Freaking out--forgot to file my husband's (US citizen) change of mailing address from two years ago.

[tiantian2 18]

Hi folks...just as I'm finally ready to submit my I-751, I realized that I might have messed up. Here's the situation:

In 2019, I (petitioner) was in city A and my husband (citizen sponsor) was in city B. For ease of receiving USCIS communications, we used my city A address for his mailing address and city B address for his physical address. 

After getting the conditional greencard in 2019, I moved to city B to move in with my husband. I quickly filed the address change form online to change my mailing and physical address to his City B address. 

Two years later (today!), I just realized that U.S. citizens who are sponsors of greencard are also required to file address changes formally with USCIS. His mailing address is still the City A address from two years ago, which should have been changed to City B address (same as his physical address). 

Questions: 

1. Did I mess up big? Will this affect my I-751 application?

2. Any remedies for this? How can I explain that we didn't change that mailing address for two years? 

3. While greencard holders can file address change online which is very fast, it seems that U.S. citizens' change of address needs to be filed in paper form and sent to a specific USCIS address. Should I do this before my I-751 application, or after? or doesn't matter? There's a time limit for when I can file I-751 (about 2.5 months left), so I don't want to wait on that. 

 

 

[Crazy Cat 41,857]

Personally, I would ask him to mail an I-865 as is required.  I would do it now.  I have never seen late address changes cause any problems.  I mailed mine a little late, too.  I received a mail conformation in a week afterwards.  Good luck.

[tiantian2 18]

1 minute ago, Lucky Cat said:

Personally, I would ask him to mail an I-865 as is required.  I would do it now.  I have never seen late address changes cause any problems.  I mailed mine a little late, too.  I received a mail conformation in a week afterwards.  Good luck.

Thank you! We only needs to change the mailing address, bu on the I-865 form, it asks for both new physical and mail address; do we need to put down the physical address there? Also, it asks for "effective date of change of address", should I put down the date from two years ago? Or the date of filing the I-865?

[USC4SPOUSE 506]

2 hours ago, tiantian2 said:

 

Questions: 

1. Did I mess up big? Will this affect my I-751 application?

2. Any remedies for this? How can I explain that we didn't change that mailing address for two years? 

3. While greencard holders can file address change online which is very fast, it seems that U.S. citizens' change of address needs to be filed in paper form and sent to a specific USCIS address. Should I do this before my I-751 application, or after? or doesn't matter? There's a time limit for when I can file I-751 (about 2.5 months left), so I don't want to wait on that. 

 

 

@tiantian2

1. No, you did not mess up. It will not affect your I-751 petition.

2. Remedy = file the I-865. You do not need to explain that. Even if you get called for an interview, I doubt that they would ask you that. After all, they can see the trail of evidence and hopefully, the addresses on your evidence all line up.

3. It does not matter when you do it. I have read of several people who never did it and it was not a problem. I would do it as soon as you can. I would not delay filing your I-751, though. 

[tiantian2 18]

Thank you @USC4SPOUSE and @Lucky Cat! A related question is, since my husband only needs to change the mailing address, and the physical address remain the same, what do we do with the boxes on the I-865 form asking about "new physical address" and "effective date of change" (which would be 2006, when my husband first started living here).

 

Do we just leave it empty? 

[Crazy Cat 41,857]

19 minutes ago, tiantian2 said:

Thank you @USC4SPOUSE and @Lucky Cat! A related question is, since my husband only needs to change the mailing address, and the physical address remain the same, what do we do with the boxes on the I-865 form asking about "new physical address" and "effective date of change" (which would be 2006, when my husband first started living here).

 

Do we just leave it empty? 

I would leave it blank.

[bakphx1 789]

I would fill it out correctly to match what will come back when they check to see where you’ve both been receiving mail and when.  

[USC4SPOUSE 506]

@tiantian2, I would personally enter the actual effective date. I do not think that it will have any bearing on your I-751. After all, there are people who never fill the I-865 and USCIS approves them without any issues. 

 

Edited May 29, 2021 by USC4SPOUSE

[retheem 565]

😂😂😂relax, nothing will happen, otgerwise2 some of us would have been deported long ago

[Mill&bill 131]

I forgot to change address too. So when I remembered I sent the i865 to uscis with new address and put the current effective date. I received confirmation within two weeks from uscis about address change.