Question on address change while waiting for interview

[albert2000]

I'm a US citizen filed I-485 for my wife. Here's timeline of our process(we live in Atlanta, GA):

-July 2017, I485 & I130 sent and received
-Aug 2017, Biometric Scan
-Oct 2017, EAD received

On the website for status check, it shows that we are just waiting for the interview to be scheduled. We have also checked with congressional liaison and we are told that the file is at NBC. Under the jurisdiction of the Atlanta Field Office is more than 14.5 months. I recently got a new job and have to move to Boston MA. Does changing our address from Atlanta to Boston affect the wait time, and should my wife still stay in Atlanta for a few more months?

[MissTz1982]

I'm a US citizen filed I-485 for my wife. Here's timeline of our process(we live in Atlanta, GA):

-July 2017, I485 & I130 sent and received
-Aug 2017, Biometric Scan
-Oct 2017, EAD received

On the website for status check, it shows that we are just waiting for the interview to be scheduled. We have also checked with congressional liaison and we are told that the file is at NBC. Under the jurisdiction of the Atlanta Field Office is more than 14.5 months. I recently got a new job and have to move to Boston MA. Does changing our address from Atlanta to Boston affect the wait time, and should my wife still stay in Atlanta for a few more months?

Yes moving will definitely have your file transferred to the field office of the city you will be moving to. Check the processing time for the Boston field office. Hopefully you get an interview while your wife is still in Atlanta. I wouldn?t change the address yet. You have been waiting for almost a year so you could get an interview anytime soon.

[cali2018]

Boston is faster than Atlanta. Interviews is off your PD date very possibly you could get an interview upon arriving in Beantown. Congrats on the new job!

[albert2000]

thanks guys. I think we are going to wait a couple more weeks, and we will just change address if no interview date is set by then.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

I'm a US citizen filed I-485 for my wife. Here's timeline of our process(we live in Atlanta, GA):

-July 2017, I485 & I130 sent and received
-Aug 2017, Biometric Scan
-Oct 2017, EAD received

On the website for status check, it shows that we are just waiting for the interview to be scheduled. We have also checked with congressional liaison and we are told that the file is at NBC. Under the jurisdiction of the Atlanta Field Office is more than 14.5 months. I recently got a new job and have to move to Boston MA. Does changing our address from Atlanta to Boston affect the wait time, and should my wife still stay in Atlanta for a few more months?

I won't tell you what to do but show you facts.

On January 31st, 2018, these field offices were processing cases with these PDs:
Boston, MA 04/17/17
Atlanta, GA 12/21/16

You might say - ok, but that only tells you the priority date and not how fast the cases are moving or the median, which I have said. BUT here is the raw data.

Then throw on top of all this the fact that as of 12/31/17, these two field offices had this number of employment based AOS petitions and humanitarian based:

Boston, MA
Employment AOS 780
Humanitarian AOS 90

Atlanta, GA
Employment AOS 869
Humanitarian AOS 1,346

It's all up to you. But numbers similars to these prompted our move from the slowest jurisdiction - Minneapolis, MN field office, to Raleigh, NC. All those employment based peeps and the majority of humanitarian AOS will have to be interviewed. That's a tight bottle neck.

So based on these numbers I can confidently say that Boston will remain around the 7 to 9 month range for cases that have no RFEs or complicated immigration situations.

Facts on changing your address:
1. You need to change it with USPS first - 45 days ahead of your move
2. Fill out the AR-11 with USCIS second - 30 days ahead of your move

Of note: "The the AR-11 must be submitted to USCIS NO LATER THAN 10 days after your move".

Following #1 and #2 is the best way to go about it. USCIS will not confirm your change of address without USPS' confirmation. I did it backwards, and USCIS sent me a message stating I was not yet registered to receive mail at the address entered on the AR-11. It took 3 attempts to get the address updated. Three AR-11. Thus, I wasted a ton of time. However, Raleigh is already scheduling interviews for people who filed at the end of March 2018. My PD is 03/16/18 so the case should drop into the queue soon.

I would just do the change of address now - literally right now. If the Boston, MA was working on PD 04/17/17 as of 01/31/2018, then by now they're working on cases beyond July 2017. That means your case will be considered behind. The system will likely just push it into the queue. Right now, your case is frozen at the NBC waiting for the Atlanta field office to give the green light. Fun fact, the Atlanta Field office was part of the employment based glitch, and skipped 2017 cases and jumped to cases filed in January 2018. Those January 2018 already have a green card in hand. Nicely done, Atlanta Field Office. They've proven to you their incompetence. So there...

Your Senators in MASS are both democrat. Here they are:

https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=MA

And in Georgia, they're both republican:

https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=GA

If your case does not drop into the queue right away, then you can have one of the two senators - whoever is more pro-immigration - make a congressional inquiry for you. They shake the tree and USCIS must respond within 48 hours. That's their agreement.

That's my humble two cents. It's not a hunch, but all based on data. It's frustrating and with this politcal climate... That's why I was willing to pick up and go. We're still paying for the other lease in case the area is not for us - doubt it because the Southern Hospitality is winning us. But I still have work to be done in MN, so the place is there. Way cheaper than AirBnb.

