Moving states after filing I485

[Phil & Han 28]

1 hour ago, Scandi said:

Not sure it does much to the processing time of your case, however, many people have been denied after moving.

 

USCIS is THE WORST when it comes to address changing. Many address changes never go through, which means they send potential RFEs and interview letters to the old address. That means people miss the deadlines and get denied. 

 

I would never take a chance on something this important myself. But if you have to move, you have to. Hopefully you know the person moving into your old address so they can let you know if something shows up in your name from USCIS.

Appreciate this insight it's very concerning. Fortunately we're living with family who will be remaining at this address and able to monitor the mail on our behalf.

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

10 hours ago, Jaquelly said:

I was curious about this, as well.

 

We are moving from Texas to Indianapolis next year. We thought we would be transferred and that he would likely have his GC interview AFTER we move because Texas is so backed up.

 

I need more info.  ugh

 

Boo. Indianapolis has some weird drinking laws! Ive been there.... don't know if you drink but yea, figured I'd mention it haha.

[K&M's Journey 25]

Sharing my experience. Filed I-485 in December 2017. Philadelphia has jurisdiction for our old address. Moved to upstate New York couple of months ago. Changed address 2 days after moving, received email and letter notification via post to confirm address change. By end of December last year, I received the letter for an interview asking us to appear at the Philadelphia field office instead of the one nearest us. 

 

We're considering attending the interview as we're worried rescheduling will delay the process again. But then again, I researched and a lot of what I read said some officers will stop the interview when they find out that your new address is not their jurisdiction, reschedule and have the case transferred.

 

Frustrating!

[Kirk&Kean 9]

On 1/7/2019 at 2:00 AM, K&M's Journey said:

Sharing my experience. Filed I-485 in December 2017. Philadelphia has jurisdiction for our old address. Moved to upstate New York couple of months ago. Changed address 2 days after moving, received email and letter notification via post to confirm address change. By end of December last year, I received the letter for an interview asking us to appear at the Philadelphia field office instead of the one nearest us. 

 

We're considering attending the interview as we're worried rescheduling will delay the process again. But then again, I researched and a lot of what I read said some officers will stop the interview when they find out that your new address is not their jurisdiction, reschedule and have the case transferred.

 

Frustrating!

This is exactly what happened to us.

Case is ready to be scheduled for interview since Mar 2018. But then we needed to move from AZ to PA, moved by end of May, as soon as we arrive in Philly in June, we filed COA once we manage to finalize and obtain a lease agreement and submit all the relevant info, AR-11 including Pending AOS case. Sponsor's Change of Address must be mailed physically (i-864 the financial part of the i-485).

Thereafter, every single month, I called USCIS hotline number just to verify if they received our COA AR-11, and what is our address on file, from June 2018 until September, they kept telling me it is Philly Address, up-to-date, not the AZ.
Comes to October 2018, the period where I sent in my EAD renewal (6 months prior to expire), when I file EAD renewal - it is a brand new i-765 with Philly Address (except we check for renewal). Guess what happened on Oct 04 2018?
Status Changed for i-485 AOS - Your case has been scheduled for interview, we have mailed you a letter with instructions on what to prepare and bring to the interview.

Oct 08, 2018 - We saw 2x USCIS letter from our USPS Informed Delivery scanned image. But there should be 3, and we think maybe one of them is delayed. EAD + AP Renewal (2 NOA1). AOS Interview Letter (1).
When the letter arrives, yep, as expected, EAD + AP Renewal NOA1s are here in Philly. A couple days later around 10 - 12 October, Sister who lives in AZ address (our former address) WhatsApp'd me saying that we got a letter from USCIS.
I checked the Informed Delivery over in that address, omfg, the interview letter is sent to the former address despite June, July, August, Sep, 4 freaking months that I have since updated the address and been calling every single month to verify up-to-date address on file. 

Interview Location was scheduled at Imperial Valley, CA (which is closest to Yuma,AZ) where our former address is. We then seek for suggestion from our attorney who helped to handle RFE in the past.

