How do you update your address with USCIS in the United States in 2026?

USCIS states that aliens in the United States must report a change of address within 10 days of moving. A and G visa holders and Visa Waiver Program visitors are called out as exceptions on the USCIS address-change page. Everyone else should treat the 10-day rule as real.

The fastest path is a USCIS online account. Sign in, open the account menu, and use the Enterprise Change of Address (E-COA) self-service tool. Online filing updates USCIS systems quickly and usually removes the need to mail a paper Form AR-11 for the same move. If you do not have an account yet, create one on the USCIS site before you move if you can.

You may still mail Form AR-11. That satisfies the legal duty to report the move, but USCIS warns that paper AR-11 does not automatically refresh every case the way the online tool does. If you have pending applications, use the online tool whenever you can so receipts and cards follow you.

Sensitive categories (certain Violence Against Women Act, T, or U cases, and some Form I-751 abuse-waiver situations) have special address instructions. Follow the dedicated USCIS page for those filings instead of a generic mail-in.

A United States Postal Service (USPS) change-of-address or mail-forwarding order only redirects postal mail. It does not update USCIS, the Social Security Administration (SSA), your state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), your bank, or your health insurer. Complete the USCIS step first for immigration compliance, then update the other institutions that hold your identity and money.

After USCIS, update SSA if your Social Security number (SSN) record still shows the old address, update your driver license or state ID through the DMV when state rules require it, and change the address on bank and credit accounts so statements and fraud alerts stay accurate. See Get ssn, Get state id, and Open bank account.

If you have a pending Form I-765 or other benefit request, confirm the new address appears on the case after you submit the online change. Keep screenshots or confirmation pages.

Use a deliverable US street address where you can receive secure mail. Apartment and unit numbers matter. If you use a mailing address that differs from your physical residence, follow the form fields carefully so both are clear. Enter names exactly as they appear on your immigration records to avoid a failed match.

Moving between states can also affect driver licensing, tax withholding, and Marketplace health plans. Those are separate processes from AR-11 or E-COA, but the same move triggers them.