The Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office will allow immigrants with open processes, such as Green Card or naturalization, to update their address quickly and safely.
To do this, the agency launched a self-service tool called One-Time Change of Address Tool (E-COA).
“[Esto] to allow individuals who have pending applications, petitions or requests for service to more easily update their address with USCIS,” the agency says. “E-COA will significantly improve the speed and efficiency of the process for USCIS customers to update their addresses with the agency.”
This new tool eliminates several steps that immigrants must follow when updating their physical address.
“[Se] eliminates the need to update the address in multiple places; fill out a Form AR-11, Change of Alien Address Card; call the Contact Center, or visit a local USCIS office,” the decision indicates.
The disadvantage for some immigrants is that the E-COA tool is available in English, for now, but its use is simple.
“It can be accessed through a USCIS online account regardless of whether the person’s cases were filed online or by mail,” it stated.
To use E-COA, individuals will need to have a USCIS online account, in addition to filling out the fields for last name, date of birth, adding new physical and mailing addresses, and information about the pending application or petition.
USCIS sets some restrictions for T or U visa petitioners.
“Persons protected by 8 USC 1367 (persons who have pending or approved applications or petitioners under the benefits of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), T nonimmigrant status or U nonimmigrant status and their beneficiaries or derivatives) they cannot use E-COA during the initial phase,” he recalls.
Such individuals should send an email to the designated mailbox in the VAWA, T, and U Petition Inquiries section, the agency adds.
It is important that if you change your physical and postal address, you notify USCIS so that it receives the information about your case in a timely manner.
Lawyers suggest trying to avoid changing addresses, since that can complicate some processes, such as a case reviewed by this newspaper.
Javier is an immigrant who applied for a Green Card through marriage, he received a first document conditional on two years, but a few weeks after completing the procedure to remove the conditions, the immigrant moved house and made the notification to USCIS, but received a request from the agency to add more information about their marriage, including more photographs.
After almost a year, Javier received a notification that the removal of the conditions on his Green Card had been approved.