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International Scholars > Change of Mailing Address  

All non-U.S. citizens are required to report a change of address to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) within 10 days of the change. This requirement applies to all non-U.S. citizens who intend to stay in the United States for more than 30 days.

  • Individuals in F-1 and J-1 status: If you move, you must notify your F-1 or J-1 visa sponsor (the office that issued your Form I-20 or DS-2019) of your new address. When your visa sponsor submits your change of address to SEVIS, this satisfies the change of address requirement for USCIS. Be sure to inform your visa sponsor of your new address within 10 days of the change.

    MIT-affiliated scholars, remember to notify the International Scholars Office (ISO) of your new address, even if MIT is not your visa sponsor.

  • Individuals in other visa statuses (e.g. H-1B, H-4, TN, TD, B-1, or WB): If you move, you must notify USCIS of your new address using Form AR-11 (or Form AR -11SR if you are subject to special registration). Remember to also inform the ISO of your new address.

    Form AR-11 can be obtained in the ISO or downloaded from the USCIS website, completed, and mailed to USCIS; OR the form may be completed and submitted electronically.

    Form AR-11SR can be obtained in the ISO or downloaded from the USCIS website, and must be completed and mailed to USCIS. There is currently no way to file AR-11SR online.

Please Note:

  • Submitting Form AR-11 or Form AR-11SR by mail informs USCIS of your address change. However, it does not tell a USCIS processing center or district office to change your address on a pending petition. Filing Form AR-11 online, however, accomplishes both.

  • If you have a change of status, extension of status, petition for permanent residence, or work permission request pending, speak to an advisor in the ISO before filing Form AR-11 or Form AR-11SR.

  • Remember to give your new address to the ISO and submit a change of address in the MIT Human Resources Information System.

Please see below for hints on how to complete Form AR-11 or Form AR-11SR.

Helpful Hints

USCIS has not provided comprehensive instructions on completing Form AR-11. Some of the questions are confusing and have not been clarified by USCIS. As far as the ISO can tell, the form will be most useful to USCIS if you provide information in the following way:"I am in the United States as:"

  • If you are a J-1 Professor, Researcher, or Short-term Scholar, check "visitor." If you are a J-1, F-1, or M-1 student, check "student."
  • If you are an H-1B temporary worker, J-2 spouse or dependent, B-1 visitor for business, adjustment applicant, O-1 individual of extraordinary ability, or in another nonimmigrant status, check "other" and write in your visa type.

"A number" If you do not have an "A" number from an alien card (permanent resident card), when filing the paper form, you may cross out the "A" and write "I-94 number," and then fill in the I-94 number from the Form I-94 arrival/departure record in your current passport. This cannot be done on the electronic form, so leave the “A” number blank when filing electronically.

"Port of entry into the U.S." should be your most recent port of entry as stamped in red on your Form I-94 or in your passport.

"Date of entry into the U.S." should be the date of your most recent entry as stamped in red on your Form I-94 or in your passport.

"My stay expires on" should be completed with the end date listed on your Form I-94 and immigration documents. When competing the paper form, if you are in J-1 or J-2 status, your expiration date will be "D/S." If you are in F-1 status, your expiration date will be "D/S." If you are filing the AR-11 electronically, the electronic form will not accept “D/S.” You must use the program end date on your most recent Form DS-2019 or I-20. If you are in H-1B or O-1 status, your expiration date is the end date listed on your Form I-797 approval notice.

We recommend that you make a photocopy of the completed form for your records and mail it by certified or express mail, so you will have proof that the form was mailed.

When submitting a paper form, the completed form should be mailed to:

Form AR-11
Form AR-11SR
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Change of Address
PO Box 7134
London, KY 40742-7134

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Change of Address - Special Registration
PO Box 7134
London, KY 40742-7134
For commercial overnight or fast freight services only:
U.S Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Change of Address
1084-I South Laurel Road
London, KY 40744
For commercial overnight or fast freight services only:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Change of Address - Special Registration
1084-I South Laurel Road
London, KY 40744

 

Last Updated: January 2007

 


 
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