Address Updates
To maintain your immigration status as an F-1 or J-1 student, it is crucial to keep your address information accurate and up-to-date. Please follow the appropriate instructions below to update your U.S. address.
For newly arrived students:
Newly arrived F-1 and J-1 students are required to update their U.S. address in CAESAR within 10 days of arrival. OISS cannot activate a student’s immigration record in SEVIS until the current U.S. address has been updated in CAESAR.
Even if you are in a temporary living situation, you should enter that address in CEASAR within 10 days of arrival. You will be able to update your address in CEASAR every time you move as long as you are an enrolled student at Northwestern. Federal regulations require you to update your current U.S. address every time you move within 10 days of moving.
CAESAR syncs with the OISS Portal, and your updated address will be reflected in your student profile in the OISS Portal within 24 hours of you making the change in CAESAR. These changes must be made in CAESAR.
Newly arrived students are also advised to add or update their phone number and emergency contacts in CAESAR.
For currently enrolled students:
Currently enrolled F-1 and J-1 students need to update their U.S. address in CAESAR within 10 days of moving. Follow these step-by-step instructions.
CAESAR syncs with the OISS Portal, and your updated address will be reflected in your student profile in the OISS Portal within 24 hours of you making the change in CAESAR. These changes must be made in CAESAR.
For F-1 students on OPT and STEM OPT
F-1 students participating in OPT and STEM OPT Extension must update their address via the SEVP Portal in the User Profile section within 10 days of the address change per federal regulations. To do this you will need to log in to the SEVP Portal. Please note, only students with approved post-completion OPT or STEM OPT can create an SEVP Portal account.
By default, after accepting the attestation, the SEVP Portal opens to the Edit Profile page. The information on this page displays the data as it is captured in the student’s SEVIS record and includes four parts:
- Read-only biographic information
- Editable physical address (where you live)
- Editable mailing address
- Editable telephone number
Watch this VIDEO to review exactly how to update your address and telephone number in the SEVP Portal.
Changes to Email Address
Students cannot change their email address in the SEVP Portal. If your email address changes, you must email your new email address to intoff@northwestern.edu. OISS staff can then enter it in SEVIS on your behalf. The new email address will be automatically sent to the SEVP Portal.
Then, the SEVP Portal will send the student an email to verify the updated email address. Students must click on the link in the email to complete the verification and have email address updated in their SEVP Portal User Profile.