Attorney suggested to NOT attend the interview in Imperial Valley, CA. Because we have not lived at Yuma Address for more than 3 months. Our residency is already in Philly, PA. If we are to fly out there to attend the interview, we will for sure be stopped at the point of verifying Names, Address and etc during the interview when the officer figured that the Address is not even close to their office. Then it will have to be transferred, thus, wasting $$ and time to fly all the way out for the interview.

So we ended up, writing a letter to the field office at Imperial Valley, CA - Attn to the Director of the Field Office, indicating URGENT at the envelope. To request for cancellation of the interview over there due to wrong state of jurisdiction, transfer case to our field office in Philly. We have also submitted proof / evidences of all the COA documentations filed way before in June 2018. Then called USCIS hotline number to ensure to file a Service Request to transfer case + reschedule interview, indicating which address we lives in right now, and would like the interview to be scheduled here.

All that's done, case transferred successfully in late Dec. Got Infopass Appt in Jan 2019, went to Philly office to verify, our case arrived safely. They first did mention expect a longer delay of between 5-8 months for reschedule of interview because they schedule the interview base on first come first serve basis, literally means - whoever's case folder arrived in the field office first, then gets to be scheduled for interview. If the calculation was right, our interview should be rescheduled between May 2019 - August 2019 (5-8 months) from Jan. We went in for another Infopass Appt in Mar 2019, to check what is going on, status of our case, as well as my renewal EAD (6 months has passed and no approval yet). We were told that my AOS case looks good, nothing flagged, just waiting in the system queue to be scheduled for interview, at this point the officer says expect randomly being sent a notice between 30-45 days.

It is June 12 as I am writing this post, I have yet to receive any update about interview being scheduled at all. That is way beyond 30-45 days. They have also removed the Infopass Appt availability since March. Which made us unable to go in and inquire anymore. We have to call the USCIS hotline number, which when you speak with Tier 1, will literally keep repeating whatever you can find yourself online base on the Case Status, or the USCIS Processing time telling you bla bla bla that your case is not beyond normal processing time yet, just wait.

We're July 2017 Filers, already coming close to 2nd wedding anniversary by next Monday June 17. If it is not for the USCIS to mess up the first interview scheduled at wrong location (despite 4 months have passed since we updated the address), we wouldn't have to be in this mess. This tells me a lot that their system and database does not even tally. You can be filing AR-11, calling USCIS hotline to verify addresses, but the interview schedule part may still be wrong. Our attorney assured us that she has handled so many immigration cases that USCIS is always the one messes up the address when her customers moved. But a lot of time, customers complain that the attorney messes it up.

Anyway, K&M - have you attended the interview at Philly? Or did you get rescheduled? If it is the latter, has it been completed?

 

[K&M's Journey 25]

On 6/12/2019 at 8:47 AM, Kirk&Kean said:

This is exactly what happened to us.

Case is ready to be scheduled for interview since Mar 2018. But then we needed to move from AZ to PA, moved by end of May, as soon as we arrive in Philly in June, we filed COA once we manage to finalize and obtain a lease agreement and submit all the relevant info, AR-11 including Pending AOS case. Sponsor's Change of Address must be mailed physically (i-864 the financial part of the i-485).

Thereafter, every single month, I called USCIS hotline number just to verify if they received our COA AR-11, and what is our address on file, from June 2018 until September, they kept telling me it is Philly Address, up-to-date, not the AZ.
Comes to October 2018, the period where I sent in my EAD renewal (6 months prior to expire), when I file EAD renewal - it is a brand new i-765 with Philly Address (except we check for renewal). Guess what happened on Oct 04 2018?
Status Changed for i-485 AOS - Your case has been scheduled for interview, we have mailed you a letter with instructions on what to prepare and bring to the interview.

