I-797C sent to wrong address

[lucybelle 453]

I got an email NOA1 a few days ago and my mom just told me she got the I-797C hard copy in the mail. I live abroad with my husband and nowhere in the entire packet did I list my mom's USA address as our address. I did send our I-130 to her to put in the check and forward on, but she also clearly labeled on the outside "FILED FROM ABROAD"

I want to use our abroad address so we hopefully get in the automatic expedite line, if it still exists.

Should I call?

[oohpartiv 484]

Yeah, I would call and see what's up. It's bizarre that they would send mail to an address other than the one that was listed on the I-130. Never heard of that before.

[Ms Hogan 295]

Was her return address on the package? How was it sent? I can't imagine them actually pulling that address unless they did it intentionally to avoid sending mail overseas but that seems ridiculous.

[lucybelle 453]

She did put her return address on the envelope, sent priority mail USPS. But that was the only place it was listed. I'm going back and checking now and I still see no place where we wrote my mom's address anywhere in the I-130. I even put a note on a continuation sheet clarifying that our Costa Rican PO box listed on the I-130 were where we want to receive mail since we can't get mail to our actual address, which was listed on the G-325a forms.

On the I-797C it is addressed to: [My name] [my mom's address].

Super weird.

I'm going to try to call today. I've never had to call before, should I ask for a tier 2 person?

Edited March 22, 2013 by lucybelle

[NikLR 13,227]

yes an ISO. A CSR can't tell you anything. You may have to ask 3 times before they transfer you but they have to.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

I would attempt to get that corrected ASAP.

I don't want to scare you, but take a peep at my "about me" or the link in my signature for what could happen with that.

[lucybelle 453]

I would attempt to get that corrected ASAP.

I don't want to scare you, but take a peep at my "about me" or the link in my signature for what could happen with that.

Will call as soon as I get home!!!

[MeredythB 38]

I would attempt to get that corrected ASAP.

I don't want to scare you, but take a peep at my "about me" or the link in my signature for what could happen with that.

Is it bad that your situation was EXACTLY what I was thinking of when reading this thread.

OP: call and don't stop calling until you speak to a supervisor and get this straightened out. Hope it's rectified easily!

[Darnell 8,478]

maybe mom did some correction on the G-325A form and not tell you ?

[lucybelle 453]

maybe mom did some correction on the G-325A form and not tell you ?

I know she didn't because I specifically said "DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING"

I need the phone number off the sheet from her and then I'll call.

[lucybelle 453]

So, just called, and the lady (tier 2) said that they don't send mail out of the USA anymore. I told her that I didn't live in the USA and that no where in my application did I list that address. She said she could change it to a new address in the USA but that they don't deliver mail outside of the USA anymore.

I didn't know what to say? I just said "okay" This can't possibly be true, can it? What should I do? Just leave it? I'm worried because I wanted to be in that fast-track line of USCs living abroad.

[oohpartiv 484]

So, just called, and the lady (tier 2) said that they don't send mail out of the USA anymore. I told her that I didn't live in the USA and that no where in my application did I list that address. She said she could change it to a new address in the USA but that they don't deliver mail outside of the USA anymore.

I didn't know what to say? I just said "okay" This can't possibly be true, can it? What should I do? Just leave it? I'm worried because I wanted to be in that fast-track line of USCs living abroad.

DON'T LISTEN TO HER. That's a bold faced lie. There are a number of people who just recently filed and reported getting their NOA1s abroad. Don't change your address back to the US if that's not where you are! That's exactly what happened to Nola, and caused the beginning of the whole huge mess she had to deal with.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

DON'T LISTEN TO HER. That's a bold faced lie. There are a number of people who just recently filed and reported getting their NOA1s abroad. Don't change your address back to the US if that's not where you are! That's exactly what happened to Nola, and caused the beginning of the whole huge mess she had to deal with.

Exactly. Call back and speak to someone else. They can and do send mail out of the USA, however they may be unable to change your address back over the phone. You may have to submit a letter.

Tell them you know of my case and tell them that the Field Operations Directorate said that you can not have an American address if you are residing abroad.

[lucybelle 453]

I am on hold right now. The CSR told me the same thing the lady did last time. I told her "I know someone who just got USCIS information sent to them abroad" She insisted that I was mistaken because they "don't send mail abroad"

On hold... should I just demand they change my address to my current abroad address?

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

You can try, but it is my understanding that the computer system the ISOs have won't allow them to change the USC's address to one abroad.

I'm thinking it might be better to involve the Ombudsman. They seemed to be the only ones who could help with the address issue that we had.

The problem arises in that your petition won't be adjudicated at NBC. Then, if you get an incompetent field office or one that doesn't feel like handling it properly, you could end up with some of the issues we had with Hartford - sending things to embassies abroad, sending things to VSC, and just in general not knowing how to handle it.

Ours would have sort of resolved with the director of field offices basically ordering 'our' local office to handle the petition, but they still insisted that I send in an AR-11 to change back the address to Denmark otherwise they would call me in for an interview.

I'm not sure how offices other than Hartford would handle it though.