How to Change Your Address
If you have filed an immigration benefit request with USCIS, you must notify USCIS of any changes of address as soon as possible to ensure you receive all correspondence and benefits without delay. Additionally, all aliens in the United States must report a change of address to USCIS within 10 days of moving. This reporting requirement does not apply to A and G visa holders and visa waiver visitors.
We strongly encourage you to submit your change of address through a USCIS online account as soon as you move.
Changing your address with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will not change your address with USCIS and USPS will not forward your mail from USCIS. Please update your information with both USCIS and USPS. We recommend you use the USPS Look Up a ZIP Code tool to ensure that you give USCIS your full address using the standard abbreviations and formatting recognized by USPS.
How to Change Your Address Online
Using an online account to update your address in a timely way meets the legal requirement to notify us that you have moved. It also ensures that your case will continue processing without interruption and that you receive all correspondence and benefits without delay. Changing your address online allows us to process your change of address almost immediately and eliminates the need to file a paper Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card, by mail.
Most people can change their address online using the USCIS Enterprise Change of Address (E-COA) self-service change-of-address tool. This tool can be found in their USCIS Online Account under the My Account dropdown menu. If you do not have a USCIS online account, see our How to Create a USCIS Online Account page. Some people may not have access to this feature, see the Specific Procedures for Certain Populations section for more information.
If you have a pending, approved, or previously filed case with USCIS, you may change your address using your USCIS online account even if you initially filed your benefit request by mail.
NOTE: If you use your USCIS online account to change your address, you must enter the receipt numbers for each pending benefit request to apply the address change. Providing receipt numbers helps ensure that we update your address where needed and that you continue to receive important correspondence and benefits related to these cases from USCIS without delay.
How to Change Your Address by Mail
You also may file a paper Form AR-11 by mail to change your address. This meets the legal requirement to notify USCIS of a change of address. However, because filing a paper-based Form AR-11 does not provide for an automated update to your address in USCIS systems, we strongly encourage requestors to use the self-service change of address tool available in their USCIS online account when reporting a change of address.
Specific Procedures for Certain Populations
Certain populations may need to follow other program-specific procedures to change their address. See below and the USCIS Policy Manual change of address guidance for more information.
If you are a U.S. citizen with a pending or approved orphan or Hague adoption application or petition, a change of address is considered a significant change in your household. Please visit the Updated Home Studies and Significant Changes page for information on how to update your address if you have any of these adoption-related forms pending or approved:
- Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition;
- Form I-600A/I-600 Supplement 3, Request for Action on Approved Form I-600A/I-600 (PDF, 446.22 KB);
- Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative;
- Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country; or
- Form I-800A Supplement 3, Request for Action on Approved Form I-800A (PDF, 451.04 KB); or
- Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative.
If you do not promptly report significant changes to USCIS, this could delay or negatively affect the completion of your adoption process. Please visit the Duty of Disclosure page for information about when you are required to report a significant change during your adoption process.
If you are an attorney or accredited representative of record, see the Filing Your Form G-28 page for information on updating your address.
If you are a civil surgeon and need to update your address, send your address change request to the email address in your civil surgeon designation approval letter. For more information, see the USCIS Designated Civil Surgeons page.
If your approval notice says we forwarded your petition to the U.S. Department of State’s National Visa Center for consular processing, please see the Department of State’s National Visa Center Contact Information webpage for information on contacting the Department of State, in addition to changing your address with USCIS.
If you filed a petition for a beneficiary, and the beneficiary moves, contact the USCIS Contact Center or the office that has jurisdiction over your case.
In addition, if you are a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident and submitted an affidavit of support for another person, you must submit Form I-865, Sponsor’s Notice of Change of Address, within 30 days of your move.
NOTE: If the beneficiary moves to the United States, or from the United States to another country, you may need to take additional action on your pending or approved petition to indicate whether the beneficiary requests adjustment of status inside the United States or consular processing outside the United States. For more information for family-based immigrant petitions, see Guidance for Family Based Immigrant Petitions.
If you are a beneficiary of an approved petition, you are residing outside the United States, and you are requesting consular processing, you should change your address with the Department of State. Please see the Department of State’s National Visa Center Contact Information webpage for information to contact the Department of State. For more information on changes of address for Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, see the Form I-130 webpage.
We have special procedures in place if you previously filed or have a pending or approved:
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petition on Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant;
Application for T Nonimmigrant Status (Form I-914);
Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status (Form I-918);
Application for a Green Card on Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, based on any of the above benefits, including VAWA self-petitioners and derivatives applying under the VAWA provisions of the Cuban Adjustment Act and the Haitian Refugee Relief Act;
Application for Employment Authorization for Abused Nonimmigrant Spouse (Form I-765v); or
Application for an abuse waiver filed on Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.
Please visit the Change of Address Procedures for VAWA/T/U Cases and Form I-751 Abuse Waivers page for information to change your address.
- USCIS Online Account (You can find the self-service change of address tool under the Account Options tab.)
- AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card
- How to Create a USCIS Online Account
- How to Track Delivery of Your Notice or Secure Identity Document (or Card)
- Immigration Documents and How to Correct, Update, or Replace Them