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Change of Address - Scholars

All foreign nationals must be aware of the Department of Homeland Security's regulations on address change notification. 

  1. All non-U.S. citizens, including lawful permanent residents, are required to notify DHS of changes of address within 10 days of moving (see below for details)
  2. Also send your new address to ISSS at .
  3. You must also update your address with Penn/payroll using U@Penn (click on My Profile, then click on Edit My Profile).

 

J-1 Scholars and J-2 Dependents

If you are a J-1/J-2 exchange visitor in SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System), you should comply with this requirement by informing ISSS of an address change within 10 days of the change, instead of sending an AR-11directly to DHS.  

 

H-1B, O-1, TN, E-3, Permanent Residents and Others

If you are not in J-1/J-2 status (such as H-1B, O-1, TN, E-3, etc.), file Form AR-11 online. Be sure to print a copy before submission for your record of compliance.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • If fail to comply with the requirement...
    • Failure to comply with the address change notification requirements may affect your ability to remain in the U.S. and your ability to reenter the U.S. after travel abroad. Noncompliance may also be criminally punishable as a misdemeanor with a fine not to exceed $200 and/or imprisonment of no more than 30 days.
    • Almost all nonimmigrants, including all those in F, J, H, O or TN status -- as well as permanent residents of the US -- are required to notify DHS of a change of residential address within 10 days of the change. It is very important to comply with this requirement since the initial penalty for failure to report a change of address is a fine of up to $200 and/or imprisonment for not more than 30 days; in addition, unless you can prove that your failure to report was "reasonably excusable or was not willful," the law directs the Attorney General to take you into custody and deport you from the United States.
  • Should I report my current address to DHS now?
    • This depends on whether you are still living at the same address that you provided to the immigration service when you last entered the US and completed your Arrival/Departure Record, Form I-94 (if issued paper I-94).
    • If you are still living at the address you wrote down on your I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, you do not need to report this address to DHS again.
    • If you are not currently living at this address, you should complete Form AR-11 and send it to DHS with your current address now (regardless of how long you have resided at this address; it is better to submit an address change late, rather than not at all; F and J visa holders, as noted above, do not submit Form AR-11 but instead report the new address to ISSS).
    • If you are not sure what address you wrote down on your last I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, complete Form AR-11 and add a notation indicating that this is your current address but that your are unsure what address you reported to DHS upon your last entry to the U.S.
  • Should I report a U.S. summer address to DHS ?
    • You should report a summer address in the U.S. to DHS if this address will be the only address where you can be contacted over the summer.
    • But if you continue to maintain your academic year address as well, or if you can still be contacted via your academic year address over the summer, then you do not need to consider your summer address a new address requiring notice to DHS.
    • Note: When reporting a summer address Form AR-11 includes a line where you can indicate how many months you expect to reside at the summer address; you should file another Form AR-11, however, when you reestablish your academic year address.