U.S Department of Homeland Security
Citizenship and Immigration Services
Attn: Change of Address
1344 Pleasants Drive
Harrisonburg, VA 22801

Change of address forms mailed to the old location will be forwarded to the new filing location for 45 days beginning April 1, 2011 until May 16, 2011.

You can also file Form AR-11 online.

Source: USCIS

© 2011, Thaker Berowitz LLP. All rights reserved.

DHS/USCIS
Harrisonburg File Storage Facility
Attn:  AR-11
1344 Pleasants Drive
Harrisonburg, VA 22801

Change of address forms mailed to the old location will be forwarded to the new filing location for 45 days beginning March 15, 2011 until April 28, 2011.

Source: USCIS

© 2011, Thaker Berowitz LLP. All rights reserved.

Poverty guidelines set forth the minimum income requirement for use in completing Forms I-864 or I-864-EZ, Affidavit of Support.

© 2011, Thaker Berowitz LLP. All rights reserved.

The revised version of the form will be published on the same day that the final fee rule becomes effective: November 23, 2010.

Once the revised version of the Form I-129 is published, USCIS will accept previous editions of the form for 30 days or until December 21, 2010.

Please keep the following dates in mind:

November 23, 2010 – revised form available on www.uscis.gov

December 21, 2010 – last day that USCIS can accept previous editions of the form (NOTE: This means that petitions must be postmarked or filed on or before this date for the previous edition to be accepted)

December 22, 2010 – USCIS will only accept the revised form with the Nov. 23, 2010 revision date and will reject requests using previous editions of the form (NOTE: This means that petitions postmarked or filed on or after this date require the revised version)”

© 2010, Thaker Berowitz LLP. All rights reserved.

USCIS is once again increasing filing fees for almost every application.  According to the USCIS, it must increase its fees by at least ten percent to “fully recover costs and maintain adequate service.”

The new fees will be effective 60 days from September 24, 2010, the date of publication of this final rule in the Federal Register.  60 days from September 24, 2010 is November 23, 2010.  Applications or petitions mailed, postmarked, or otherwise filed on or after November 23, 2010 must include the new fees.

If you or anyone you know has been waiting to file for an immigration benefit, NOW would be a good time to think about getting those applications filed before the fees go up! Depending on what application or petition needs to be filed, you can save hundreds of dollars by filing for the benefit(s) before the new fees go into effect towards the end of November 2010!

Some notable fee increases:

Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) will cost $420 to file.

Form I-485, Application for Permanent Residency will cost $985, plus $85 for biometrics, for a total fee of $1,070.  It is presumed that this fee will include the initial application for employment authorization (Form I-765), like the current fee (of $1,010) includes.  But we will have to wait and see the revised instructions as the fees become effective.

Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization will cost $380 to file.

Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card will cost $365 to file.

Form I-102, Application to Replace Nonimmigrant Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94) will cost $330 to file.

It appears that the filing fee for Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, will remain at $595, but biometrics fee will increase to $85, so the total fee for N-400 will be $680.  But we will need to review the instructions on the application once the new fees become effective.

Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion from a Decision of the USCIS will cost $630 to file.

If you would like to review the list of revised fees, the USCIS Fact Sheet, outlines these fee increases.  USCIS has also posted a Q&A on the fee increase, which answers many common questions.

Keep checking back on our blog for more information about the fee increases, or you may visit the USCIS website for further information and answers to commonly asked questions about the fee increase.

© 2010, Thaker Berowitz LLP. All rights reserved.

USCIS will accept previous versions of Form I-90 for 45 days, until July 28, 2010.  After July 28, 2010, USCIS will reject all previous versions of Form I-90 and will return incorrect applications with a note instructing applicants to refile using the correct version of the form.

Form I-90 can be mailed to one of the designated USCIS lockbox facilities, or you may now file it online using the Internet.

© 2010, Thaker Berowitz LLP. All rights reserved.

Beginning March 19, 2010 applicants will file their applications at the USCIS Vermont Service Center or at one of the USCIS Lockbox facilities.

The USCIS Service Centers will forward incorrectly filed Form I-131 applications to the USCIS Lockbox facilities for 30 days, until Monday, April 19, 2010.  After April 19, 2010, incorrectly filed applications will be returned to the applicant, with a note to send the application to the correct location.

© 2010, Thaker Berowitz LLP. All rights reserved.

If you relocate from your current residence to a new address, you are required to notify the USCIS of your new address within 10 days.

USCIS will only recognize an address that has been properly provided through Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card.  Form AR-11 can be filed online or it can be mailed in.

If you do not properly file a change of address form, USCIS will continue to send mail at your last known address on file.  USCIS cannot send mail to an address that it does not know about.  The only way it will know about a new address is if and when you file AR-11.

It is in your best interest to file the change of address form as soon as possible after any change in residences, so that you do not miss any important correspondence from the USCIS.  If you file AR-11 online through the USCIS website, you should print the confirmation email and keep it in a safe place as proof of submission of the form.  If you choose to mail Form AR-11 to the USCIS, you should send it via certified mail return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.  This way, if the USCIS ever alleges that you failed to meet your obligation to file Form AR-11, and if your address ever becomes an issue of contention in the future (as it often does in immigration law where notice issues are involved), you will have proof that you notified the USCIS of your new address through Form AR-11!

Access Form AR-11 Online

Access Form AR-11 to prepare, print, and mail in!

© 2010, Thaker Berowitz LLP. All rights reserved.

In addition to a revised form, there are new filing locations.

Beginning February 25, 2010, most applicants must submit Form I-485 to a USCIS Lockbox facility, depending  on the eligibility category under which they are filing, as provided in the form instructions.  USCIS Service Centers will forward all Form I-485 applications to the appropriate Lockbox facility until March 29, 2010.  USCIS will accept previous versions of Form I-485 until March 29, 2010.

After March 29, 2010, USCIS will only accept the Form I-485 dated 12/03/09. Any previous versions of the the form that are submitted will be rejected. After the transitional period, the Service Centers will return any incorrectly filed Form I-485 with instructions to send the application to the correct location.

© 2010, Thaker Berowitz LLP. All rights reserved.

The new form is dated 12/30/09, and due to the changes, no previous versions of the form will be accepted 30 days after publication.

There are also new filing locations for Form I-360.

Beginning February 25, 2010, applicants must file a Form I-360 with either the Vermont Service Center, the Nebraska Service Center, or at a USCIS Lockbox facility.  Where applicable, USCIS Service Centers will forward Form I-360 petitions to the appropriate Lockbox facility until March 29, 2010.  After the transitional period, the Service Centers may return incorrectly filed Form I-360 with instructions to send the petition to the correct location.   USCIS will accept previous versions of Form I-360 until March 29, 2010.  After March 29, 2010, USCIS will reject previous versions of the form submitted.

© 2010, Thaker Berowitz LLP. All rights reserved.