Application for Action on an Approved Application

DRAFT
OMB No. 1615-0044; Expires 07/31/2012

Instructions for Form I-824, Application for
Action on an Approved Application or Petition

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Instructions
Please read these instructions carefully to properly complete this form. If you need more space to complete an answer, use a
separate sheet of paper. Write your name and Alien Registration Number (A-Number), if any, at the top of each sheet of
paper and indicate the part and number of the item to which the answer refers.

What Is the Purpose of This Form?
Use Form I-824 to request further action on an approved
petition or application.

When Must I Use Form I-824?
You must use Form I-824 to request U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) to provide further action on a
previously approved petition or application.
NOTE: USCIS will not process Form I-824 if your petition or
application has been denied or has not yet been approved.
This form must not be used to verify the status of a pending
petition or application.

General Instructions
You may file this form at any time while the application or
petition is valid.
A separate Form I-824 must be filed for each action being
requested. Follow the steps below to complete your
application:
Step 1 - Identify reason for Filing Form I-824
Step 2 - Fill Out Form I-824

Step 1. Reason for Filing Form I-824
The reasons for requesting further action are listed below.
Check the box in Part 2 of Form I-824 that applies to your
request.
1. If you are requesting:
A. A duplicate approval notice, Check Box A.
NOTE: The duplicate approval notice will contain
only the information listed on the original Form I-797,
Notice of Action. A replacement employment
authorization card, Form I-94, Permanent Resident
Card, or any other USCIS authorization document will
not accompany the duplicate approval notice.

A request for replacement of employment
authorization card may be filed on Form I-765. A
request for replacement of Form I-94 may be filed on
Form I-102. A request for replacement of permanent
resident card may be filed on Form I-90. Refer to the
respective form instructions for further information.
B. USCIS to notify a new U.S. consulate through the U.S.
Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC) or
Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) concerning the
approval of a nonimmigrant visa petition or to notify a
new port of entry concerning the approval of a waiver
application, Check Box B. If approved, USCIS will
send information regarding the approval of your
nonimmigrant visa petition to a new U.S. consulate
through the NVC or the KCC, or the approval of your
waiver application to a new port of entry different from
that originally requested.
NOTE: This notification is not available for E or R
visa approval notification.
C. USCIS to notify a U.S. consulate through the U.S.
Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC) that
your status has been adjusted to permanent resident
based on an approved Form I-485 application, Check
Box C. This will permit your spouse and/or child(ren)
to apply for an immigrant visa.
NOTE: This notification is not available if you have
been issued an immigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or
consulate and have been admitted to the United States
as a lawful permanent resident. You may contact the
NVC for information on how to request following-tojoin benefits for your dependent(s). You may direct
your inquiry by sending an e-mail to
[email protected] or by writing to the National
Visa Center, ATTN: WC, 32 Rochester Avenue,
Portsmouth, NH 03801-2909. This notification is also
not available if you have been admitted to the United
States as a refugee or were granted status in the
United States as an asylee. Please refer to the
instructions on Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative
Petition, for specific information on following-to-join
benefits for your spouse or unmarried child(ren) under
21 years of age.

Form I-824 Instructions (Rev. 08/20/10) Y

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D. USCIS to send your approved immigrant visa petition
to the U.S. Department of State's National Visa Center
(NVC), Check Box D.
E. USCIS to notify the U.S. Department of State that you
have become a U.S. citizen through naturalization,
Check Box E.
NOTE: You may also notify the U.S. Department of
State of your status as a U.S. citizen by submitting a
copy of your naturalization certificate, without fee, to
the National Visa Center, ATTN: WC, 32 Rochester
Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801-2909.
2. You may not file this form to request:
A. A duplicate approval notice for an application or
petition that is pending or has been denied;
B. A duplicate approval notice naming a spouse or
children accompanying or following-to-join the
principal beneficiary on an approved immigrant
petition;
C. USCIS to send information to the U.S. Department of
State regarding the approval of your expired
nonimmigrant application or petition;
D. USCIS to send information to the U.S. Department of
State regarding an employment-based application or
petition if your employment for the original petitioner
has ended; or
E. USCIS to notify the U.S. Department of State of the
approval of Form I-600A, Application for Advanced
Processing of Orphan Petition, and/or Form I-600,
Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative,
as well as the approval of Form I-800, Petition to
Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate
Relative, and/or Form I-800A, Application for
Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a
Convention Country.

Step 2. Fill Out Form I-824
1. Type or print legibly in black ink.
2. If extra space is needed to complete any item, attach a
continuation sheet, indicate the item number, and date and
sign each sheet.
3. Answer all questions fully and accurately. State that an
item is not applicable with "N/A." If the answer is none,
write "None."
This form is divided into Parts 1 through 5. The following
information should help you fill out the form.

