Reporting
Change of U.S. Address
Information for Scholars and their Dependents
International
scholars employed or sponsored by Boston
University
must update their university
record and inform the U.S. Department of Homeland Security upon
changing address within the United
States.
Step
1: Notify the ISSO via email
All
international scholars employed or sponsored by Boston
University
must inform the ISSO immediately
upon changing address to insure that your record with our office
is up-to-date. Address updates can be sent to the general international
scholar email address at issosch@bu.edu.
Please include your full legal name and your BU ID number.
For
Boston University-sponsored scholars in J-1 classification, email
notification of an address update to the ISSO will be used to update
your immigration record through the Student and Exchange Visitor
Information System (SEVIS).
Step
2: Notify the Office of Payroll via Employee Link (for paid
employees)
International
scholars who receive a Boston University paycheck, must separately
inform BU Office of Payroll of any address change to ensure that
they continue to receive pay stubs and tax documents without delay.
To update your personal record with the Office of Payroll, please
log on the Employee
Link using your BU login name and Kerberos password.
Step
3: Notify
the DHS of an Address Change within 10 days
Federal
immigration law states that all nonimmigrants (except those in A
or G status), 14 years of age or older, who will remain in the U.S.
for 30 days or longer, are required by law to notify the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security (DHS) within 10 days of any changes to their
living address in the U.S . The parent or legal guardian of a nonimmigrant
child under the age of 14 is responsible for notifying DHS of the
child's change of address. Failure to comply with this requirement
is a violation of immigration status that is punishable by fine
or imprisonment and/or removal (“deportation”).
Notifying
the DHS of an Address Change – Scholars and their Dependents
This
section describes the important steps you must take to inform DHS
if your living address in the United
States changes during your stay.
The procedure for informing DHS of an address update differs based
on immigration category.
J-1
Scholars who possess a DS-2019 issued Boston University (Research
Scholar, Professor, Short-term Scholar and Specialist)
You are required by DHS to inform BU within 10 days of any change
to your physical residence in the U.S.
You must report an address
change by contacting the ISSO by
email or in writing (remember to include your BU ID). The ISSO
will then report the changes electronically to DHS through SEVIS.
Your physical residence is defined as where you live, not where
you work and not a P.O. Box. If it is impossible for mail to be
delivered to your physical residence, please report to the ISSO
both your mailing address and your actual physical address. We
are required to report you physical address to DHS, but will maintain
your mailing address for communication purposes.
J-1
Exchange Visitors who possess a DS-2019 NOT issued by Boston
University (including J-1 Students authorized for Academic Training)
If your DS-2019 was not issued by Boston University, then BU does
not have access to your SEVIS immigration record. You must report
an address change to the institution that issued your DS-2019
in order to comply with DHS regulations.
J-2
Dependents
If you continue to live at the same
location as the J-1 spouse or parent of whom you are a dependent,
then your address will be updated through SEVIS when the J-1 visa
holder reports the change. However, if you move to an address
different than that of the primary J-1 visa holder, then you must
follow the same reporting procedure as stated below for “H-1B,
TN, O-1 Employees, and Scholars and Dependents in all other classifications.”
F-1 Employees
Authorized for Curricular or Optional Practical Training
If
your Form I-20 was issued by a school other than Boston
University
, then BU does not have access
to your SEVIS record. You must report an address change to the
institution that issued your Form I-20 in order to comply with
DHS regulations. If you are a Boston
University
student, see Reporting
Change of Address: Information for Students.
H-1B,
TN, O-1 Employees, and Scholars and Dependents in all other classifications
If
your address has changed since the last time you were issued a
Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record (the little white card in your
passport), you must report your change in US
address to the USCIS directly
within 10 days of your move in order to satisfy the notification
requirement.
Effective
January 2007, you may report
your change of address electronically via the USCIS website.
The ISSO recommends that scholars and dependents
report their address change electronically whenever possible.
Alternatively,
the paper format of the Form
AR-11 can be downloaded from the USCIS website.
Lastly,
a paper version of Form AR-11 is available at the ISSO if you
are not able to complete it electronically or download and print
it from the links provided above.
If
you have been selected for Special Registration through the National
Security Entry/Exit System (NSEERS), you must file Form
AR
-11SR in paper format.
There is no electronic notification method at this time for persons
selected for Special Registration. The Form
AR-11SR can be downloaded and printed from the USCIS website.
Alternatively, a paper version of the AR-11SR is available for
pickup at the ISSO. The paper form must be completed, printed
and then mailed to the USCIS.
If
you complete the electronic notification, the ISSO recommends
that you print, sign and date a paper copy of the electronic sumbmission
and keep it for your records. If you complete the paper version
of the AR-11 or AR-11SR, the ISSO recommends that you make a copy
of your completed form for your records before you mail it. Use
Certified Mail and request a Return Receipt from the U.S. Postal
Service. When you receive the Return Receipt, attach it to your
copy of the form. This will provide evidence that you sent notification
of your change of address in case there is a discrepancy with
DHS records.
Notifications
that Do Not Constitute Compliance with Federal Address Reporting
Requirement
Filing
a forwarding address with the U.S.
Postal Service will not satisfy
the federal reporting requirement .
Mail from the U.S.
government will not be forwarded by the Post Office and will be
returned to the issuing government agency as undeliverable.
If
You Have an Application Currently Pending with a DHS Office
If you have filed an
application and it is pending with a DHS
Service
Center
or other field office (e.g.
for work authorization or petition for Permanent Residence) informing
the ISSO or filing the AR-11 (or AR-11SR) WILL
NOT update your address with the respective DHS office.
You must inform the appropriate DHS office separately in order to
update your application address and ensure that you will receive
notifications regarding your petition. Contact
your advisor at the ISSO for instructions on the best way to
inform these offices of your change of address.
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