May 5, 2011
On May 2, 2011, the Immigration Service announced implementation of the Secure Mail Initiative (SMI). SMI relies upon U.S. Postal Service with Delivery Confirmation to increase the likelihood that immigration documents will be delivered in a secure and timely fashion. Postal Service tracking information will be available to track the delivery status of documents and to help confirm documents were delivered to the correct address.
The Immigration Service estimates SMI will make it possible for documents to be delivered two to four business days faster than under the previous system. In addition, once receipt notices have been issued it will be possible to contact the Immigration Service’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 to request a Postal Service tracking number for documents. The Postal Service tracking number can then be into the Postal Service website at www.usps.com to track delivery status of one’s immigration documents. SMI is funded by the Immigration Service’s 2007 final fee schedule. The Immigration Service has already been using SMI to re-mail all permanent residence cards, employment authorization documents and advance parole travel documents which were returned to the Immigration Service as undeliverable.