Part 1. Information About You (Person Filing This
Application)
A. If you are requesting category A or B in Part 2, the
application must be completed and signed by the
petitioner or the applicant of the underlying petition or the
application.
B. If you are requesting category C in Part 2, the application
must be completed and signed by the principal applicant
who filed Form I-485.
C. If you are requesting category D or E in Part 2, the
application must be completed and signed by the
petitioner of the underlying immigrant visa petition.
1. Family Name (Last name) - Give your legal name. If you
have two last names, include both and use a hyphen (-)
between the names, if appropriate.
2. Company or Organization Name - Give the entity's
complete name if the petitioner or applicant is a company
or organization.
3. Home or Business Address - Give your physical street
address. This must include a street number and name or a
rural route number. Do not put a post office box (P.O.
Box) number here.
4. Mailing Address - Give your mailing address, if different
from your home or business address.
5. Daytime Telephone Number - Give a complete number
with area/country codes where you can be reached during
the day.
6. Country of Birth - Give the name of the country where
you were born.
7. Country of Citizenship - Give the name of the country of
which you are a citizen.
8. Date of Birth - Use eight numbers to show your date of
birth (example: May 1, 1979, should be written
05/01/1979).
9. IRS Tax No - If you are filing this application on behalf of
a business or organization, give the Internal Revenue
Service Tax Number of the business or organization.
10. A-Number - This is your Alien Registration Number
(immigration file number). If you do not have an A
number or do not know it, leave this blank.
11. U.S. Social Security No. - If you do not have a U.S.
Social Security Number, write "NONE."

Form I-824 Instructions (Rev. 08/20/10) Y Page 2

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Part 2 - Reason for Request
Check one box that applies to your particular request.

Part 3 - Additional Information
Provide the requested information regarding the original
application or petition.

Part 4 - Signature
As the applicant, you must sign and date your Form I-824. If
you do not sign the form, the application will be returned as
incomplete.

Part 5 - Signature of Person Preparing Form, if
Other Than Applicant
If you, the applicant, did not fill out Form I-824, the preparer
must also sign, date, and give his or her address.

Step 3. General Requirements
Attach copies, showing the front and back of the following
documents if available:
1. Copy of the original petition or application.

your version, download a copy and use it. If you do not have
Internet access, call Customer Service at 1-800-375-5283 to
verify the current filing address and edition date.
Submit this form and any related evidence to the correct
USCIS Lockbox facility, per the instructions below.
NOTE: If you are filing Form I-824 with another USCIS
form, mail your applications according to the filing
instructions of the other form.
USCIS will not process Form I-824 if your petition or
application has been denied or has not yet been approved.
This form must not be used to verify the status of a pending
petition or application.
If your original application or petition was approved by the
USCIS Vermont Service Center or Texas Service Center, the
Form I-797C, Notice of Action, receipt number will begin
with EAC or SRC. Please be sure you have filled in your
receipt number in Part 3, Additional Information, question 1 of
the form, and mail your Form I-824 to the USCIS Dallas
Lockbox facility.

2. Copy of Form I-797, Notice of Action, for the original
petition or application.

USCIS Dallas Lockbox

3. Copy of Form N-550, Certificate of Naturalization.

For U.S. Postal Service:

Copies

USCIS
PO Box 660867
Dallas, TX 75266

Unless specifically required that an original document be filed
with an application or petition, an ordinary legible photocopy
may be submitted. Original documents submitted when not
required will remain a part of the record, even if the
submission was not required.

Translations
Any document containing a foreign language submitted to
USCIS shall be accompanied by a full English language
translation which the translator has certified as complete and
accurate, and by the translator's certification that he or she is
competent to translate from the foreign language into English.

Where to File?
The filing addresses provided on this form reflect the most
current information as of the date this form was last printed.
If you are filing Form I-824 more than 30 days after the latest
edition date shown in the lower right hand corner, visit USCIS
online at www.uscis.gov before you file, and check the
"FORMS" page to confirm the correct filing address and form
version currently in use. Check the edition date located in the
lower right corner of the form. If the edition date on your
Form I-824 matches the online "FORMS" page, your version
is current. If the edition date of the online version is later than

For Express Mail and courier deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: AOS
2501 S. State Highway 121 Business
Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067
If your original application or petition was approved by the
USCIS Nebraska Service Center or California Service Center,
your Form I-797C, Notice of Action, receipt number will
begin with either LIN or WAC. Please be sure you have filled
in your receipt number in Part 3, Additional Information,
question 1 of the form, and mail your Form I-824 to the
USCIS Phoenix Lockbox facility.
USCIS Phoenix Lockbox
For U.S. Postal Service:
USCIS
PO Box 21281
Phoenix, AZ 85036
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For Express Mail and courier deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: AOS
1820 E. Skyharbor Circle S
Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85034
If your original application or petition was approved by a local
USCIS office, your Form I-797C, Notice of Action, Receipt
number may begin with MSC. If this is the case, or if your
Form I-797C, Notice of Action does not contain a three-letter
code before the number, please fill in your receipt number in
Part 3, Additional Information, question 1 of the form, and
mail your I-824 application to the USCIS Chicago Lockbox
facility.
USCIS Chicago Lockbox
For U.S. Postal Service:
USCIS
PO Box 805887
Chicago, IL 60680-4120
For Express Mail and courier deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: FBAS
131 South Dearborn- 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517
E-Notification:
If you are filing your Form I-824 at one of the USCIS
Lockbox facilities, you may elect to receive an e-mail and/or
text message notifying you that your application has been
accepted. You must complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of
Application/Petition Acceptance, and clip it to the first page of
your application. To download a copy of Form G-1145
including the instructions, refer to www.uscis.gov "FORMS."