Oct 08, 2018 - We saw 2x USCIS letter from our USPS Informed Delivery scanned image. But there should be 3, and we think maybe one of them is delayed. EAD + AP Renewal (2 NOA1). AOS Interview Letter (1).
When the letter arrives, yep, as expected, EAD + AP Renewal NOA1s are here in Philly. A couple days later around 10 - 12 October, Sister who lives in AZ address (our former address) WhatsApp'd me saying that we got a letter from USCIS.
I checked the Informed Delivery over in that address, omfg, the interview letter is sent to the former address despite June, July, August, Sep, 4 freaking months that I have since updated the address and been calling every single month to verify up-to-date address on file. 

Interview Location was scheduled at Imperial Valley, CA (which is closest to Yuma,AZ) where our former address is. We then seek for suggestion from our attorney who helped to handle RFE in the past.

Attorney suggested to NOT attend the interview in Imperial Valley, CA. Because we have not lived at Yuma Address for more than 3 months. Our residency is already in Philly, PA. If we are to fly out there to attend the interview, we will for sure be stopped at the point of verifying Names, Address and etc during the interview when the officer figured that the Address is not even close to their office. Then it will have to be transferred, thus, wasting $$ and time to fly all the way out for the interview.

So we ended up, writing a letter to the field office at Imperial Valley, CA - Attn to the Director of the Field Office, indicating URGENT at the envelope. To request for cancellation of the interview over there due to wrong state of jurisdiction, transfer case to our field office in Philly. We have also submitted proof / evidences of all the COA documentations filed way before in June 2018. Then called USCIS hotline number to ensure to file a Service Request to transfer case + reschedule interview, indicating which address we lives in right now, and would like the interview to be scheduled here.

All that's done, case transferred successfully in late Dec. Got Infopass Appt in Jan 2019, went to Philly office to verify, our case arrived safely. They first did mention expect a longer delay of between 5-8 months for reschedule of interview because they schedule the interview base on first come first serve basis, literally means - whoever's case folder arrived in the field office first, then gets to be scheduled for interview. If the calculation was right, our interview should be rescheduled between May 2019 - August 2019 (5-8 months) from Jan. We went in for another Infopass Appt in Mar 2019, to check what is going on, status of our case, as well as my renewal EAD (6 months has passed and no approval yet). We were told that my AOS case looks good, nothing flagged, just waiting in the system queue to be scheduled for interview, at this point the officer says expect randomly being sent a notice between 30-45 days.

It is June 12 as I am writing this post, I have yet to receive any update about interview being scheduled at all. That is way beyond 30-45 days. They have also removed the Infopass Appt availability since March. Which made us unable to go in and inquire anymore. We have to call the USCIS hotline number, which when you speak with Tier 1, will literally keep repeating whatever you can find yourself online base on the Case Status, or the USCIS Processing time telling you bla bla bla that your case is not beyond normal processing time yet, just wait.

We're July 2017 Filers, already coming close to 2nd wedding anniversary by next Monday June 17. If it is not for the USCIS to mess up the first interview scheduled at wrong location (despite 4 months have passed since we updated the address), we wouldn't have to be in this mess. This tells me a lot that their system and database does not even tally. You can be filing AR-11, calling USCIS hotline to verify addresses, but the interview schedule part may still be wrong. Our attorney assured us that she has handled so many immigration cases that USCIS is always the one messes up the address when her customers moved. But a lot of time, customers complain that the attorney messes it up.

Anyway, K&M - have you attended the interview at Philly? Or did you get rescheduled? If it is the latter, has it been completed?

 

Hi there, Kirk&Kean!

 

I called the Immigration a day later after posting here on VisaJourney. I was transferred to Tier 2 and spoke with an Immigration officer who updated our address. He also gave me an advice against attending the interview in Philadelphia. The next day I sent a letter w/ proof of address change to the Philadelphia office where the interview was scheduled, asking them to cancel and transfer my case to the office that has jurisdiction over our address. I was expecting a longer wait as the Tier 2 officer said that it might be 2 to 6 months wait unless the office is not that busy. We we’re lucky as it seemed the Buffalo Office wasn’t as busy and after a couple of weeks, we received a request for an interview before mid-February. By mid-March I received my Permanent Resident Card.

