address for notification of biometrics appointment

[yorkville101]

I am a LPR currently residing in HK due to my husband's job. I need to apply for an reentry permit as my current one is about to expire. We had purchased a home in US last month, and I will use that as my physical address to fill out Form I-131.

I intend to travel to US to submit the form, then go back to HK, and then come back to US to complete biometrics. As no one will be residing at the US physical address during the period from form submission to biometrics appointment, how can I make sure that I receive the notification for biometrics?

On Form I-131, in Part 3, there is an option to receive the final travel document at an overseas US embassy or DHS location (Part 3, #6 and #7). If this option is selected, it allows the applicant to receive the notice to pick up such travel document at a designated address (Part 3, #10).

So my question is where will be notification for biometrics be send? Is it to physical address specified in Part 1, #2, or to the designated address in Part 3, #10?

Many thanks, Yorkville

[rayb]

The Biometrics appointment notice will be sent to the U.S. address that you provide on the I-131. If you are unable to have someone monitor mail at your U.S. address, you should either provide a different U.S. mailing address or make arrangements for a responsible person to monitor your mail.

--Ray B

I am a LPR currently residing in HK due to my husband's job. I need to apply for an reentry permit as my current one is about to expire. We had purchased a home in US last month, and I will use that as my physical address to fill out Form I-131.

I intend to travel to US to submit the form, then go back to HK, and then come back to US to complete biometrics. As no one will be residing at the US physical address during the period from form submission to biometrics appointment, how can I make sure that I receive the notification for biometrics?

On Form I-131, in Part 3, there is an option to receive the final travel document at an overseas US embassy or DHS location (Part 3, #6 and #7). If this option is selected, it allows the applicant to receive the notice to pick up such travel document at a designated address (Part 3, #10).

So my question is where will be notification for biometrics be send? Is it to physical address specified in Part 1, #2, or to the designated address in Part 3, #10?

Many thanks, Yorkville

[yorkville101]

Where on Form-131 can I specify a different US mailing address? ie different from my permanent phsycial address?

The Biometrics appointment notice will be sent to the U.S. address that you provide on the I-131. If you are unable to have someone monitor mail at your U.S. address, you should either provide a different U.S. mailing address or make arrangements for a responsible person to monitor your mail.

--Ray B

[rayb]

Use fields 2b through 2e. Even though it says "physical address," P O box addresses are commonly used by a lot of people these days, and on immigration-related forms.

As an alternative, you might include an attachment to that section, on a separate sheet of paper, explaining why the P O Box address is preferable for mail, since you are away form your physical address for extended periods and mail delivered there is not safe.

--Ray B

Where on Form-131 can I specify a different US mailing address? ie different from my permanent phsycial address?

[yorkville101]

Use fields 2b through 2e. Even though it says "physical address," P O box addresses are commonly used by a lot of people these days, and on immigration-related forms.

As an alternative, you might include an attachment to that section, on a separate sheet of paper, explaining why the P O Box address is preferable for mail, since you are away form your physical address for extended periods and mail delivered there is not safe.

--Ray B

You mean for the "physical address" under Part 1, 2b -2e, this does not need to be my US permanent home address? For example, I own a home in NY, and I live in HK. For I-131, for "physical address", I can put in a relative's address, say in Florida. Then mail the form from Guam. All USCIS is ok with that?

[rayb]

Your question, "All USCIS is okay with that?" begs a response. It is the bureaucratic "catch 22" that if you ask a question whose answer you don't want to hear, you're almost guaranteed to get back the answer you don't want to hear.

The rule is that you must submit the I-131 before you leave the U.S. For anyone to tell you to devise a workaround to bypass the requirement is doing you a disservice and contributing to a flagrant disregard of the USCIS requirements.

My advice is to either have a separate mailing address, like a P O box in the area your home is located, and to include an attachment referencing that as your mailing address, or to submit a formal address change to USCIS, then use the new address (at a relative's home) as your official physical address. If you are going to use a relative's address 10 states away as your mailing address, and still maintain a NY physical address, then mail your form from Guam, you're asking for unneeded attention.

I've had to set this up for at least two people. In both cases, the applicants submitted the I-131 from their normal U.S. addresses, waiting long enough for the Biometrics, then took off for Thailand or the Philippines. That scenario can be defended and is not in violation of the "spirit" of the rules, or of the literal interpretation of the rules.

--Ray B

You mean for the "physical address" under Part 1, 2b -2e, this does not need to be my US permanent home address? For example, I own a home in NY, and I live in HK. For I-131, for "physical address", I can put in a relative's address, say in Florida. Then mail the form from Guam. All USCIS is ok with that?