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> Mailing
Address
> Post
Offices
> Post
Office Boxes
> Postal
Rates
> Postal
Money Orders
Mailing Address
Before you leave home, give your correct mailing address in
the United States to family and friends who will be writing
to you. If you do not know the address of your American residence
before you leave home, have letters sent in care of your international
student adviser. Inform people of your permanent address as
soon as you can. Be sure to include the "zip code."
A zip code is a five-digit number identifying the postal zone
in which the address lies. Some private citizens, businesses,
and organizations use more precise, nine-digit zip codes.
For example, the zip code for the U.S. immigration service
district office in Helena, Montana, is 59626-0036.
Whenever you change addresses while you are in the United
States, you should go to the nearest post office and fill
out the following:
- Immigration Service Address Report: Each time you change
your address, report your new address to the U.S. Immigration
service on form AR-11 within 10 days from the date you move.
This form can be downloaded from the World Wide Web at http://www.immigration.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/ar-11.htm.
Also report all changes of address to your international
student adviser.
- Change of Address Card: The post office has change of
address cards for the forwarding of your mail if you move.
The post office will forward (send) to your new address
all mail addressed to your old address and will continue
this service for 12 months after the date the change of
address card is filed. This service is free.
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Post Offices
Telephone numbers of post offices are listed in the blue pages
of the telephone directory under "United States Government
— U.S. Postal Service." Some city directories also list
local post offices under a separate number for "Information"
or "Customer Service."
Every city has a main post office, and larger cities have
several full-service branch post offices and small, minimum-service
substations, as well. Substations often are located in drugstores
or other places of business. Many universities also have substations
or other small, minimum-service post offices on campus. These
facilities sell stamps and provide basic services like mailing
packages to addresses in the United States. Although you cannot
send a registered letter or mail packages to foreign countries
from these small substations, you can go to a full-service
post office or branch office off-campus to do these things.
Regular post office hours are usually from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00
p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon on
Saturday. Substations have the same hours as the business
in which they are located. Most post offices deliver mail
once a day, except on Sundays and federal holidays.
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Post Office Boxes
Most post offices have small combination lock boxes that can
be rented to receive your mail. There is a nominal charge
for rental, which varies from city to city. To apply for a
post office box (usually called a "P.O. Box"), go
to the nearest regular post office; bring with you some piece
of identification that has your address on it, such as a state
driver's license. If there are no post office boxes available,
your name will be put on a waiting list. When you are assigned
a post office box, you will be given the combination of the
lock. Mail can then be sent to you at the post office where
your PO box is located. Be sure to tell correspondents to
address letters to your name, PO Box number, station (if needed),
city, state, and zip code. Mail is delivered to post office
boxes as it is sorted. Post office lobbies (where boxes are
located) usually are open 24 hours a day, every day of the
week; however, some lobbies are closed on Sundays. If you
rent a PO box, you will be given complete information by the
post office where the box is located.
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Postal Rates
Postal rates for mailing letters and packages change occasionally
and changes are well advertised. Rate sheets can be obtained
from local post offices, or you can access the U.S. Postal
Service's rates calculator Web page at http://postcalc.usps.gov/.
There are a number of options and types of services available.
Airmail: Delivery by air usually
is recommended for mail going across the country and outside
the United States. Letters and postcards to overseas addresses
can be sent by surface mail for less, but it takes much longer
(for example, six to eight weeks to Europe), and the cost
difference is so small that airmail is always recommended.
Aerogrammes: These are special,
prestamped letter sheets that fold for addressing and mailing.
They are made especially for correspondence to other countries.
They are inexpensive and convenient.
Certified Mail: This service ensures
that the recipient receives your letter; it requires that
you pay an extra fee. If you want a return card signed by
the recipient as proof that it has been received, there is
an additional charge. It is a good idea to send applications
and other important papers to U.S. addresses by certified
mail. Certified mail cannot be sent abroad.
Registered Mail: This service
is the most secure means of delivering valuable mail both
in the United States and abroad. You receive proof of mailing,
and the handling of the registered material is closely controlled
from the point of mailing to the point of delivery. The cost
varies with the value of the article being sent. For an additional
fee, a return receipt can be obtained, showing proof of delivery.
Insurance may be purchased for up to $25,000 coverage against
loss or damage. Registered mail service is available to most
foreign countries.
Book Rate: You can send books
in the United States and to most countries at a reduced rate
as long as the package contains only books.
Direct Mail Sack: This is an even
cheaper way to send a large number of books. The books are
put into a large canvas mailbag and the bag is tagged and
sent.
There are size and weight limitations for sending packages
through the U.S. mail. Ask at the post office about rates
and regulations. Use boxes or padded mailing envelopes for
packing, and seal them well with a good packing tape. Do not
wrap packages in paper and do not tie them with twine.
If you wish to send packages to foreign countries, fill out
customs forms that the postal clerk will give to you. Be prepared
to list the contents and to give the value of each item. If
the package weighs less than two pounds (0.9 kilos), ask about
a special, cheaper "small package" airmail rate.
Many private or commercial firms offer normal or express
mailing services through a variety of delivery options. Usually
these firms will prepare packages for mailing for an additional
fee. Prices and services offered vary greatly, so it is worth
doing a bit of research before choosing one firm over another.
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Postal Money Orders
Money orders (a safe way to send money through the mail) can
be purchased at the post office. There is a small fee, depending
on the value of the money order.
For more information on the postal service in the United
States, consult the U.S. Postal Service's Web site at http://www.usps.gov.
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