Using a PO box N400

[Andrew1981 0]

Dear VJ Members,

I have a quick question that I hope someone can answer. I am about to mail off my N400 application to USCIS, however, I am wondering if I am allowed to use a PO box. I have put both my physical address and a PO box address on my N400, but I am not sure where USCIS will send NOA1, ASC notice and interview letter. My situation is this. I am going to be away from my home for the next few months (with ability to return for my biometrics and interview of course). There is no one who could check my mail while I am away, so I set up a PO box at a local UPS store (they can forward my mail wherever I am within the US). Does anyone know (or ideally, have personal experience) where USCIS will send its correspondence to provided I have put both my physical address and my PO box address on the form?

Thank you!

Best regards,

Andrew

[Ted46 2]

The key problem you will encounter is that the fingerprint notice is usually sent on very short notice, say a week or two from the letter to the fingerprinting appointment (this may obviously vary by location). As such, receiving the letter, forwarding it, and then responding to it is a bit of a challenge. All the other letters give you 4 weeks or more warning, so they are not a problem.

PS: I also found that USCIS randomly sends letters to both the physical address and the mailing address, but I am assuming you would forward mail from your apartment to your box. Pray for USPS to get the work done, but ideally enlist a friend to check your mailbox for the fingerprint notice at regular intervals.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Ted46

[Andrew1981 0]

The key problem you will encounter is that the fingerprint notice is usually sent on very short notice, say a week or two from the letter to the fingerprinting appointment (this may obviously vary by location). As such, receiving the letter, forwarding it, and then responding to it is a bit of a challenge. All the other letters give you 4 weeks or more warning, so they are not a problem.

PS: I also found that USCIS randomly sends letters to both the physical address and the mailing address, but I am assuming you would forward mail from your apartment to your box. Pray for USPS to get the work done, but ideally enlist a friend to check your mailbox for the fingerprint notice at regular intervals.

Hi Ted,

Thank you for your response! Much appreciated!

I take it USCIS won't have a problem printing my PO Box address on my NOA and ASC notice and posting them to my mailing address. I was worried because someone told me that they always send official correspondence to a physical address even if a PO box/mailing address is provided on the application form.

I have no problem returning to my home town within 24 hours, so I should be able to keep my original ASC date. Worse comes to worse, I can re-schedule it I believe.

Andrew

P.S. Any further advice / personal experience by other forum members will be appreciated!

[a&o 4]

We have listed both addresses on USCIS applications and forms in the past, and found that correspondence from the USCIS back to us randomly arrives at both the physical and the PO boxes. One piece of mail came to the PO box, then another to the physical mailing address. We had listed the physical address only because we read about others who had only a PO box and never received anything, and others who said they don't send correspondence to PO boxes. (Our hesitation on listing our physical address is that it's our landlord's mailbox and we don't have access to it.)

What saved us from going nuts over this was being able to get the email notifications on the case: at least we could follow it that way, and if a piece of mail never arrived, we could go make an InfoPass appointment to see what was up.