USPS Forwarding of the NOA1 and Biometrics Appointment

[LBeachey 44]

I have been accused of over analyzing situations but here goes:

I will be going on a training assignment in another state from about a month before our 90 Day Window opens to about 3 weeks before it closes. I am the USC. My wife is presently working on a master's degree at a school about 30 miles from our house. She is the conditional permanent resident. Since the drive is so far and between classes, group projects, and studying she needs to be on campus 12-14 hours a day we got her a dorm room on campus where she stays during the week and comes home on weekends. Normally, one day a week I go over there for dinner. It is not perfect but it is the best solution in our long-term future.

Our legal residence will remain our home but I will likely temporarily forward all our mail to my address in the other state. Since my company has a fairly generous visitation policy my wife may come to visit often on the weekend as her schedule allows and I may come back for the weekend but I would anticipate maybe being back home once a month which means our home mailbox will not get checked often. I anticipate my wife may just stay on campus rather than come home to an empty house.

The question is what do I put down as our mailing address:

1. Will the USPS forward the NOA1 and Biometrics appointment using the temporary forward? If yes, problem solved.

2. If not, I could put down either her school mailbox or possibly a nearby friend. The question then is can I change the mailing address back to our permanent address once my assignment is over. How? The NOA1 and Biometrics should come while I am still on assignment but the final approval and GC almost certainly will be after I am back.

What is the better option?

[BigDaddy28 228]

I have been accused of over analyzing situations but here goes:

I will be going on a training assignment in another state from about a month before our 90 Day Window opens to about 3 weeks before it closes. I am the USC. My wife is presently working on a master's degree at a school about 30 miles from our house. She is the conditional permanent resident. Since the drive is so far and between classes, group projects, and studying she needs to be on campus 12-14 hours a day we got her a dorm room on campus where she stays during the week and comes home on weekends. Normally, one day a week I go over there for dinner. It is not perfect but it is the best solution in our long-term future.

Our legal residence will remain our home but I will likely temporarily forward all our mail to my address in the other state. Since my company has a fairly generous visitation policy my wife may come to visit often on the weekend as her schedule allows and I may come back for the weekend but I would anticipate maybe being back home once a month which means our home mailbox will not get checked often. I anticipate my wife may just stay on campus rather than come home to an empty house.

The question is what do I put down as our mailing address:

1. Will the USPS forward the NOA1 and Biometrics appointment using the temporary forward? If yes, problem solved.

2. If not, I could put down either her school mailbox or possibly a nearby friend. The question then is can I change the mailing address back to our permanent address once my assignment is over. How? The NOA1 and Biometrics should come while I am still on assignment but the final approval and GC almost certainly will be after I am back.

What is the better option?

USCIS will not accept her school mailbox. You will have to put your address and than in the C/O part put your friends house so at least you would get it there. If you want to leave the whole process with your friends address that will be fine but make sure you put your address, if you want to change it, after you get back just file for a change of address. But you can keep it with your friends address. Good luck.

[LBeachey 44]

USCIS will not accept her school mailbox. You will have to put your address and than in the C/O part put your friends house so at least you would get it there. If you want to leave the whole process with your friends address that will be fine but make sure you put your address, if you want to change it, after you get back just file for a change of address. But you can keep it with your friends address. Good luck.

The more I think about this, sending it care of my friend's house probably makes the most sense but I am curious why you say the USCIS will not accept my wife's school address?

[bigdog 376]

I would view your home as the primary residence, get a PMB / PO Box for the mail to go to. Have the friend get your mail, less explaining to do.

Edited April 23, 2013 by bigdog