet decided whether to hire a lawyer or not. If we do hire a lawyer, I assume we can have all the paperwork and letters relating to our case sent to him/her. In that case even if we moved (and of course we'd still inform USCIS of the move), we'd still be sure to get our mail in the one place--the lawyer's office. That's another question I have--the pros and cons of hiring a lawyer versus DIY. I will look through the existing topics as I'm sure this question has come up before, but feel free to share your opinion if you have one.

Agree with everyone else that location of marriage is irrelevant to the process. We got married in Iowa but were living in Houston Texas. I went via K1. You'd be surprised how much ####### information is out there.

Moving during the process is risky and best to be avoided if possible. If there's no choice, then I suggest you get a PO Box and have someone check your PO Box for you. The only issue with this is that you would have the biometrics in the location nearest your PO Box. Many people have changed locations without issue but you need to be vigilant and check on your process (as well as have someone check your original filing location if possible). The risk with moving during the process, is even if you update your address sometimes the system still sends things to your original address and if you get mail and don't respond, or go to interview or do biometrics.. whatever if is, it can result in denial. Showing proof that you changed address will "fix it" but it's stress you probably want to avoid.

If you can wait to file until after you move, I would suggest you do that.

[akihon 129]

If you can wait to file until after you move, I would suggest you do that.

I actually agree with this whole-heartedly. You're on H-1B, as I was, and that is valid for three years with a renewal for another three years.

You can and should definitely wait to file until after you've moved

Edited October 26, 2012 by akihon

[jane78 12]

I actually agree with this whole-heartedly. You're on H-1B, as I was, and that is valid for three years with a renewal for another three years.

You can and should definitely wait to file until after you've moved

Ok, that makes sense, I can see the risk of things going to the wrong address. The only thing is, I am actually already on my second H1-B and it expires on June 30, 2013. I am not doing an employer-sponsored green card. My future husband and I intend to file for AOS at least six months before my H1-B expires, with the hope that it will run smoothly and I will maintain employment authorization either through the H1-B or an EAD if the H1-B expires before my status is adjusted. So we don't have the luxury of 3-6 years of H1-B status for me, unfortunately.

Honestly, the reason why we are considering moving in January is that I am not that happy in my job (that's also the reason why I am not doing an employer-sponsored green card) and my future husband has a house and family members on the west coast so that is where we would go if I quit my job here in the northeast (my job is basically what's keeping us in this region). I guess that raises another question: Once we have submitted an AOS, can I then quit my job (and therefore go out of H1-B status)? I imagine I wouldn't be able to do it immediately but I should wait for an I-797C or some other evidence that I am in an AOS (pending) situation?

That said, on the other hand, I might just suck it up and stay in my job until my H1-B expires, which would also mean staying in the same location until then.

[akihon 129]

ah, I assumed you were on your first. I am on my first, and I also didn't wait for employment-sponsored GC because I'm married, why would I wait? I'm a new grad, see.

if you can wait to move, wait to move. or move and then only file.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Once we have submitted an AOS, can I then quit my job (and therefore go out of H1-B status)? I imagine I wouldn't be able to do it immediately but I should wait for an I-797C or some other evidence that I am in an AOS (pending) situation?

That said, on the other hand, I might just suck it up and stay in my job until my H1-B expires, which would also mean staying in the same location until then.

If you want to quit your job, yes you lose your H1-B status and will NOT be able to work until you get an EAD. You don't have to wait until you're AOS pending but it would prevent you from going out of status if you wait until AOS is pending (though out of status is forgiven for spouses of USC's).

It's up to you what you want/need to do.

[KazuriSana 324]

He said that the first thing the immigration officials do is check that the zip codes match and if they don't match they automatically reject the application.

Nice one!

[bigdog 376]

You can get married anywhere in us, Las Vegas was a fun place to get married.

[Sunnyland 639]

Thats not true. We got married in another town with a different zip code from our home. Besides in our neighbourhood there is no courthouse so that requirement would be illogical! I think your friend is totally wrong.

[jane78 12]

Thats not true. We got married in another town with a different zip code from our home. Besides in our neighbourhood there is no courthouse so that requirement would be illogical! I think your friend is totally wrong.

It's strange because on the one hand he told me this totally erroneous thing that didn't even sound right when he said it, but on the other hand the next thing he said was to recommend visajourney.com, so at least he gave me one good piece of advice!

OK, I have another question if anyone would be willing to answer me this one. I had an EAD once, for one year from 2007-2008 when I was in F-1 OPT status while my H1-B was processing. I don't know what happened to that EAD but I know I don't have it any more. I have moved a couple of times and at some point it must have gotten lost. I do have a xerox of the front of the card in my files which I must have had to provide to someone at some point. The instructions for the I-765 say that I should include a copy of both the front and back of my previous EAD. Should I include the copy that I have of just the front of the EAD? Should I add a note saying I have lost the old card but this is an old xerox? What do you all think is best?