Immigration application forms ask for extensive information from its applicants, including details that confirm their identities, records of their past addresses or places of work, names of their family members, and more. With the volume of information asked, filling up an immigration application can be complex.

One of the more important sections in a form asks the applicant to list all of their former addresses, including the dates they lived there. This serves an important purpose for immigration authorities.

Reasons Immigration Asks for Former Addresses and Dates of Occupancy

By getting a better idea of where the applicant lived and when they resided there, immigration is given important insights that help them determine whether or not to approve the application.

First and foremost, it helps them identify issues of fraud, especially in marriage-based green card cases. Immigration can cross-check the applicant’s addresses and those with their spouse to determine if they have in fact lived together as a married couple.

In addition, past addresses and dates of occupancy can help immigration check for other security-related reasons, giving more information about where and how long the applicant stayed around the world.

How to Fill Up This Section in An Immigration Application

It’s recommended that an applicant is ready to provide specific information about where they lived and the corresponding dates of their occupancy. Before even downloading an immigration form, they should write down their notes and keep a personal record of where they lived, the exact addresses, and precise dates when they moved in and moved out.

Subject to very few exceptions, these occupancy dates should have no gaps from each other.