2. Make the check or money order payable to U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, unless:
A. If you live in Guam and are filing your petition there,
make it payable to Treasurer, Guam.
B. If you live in the U.S. Virgin Islands and are filing your
petition there, make it payable to Commissioner of
Finance of the Virgin Islands.
NOTE: Please spell out U.S. Department of Homeland
Security; do not use the initials "USDHS" or "DHS."
Notice to Those Making Payment by Check
If you send us a check, it will be converted into an electronic
funds transfer (EFT). This means we will copy your check
and use the account information on it to electronically debit
your account for the amount of the check. The debit from
your account will usually take 24 hours, and will be shown on
your regular account statement.
You will not receive your original check back. We will
destroy your original check, but we will keep a copy of it. If
the EFT cannot be processed for technical reasons, you
authorize us to process the copy in place of your original
check. If the EFT cannot be completed because of insufficient
funds, we may try to make the transfer up to two times.
How to Check If the Fees Are Correct
The fee on this form is current as the edition date appearing in
the lower right corner of this page. However, because USCIS
fees change periodically, you can verify if the fees are correct
by following one of the steps below:
1. Visit our Web site at www.uscis.gov, select "FORMS,"
and check the appropriate fee;
2. Review the Fee Schedule included in your form
package, if you called us to request the form; or
3. Telephone our National Customer Service Center at
1-800-375-5283 and ask for the fee information.

Address Changes
What Is the Filing Fee?
The filing fee for Form I-824 is $405.
Use the following guidelines when you prepare your check or
money order for the Form I-824 fee:
1. The check or money order must be drawn on a bank or
other financial institution located in the United States and
must be payable in U.S. currency; and

If you change your address and you have an application or
petition pending with USCIS, you may change your address
online at www.uscis.gov. Click on "Online Change of Address
" and follow the prompts, or you may complete and mail Form
AR-11, Alien's Change of Address Card, to:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Change of Address
P.O. Box 7134
London, KY 40742-7134
Form I-824 Instructions (Rev. 08/20/10) Y Page 4

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For commercial overnight or fast freight services only, mail to:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Change of Address
1084-I South Laurel Road
London, KY 40744

Processing Information
Any Form I-824 that is not signed or accompanied by the
correct fee will be rejected with a notice that Form I-824 is
deficient. You may correct the deficiency and resubmit Form
I-824. An application or petition is not considered properly
filed until accepted by USCIS.

Initial Processing
Once Form I-824 has been accepted, it will be checked for
completeness, including submission of the required initial
evidence. If you do not completely fill out the form or file it
without required initial evidence, you will not establish a basis
for eligibility, and we may deny your Form I-824.

Requests for More Information or Interview
We may request more information or evidence, or we may
request that you appear at a USCIS office for an interview.
We may also request that you submit the originals of any
copy. We will return these originals when they are no longer
required.

Decision
The decision on Form I-824 involves a determination of
whether you have established eligibility for the requested
benefit. You will be notified of the decision in writing.

USCIS Forms and Information
To order USCIS forms, call our toll-free number at
1-800-870-3676. You can also get USCIS forms and
information on immigration laws, regulations, and
procedures by telephoning our National Customer Service
Center at 1-800-375-5283 or visiting our Internet Web site at
www.uscis.gov.

Penalties
If you knowingly and willfully falsify or conceal a material
fact or submit a false document with your Form I-824, we will
deny your Form I-824 and may deny any other immigration
benefit.
In addition, you will face severe penalties provided by law and
may be subject to criminal prosecution.

Privacy Act Notice
We ask for the information on this form, and associated
evidence, to determine if you have established eligibility for
the immigration benefit for which you are filing. Our legal
right to ask for this information can be found in the
Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. We may
provide this information to other government agencies. Failure
to provide this information, and any requested evidence, may
delay a final decision or result in denial of your Form I-824.

Paperwork Reduction Act
An agency may not conduct or sponsor an information
collection and a person is not required to respond to a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid
OMB control number. The public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated at 25 minutes per
response, including the time for reviewing instructions, and
completing and submitting the form. Send comments
regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including suggestions for reducing
this burden, to: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,
Regulatory Products Division, 111 Massachusetts Avenue, N.
W., 3rd Floor, Suite 3008, Washington, DC 20529-2210.
OMB No. 1615-0044. Do not mail your application to this
address.

As an alternative to waiting in line for assistance at your local
USCIS office, you can now schedule an appointment through
our Internet-based system, InfoPass. To access the system,
visit our Web site. Use the InfoPass appointment scheduler
and follow the screen prompts to set up your appointment.
InfoPass generates an electronic appointment notice that
appears on the screen.
Form I-824 Instructions (Rev. 08/20/10) Y Page 5