The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has announced an online change-of-address form for Caribbean and other noncitizens, giving them the option to update their information online in addition to the existing options of doing so by phone or in-person.
“It will enable noncitizens to comply with their immigration obligations more easily and improve the accuracy of address information reported to ICE by utilizing address autofill to ensure US Postal Service standardization,” said ICE in a statement on Friday.
The immigration enforcement agency said the new tool will be deployed in a rolling release, with full availability anticipated in the coming weeks.
“This is another critical innovation to improve compliance with immigration obligations and increase the efficiency of the process,” said ICE deputy director and senior official performing the duties of the director Tae D Johnson.
“The new online change-of-address tool will make it easier for noncitizens to update their addresses, decreasing administrative time required in the immigration process.
“This tool also automates a task normally performed by an officer, instead allowing them to focus on managing and processing those awaiting proceedings,” he added.
ICE said that when fully live, the new tool may be used by any noncitizen to change their address with ICE online instead of calling the telephone line or going to a field office.
“After successfully entering a valid mailing address, if the noncitizen is currently in removal proceedings pursuant to Section 240 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the interactive online form will show the noncitizen information on how to also change their address with the immigration court as required, using the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) Form EOIR-33, Change of Address/Contact Information, which may be submitted by mail, in-person at the immigration court, or online through EOIR’s Respondent Access,” the statement said.
It said the EOIR-33 is currently available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Portuguese and Punjabi.
To determine if a noncitizen still needs a notice to appear, ICE said it will run system checks to make sure the noncitizen is not already in removal proceedings pursuant to Section 240 of the INA, does not have an affirmative asylum application pending with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and does not already have a final order of removal.
ICE said Caribbean and other noncitizens, who are eligible for, but have not yet received a notice to appear, meaning those who were released on conditional parole with an alternative to detention, may be prompted to state whether they want to receive their notice to appear by mail or to in person by scheduling an appointment at an Enforcement Removal Office field office.
To process an online change-of-address, ICE said the system requires a full name, number and validated non-commercial address.
“It takes approximately one minute to complete the form,” it said. “All noncitizens in the United States, except A and G visa holders and visa waiver visitors, must also report a change of address to USCIS within 10 days of moving.”
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