Regular readers of Murthy India Bulletin may be aware that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has field offices in a few countries. Earlier this year, it was announced that these field offices would be shut down. In an effort towards this, the USCIS has announced that effective July 1, 2019 – the USCIS International Field Offices will no longer accept Form I-407 (Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status).

Earlier U.S. Legal Permanent Residents could file the Form I-407 either in person or by mail at one of the USCIS International Field Offices.

If a lawful permanent resident (LPR) wishes to voluntarily surrender his/her status as LPR, s/he 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 press release also indicates that from the time of receipt, it could take up to 60 days for completion of formalities to record the abandonment. Further, it is also noted that under limited and rare circumstances, the 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 s/he has abandoned LPR status.

Till the process is clear and a system is in place, it is important for anyone who wishes to voluntarily abandon their status as LPR to take cognizance of the processing time and the new procedure. This update can be found here.