USCIS International Field Offices Will No Longer Accept Form I-407

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that beginning on July 1, 2019, it will no longer accept the Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status, at international field offices [PDF version]. This prohibition applies both to submissions by mail and in person.

Instead, those who wish to voluntarily relinquish their lawful permanent resident status must submit the Form I-407 by mail to the following address:

USCIS Eastern Forms Center
Attn: I-407 unit
124 Leroy Road
PO Box 567
Williston, VT 05495

The USCIS states that it “anticipate(s) that processing times [for the Form I-407] at the Eastern Forms Center, from receipt to completion, will be within 60 days, which does not include mailing time to or from outside the United States.”

Notwithstanding the new policy, “[i]n very rare circumstances, a U.S. embassy, U.S. consulate, or USCIS international field office may accept a Form I-407 in person if an individual needs immediate proof that [he or she has] abandoned [lawful permanent resident] status.”

The new policy will require nearly all lawful permanent residents who are looking to voluntarily relinquish their permanent resident status to mail the Form I-407 to the USCIS's Eastern Forms Center. Although the effect of the policy prevents these individuals from submitting the Form I-407 at a USCIS field office abroad in most cases, there will be exceptions in “very rare circumstances” where the individual establishes that he or she needs immediate proof of his or her relinquishment of lawful permanent resident status.

Those who are seeking to voluntarily relinquish their lawful permanent resident status should consult with an experienced immigration attorney for case-specific guidance. Such guidance may be especially useful in the event that the individual needs proof of his or her relinquishing lawful permanent resident status immediately.