Update Your Address for Immigration
It may come as a surprise to many Lawful Permanent Residents that you must update your address for immigration records within ten days of moving! The form used is called the
AR-11 and requires no fee. Some clients come to our office and with their green card in hand for some other service and indicate that they have not updated their address with USCIS in over ten years. After all, they didn't know this was a requirement. It is, and the repercussions for a willful failure to update can be:
- Commission of a misdemeanor crime
- A fine of up to $200
- Up to 30 days in jail
- Removal from the United States
According to the
law, the issue will boil down to whether the failure to update your address was willful or not reasonably excusable. So if you submitted an application for
naturalization and made some misrepresentation on it about your addresses, or if you miss a hearing because of it - you may have a problem. Otherwise, chances are that the government will not be spending it's time and resources on enforcing address updates through removal proceedings. However, it is a good idea to consult with an experienced
Clearwater Florida immigration attorney to make sure you don't run into trouble at a later date. Many people take advantage of some cheap immigration help offices who claim they can assist in preparing forms. This is a huge mistake! The reason why is because anyone can fill out a form. But a comprehensive consultation allows an
experienced immigration attorney to examine the client's entire history and background and pinpoint issues that may be problematic. Those issues could lead to denial of applications, or worse, removal proceedings being initiated. You can save money and possibly your freedom by consulting with an experienced attorney first.
