With the move of the EB-5 Program Office from the California Service Center to USCIS Headquarters, several petitions, including Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur, and Form I-924, Application for Regional Center Designation, are now adjudicated in Washington, DC. Requests for Evidence (“RFEs”) and Notices of Intent to Deny (“NOIDs”) issued by the EB-5 Program Office on those applications instruct the applicant to send responses to the USCIS Headquarters located at 20 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Mail Stop 2235, Washington, DC 20529. In responding to RFEs and NOIDs on a Form I-526 or I-924, it appears that traceable mail, including FedEx and UPS deliveries, are delivered first to an office of the National Security Council in Capitol Heights, MD for screening before being forwarded to USCIS in Washington, DC. The result is that the UPS or FedEx tracking does not indicate delivery directly to USCIS. Additionally, the USCIS online case status is not updated immediately showing receipt of the response to the RFE or NOID. However, it appears that the packages are routed eventually to the EB-5 Program office and only then is the online case status updated to reflect receipt. Until USCIS confirms this process, it is best to email the USCIS Immigrant Investor Program email inbox to confirm delivery of the package to Capitol Heights, MD to preserve the issue should the petition be wrongfully denied for failure to respond timely to an RFE or NOID.