Examine the facts and choose wisely. Spend some time digesting the chart. It tells you everything you need to know.

All the best,

USCFFS

PS: clarification - Changing the physical address with USCIS prompts the change in jurisdiction. Your physical file is at the NBC right now and will remain there until your field office gives the green light to throw you into the scheduling queue. If you move, your physical file stays at the NBC; however, the jurisdiction is updated. I just wanted to make that clear that USCIS is not shipping around your stuff every time you move.

- - - Updated - - -

[Katya7]

I won't tell you what to do but show you facts.

On January 31st, 2018, these field offices were processing cases with these PDs:
Boston, MA 04/17/17
Atlanta, GA 12/21/16

You might say - ok, but that only tells you the priority date and not how fast the cases are moving or the median, which I have said. BUT here is the raw data.

Then throw on top of all this the fact that as of 12/31/17, these two field offices had this number of employment based AOS petitions and humanitarian based:

Boston, MA
Employment AOS 780
Humanitarian AOS 90

Atlanta, GA
Employment AOS 869
Humanitarian AOS 1,346

It's all up to you. But numbers similars to these prompted our move from the slowest jurisdiction - Minneapolis, MN field office, to Raleigh, NC. All those employment based peeps and the majority of humanitarian AOS will have to be interviewed. That's a tight bottle neck.

So based on these numbers I can confidently say that Boston will remain around the 7 to 9 month range for cases that have no RFEs or complicated immigration situations.

Facts on changing your address:
1. You need to change it with USPS first - 45 days ahead of your move
2. Fill out the AR-11 with USCIS second - 30 days ahead of your move
3. Fill out the AR-11 with USCIS NO LATER THAN 10 days after your move.

Following #1 and #2 is the best way to go about it. USCIS will not confirm your change of address without USPS' confirmation. I did it backwards, and USCIS sent me a message stating I was not yet registered to receive mail at the address entered on the AR-11. It took 3 attempts to get the address updated. Three AR-11. Thus, I wasted a ton of time. However, Raleigh is already scheduling interviews for people who filed at the end of March 2018. My PD is 03/16/18 so the case should drop into the queue soon.

I would just do the change of address now - literally right now. If the Boston, MA was working on PD 04/17/17 as of 01/31/2018, then by now they're working on cases beyond July 2017. That means your case will be considered behind. The system will likely just push it into the queue. Right now, your case is frozen at the NBC waiting for the Atlanta field office to give the green light. Fun fact, the Atlanta Field office was part of the employment based glitch, and skipped 2017 cases and jumped to cases filed in January 2018. Those January 2018 already have a green card in hand. Nicely done, Atlanta Field Office. They've proven to you their incompetence. So there...

Your Senators in MASS are both democrat. Here they are:

https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=MA

And in Georgia, they're both republican:

https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=GA

If your case does not drop into the queue right away, then you can have one of the two senators - whoever is more pro-immigration - make a congressional inquiry for you. They shake the tree and USCIS must respond within 48 hours. That's their agreement.

That's my humble two cents. It's not a hunch, but all based on data. It's frustrating and with this politcal climate... That's why I was willing to pick up and go. We're still paying for the other lease in case the area is not for us - doubt it because the Southern Hospitality is winning us. But I still have work to be done in MN, so the place is there. Way cheaper than AirBnb.

Examine the facts and choose wisely. Spend some time digesting the chart. It tells you everything you need to know.

All the best,

USCFFS

PS: clarification - Changing the physical address with USCIS prompts the change in jurisdiction. Your physical file is at the NBC right now and will remain there until your field office gives the green light to throw you into the scheduling queue. If you move, your physical file stays at the NBC; however, the jurisdiction is updated. I just wanted to make that clear that USCIS is not shipping around your stuff every time you move.

- - - Updated - - -



I agree with Cali2018. It's a no brainer.

Hey!
Can I ask you why you suggest submitting form AR-11 twice?
2. Fill out the AR-11 with USCIS second - 30 days ahead of your move
3. Fill out the AR-11 with USCIS NO LATER THAN 10 days after your move.

We are going to change address to the neiboring citi, so the office fiels should stay the same. We are moving aroun 6.30.18 though..

Thank you very much.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Hey!
Can I ask you why you suggest submitting form AR-11 twice?
2. Fill out the AR-11 with USCIS second - 30 days ahead of your move
3. Fill out the AR-11 with USCIS NO LATER THAN 10 days after your move.

We are going to change address to the neiboring citi, so the office fiels should stay the same. We are moving aroun 6.30.18 though..

Thank you very much.

Thank you for catching that! I meant "The the AR-11 must be submitted to USCIS NO LATER THAN 10 days after your move".

I don't know if moving within the same jusridiction places your case on a temporary hold or not. You can check your field office here.

https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/field-offices

- - - Updated - - -

Boston is faster than Atlanta. Interviews is off your PD date very possibly you could get an interview upon arriving in Beantown. Congrats on the new job!

I agree with Cali2018. It's a no brainer.