Mail from USCIS returned as "undeliverable" twice

[JFH 12,190]

We are beginning to think my husband may have upset someone! He filed an I-130 for me and it was sent to Nebraska. Email notification was received and case is viewable online.

The physical NOA1 was returned to USCIS on Feb 23 as "undeliverable". My husband's address is very simple:

Mr Wonderful Husband

PO Box xxxx

City, State Zip

It's not too long to fit in their computerised address fields. It's not overseas. He does have a physical address but uses the PO Box. He has been receiving all of his mail lately. Magazine subscriptions arrive, recently a bunch of cards following the sudden death of his step mother arrived, the usual junk mail.

We asked for the NOA1 to be re-sent and today we got the email that it has been returned for the second time.

Although we don't need the physical NOA1, we are concerned that if they send an RFE for something we might not get it if the same happens again.

Can we use his sister's address for a mailing address? He doesn't live with her and she is playing no part in this journey. She's not even the joint sponsor. But can we use her address purely to receive mail? She runs her own business from her home and has never had any problems with mail.

Edited March 17, 2016 by JFH

[Alaska2012 462]

Did you double check that they have the right address?

[JFH 12,190]

Yep by phone and also submitted the change of address but didn't actually change it, just re-typed it to be on the safe side.

I read somewhere that USCIS doesn't allow mail to be delivered to PO Box addresses but I'm sure that's something that someone made up.

[NikLR 13,227]

Why not try his physical address?

[LookyWhatIFound 38]

Can we use his sister's address for a mailing address? He doesn't live with her and she is playing no part in this journey. She's not even the joint sponsor. But can we use her address purely to receive mail? She runs her own business from her home and has never had any problems with mail.

Hi JFH, I see no reason you wouldn't be able to use your sisters address. Someone on the Dec I-130 thread had this problem with her mail not going to Israel. So she uses her parents address in New York.

Only thing is you can't submit the address change until after 6 months of the last time you submitted it.

[JFH 12,190]

Why not try his physical address?

Ironically we didn't use that because he lives in a shared place with no private mailbox and stuff "goes missing".

Hi JFH, I see no reason you wouldn't be able to use your sisters address. Someone on the Dec I-130 thread had this problem with her mail not going to Israel. So she uses her parents address in New York.

Only thing is you can't submit the address change until after 6 months of the last time you submitted it.

Good to know that a different address should be OK. But that's a mess with the 6-month rule. However, if we are going to get an RFE it will be some months yet anyway.

Thank you for your input!

[NikLR 13,227]

Ah that's why. Okay I get it now.

I've also heard they don't like PO boxes but a reliable physical address should be okay.

[LookyWhatIFound 38]

Ironically we didn't use that because he lives in a shared place with no private mailbox and stuff "goes missing".

Good to know that a different address should be OK. But that's a mess with the 6-month rule. However, if we are going to get an RFE it will be some months yet anyway.

Thank you for your input!

Oh I was thinking about that after I wrote the message, 6 months sounded very wrong! I went back to the post from December and see that I gave you bad info. .

​

The post said she made a address change on the phone to USCIS and then later tried to make another address change. So then USCIS told her they couldn't change it till after 30 days!

[LookyWhatIFound 38]

Ironically we didn't use that because he lives in a shared place with no private mailbox and stuff "goes missing".

Good to know that a different address should be OK. But that's a mess with the 6-month rule. However, if we are going to get an RFE it will be some months yet anyway.

Thank you for your input!

Sure, but in my own defense I want to name it the 'Where 1-month could feel like 6-months rule'

[JFH 12,190]

Indeed! Each day feels like a year sometimes in this process.

[POA 178]

We are beginning to think my husband may have upset someone! He filed an I-130 for me and it was sent to Nebraska. Email notification was received and case is viewable online.

The physical NOA1 was returned to USCIS on Feb 23 as "undeliverable". My husband's address is very simple:

Mr Wonderful Husband

PO Box xxxx

City, State Zip

It's not too long to fit in their computerised address fields. It's not overseas. He does have a physical address but uses the PO Box. He has been receiving all of his mail lately. Magazine subscriptions arrive, recently a bunch of cards following the sudden death of his step mother arrived, the usual junk mail.

We asked for the NOA1 to be re-sent and today we got the email that it has been returned for the second time.

Although we don't need the physical NOA1, we are concerned that if they send an RFE for something we might not get it if the same happens again.

Can we use his sister's address for a mailing address? He doesn't live with her and she is playing no part in this journey. She's not even the joint sponsor. But can we use her address purely to receive mail? She runs her own business from her home and has never had any problems with mail.

I had almost similar issue about address. Try calling the USCIS and get directed to tier 2. (not just once) to verify they have the correct address and update it if not. In our case, we were going to receive a refund and they sent it to the old address even both my husband and I updated our address in 2014. Even contacted Ombudsman and said they have our current address. We called USCIS twice and they said they have our current address and the third call said, we have the old address where they sent the check then the tier 2 updated it on his end. He said that is the only way to do it but obviously they have a change of address option on their website. A lot of them are pretty unreliable. I know it's a waste of time but I just can't trust anything from them now without involving ombudsman. Sometimes, we are just left with no choice because that's their "process". Call them.

[Rich and Wen 101]

My address for USCIS purposes is a PO Box. Never had a problem.

PO Box is more secure than street addresses. I can't understand why there would/could be a problem. Talk to your post office. See who sorts the PO Box mail, maybe you can talk to them, find out why the mail has been returned.

[perfect 39]

I know this sounds really dumb, but maybe the Post Office is treating the PO Box as though it's like an apartment mail box section whereby they won't deliver the mail unless the recipient's name is stuck to th einside of the door of the mail box?

I kid you not - my daughter-in-law has had the same problem with her SSN card three times - even though the post office delivered other regular mail in her name to the same mail box. Official, Government mail they would not deliver until her name was stuck to the inside of the mail box door!!