 

I think offices in Pennsylvania are busy. I had a feeling the only reason our case moved forward and was requested for an interview was because we relocated and updated our address last December. But I could be wrong.

 

I understand how frustrating the wait and delay can be. Especially when you find out other applicants gets approved faster. I remember waiting and being frustrated while all the 2018 filers finally received their cards w/out an interview (I’m a 2017 filer as well). But like my husband said, there is nothing much we can do but wait patiently. (Easy for him to say, but in a way, he is right).

 

I’m crossing my fingers and hoping you’d hear news soon! Goodluck! 😊

[Kirk&Kean 9]

11 hours ago, K&M's Journey said:

Hi there, Kirk&Kean!

 

I called the Immigration a day later after posting here on VisaJourney. I was transferred to Tier 2 and spoke with an Immigration officer who updated our address. He also gave me an advice against attending the interview in Philadelphia. The next day I sent a letter w/ proof of address change to the Philadelphia office where the interview was scheduled, asking them to cancel and transfer my case to the office that has jurisdiction over our address. I was expecting a longer wait as the Tier 2 officer said that it might be 2 to 6 months wait unless the office is not that busy. We we’re lucky as it seemed the Buffalo Office wasn’t as busy and after a couple of weeks, we received a request for an interview before mid-February. By mid-March I received my Permanent Resident Card.

 

I think offices in Pennsylvania are busy. I had a feeling the only reason our case moved forward and was requested for an interview was because we relocated and updated our address last December. But I could be wrong.

 

I understand how frustrating the wait and delay can be. Especially when you find out other applicants gets approved faster. I remember waiting and being frustrated while all the 2018 filers finally received their cards w/out an interview (I’m a 2017 filer as well). But like my husband said, there is nothing much we can do but wait patiently. (Easy for him to say, but in a way, he is right).

 

I’m crossing my fingers and hoping you’d hear news soon! Goodluck! 😊

Oh wow. We did the exact same thing too writing to the Imperial County,CA Office. As a matter of fact it all happened last Dec as well. Our case have transferred out in Dec itself, and arrived in Philly office between Dec- Jan. The only diff I see between our situation is you transfer out from a busy city (Philly) to a less busy office (Buffalo). I transfer into a busy office.

In some way I am glad I am way past the possibility of getting Conditional Permanent Resident. Next Mon is our anniversary - so at this point, if the interview is being scheduled, regardless of when (July / Aug / Sep). It'll be a 10 years PR because we are married > 2 years. That'll save several hundreds $$ from filing the i-751 Removal of Conditional Permanent Resident.

Oh yeah, I totally understand your feeling of waiting and being frustrated seeing all other 2018 filers getting theirs. I have a feeling that our case is just sitting there, officers get to pick their own cases to work on lol. No one wants to pick ours to work on because it has > 400 pages to read.

We've reach out to senator, but haven't gotten any response yet. My next try is to get Ombudsman and see if they can assist me with inquiries of either my renewal EAD or the GC application. My renewal EAD is already in 8th month since I filed for it now. And I still have yet to hear any update. Pisses me off. I'll lose my job by September if I cannot get the new EAD approved or have GC on hand.

[AlBrown252 0]

I also had a similar situation when I applied for a green сard in one state and was given a job in another. I contacted the main office and they forwarded my documents to the place where my job was waiting for me.

[AlBrown252 0]

So, I'm not competent in this matter, I wonder how you solved this problem?

As for me, I can share information on how to move more easily. We used to make a big mistake and move without the help of anyone, we did everything ourselves. It was very difficult and we spent a lot of nerves and effort on moving. Then a friend advised to contact the man and van, who helps with the move. They arrived with their moving materials and boxes, helped us pack our stuff and moved them without damage. This is very convenient. Since then, the idea of moving doesn't give us a headache. But I don't know anything about taxes and documentation.

Edited February 19, 2020 by AlBrown252