How to file Form I-485 to adjust status

Form I-485 is not the same as an immigrant petition or consular processing

Form I-485 asks for lawful permanent resident status from inside the United States. An approved petition such as Form I-130 does not by itself grant a Green Card, and a person who must complete immigrant-visa processing abroad generally does not use Form I-485 for that consular step.

1. Confirm that adjustment of status is the correct process

USCIS uses Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, for a person who is physically present in the United States and has a legal basis to apply for lawful permanent resident status through adjustment of status. Immigration law provides multiple adjustment categories, including family-based, employment-based, humanitarian, special immigrant, and other statutory categories.

Do not choose Form I-485 only because an immigrant petition was filed or approved. Eligibility can depend on how you entered the United States, your current and prior immigration history, visa availability, inadmissibility grounds, adjustment bars, and category-specific exceptions. If those issues are unclear or could affect your legal rights, consult a licensed immigration attorney or a Department of Justice-accredited representative.

2. Identify the exact immigrant category and underlying basis

Your filing category determines the evidence and timing rules. Some applicants rely on an approved or concurrently filed immigrant petition such as Form I-130, I-140, or I-360. Other adjustment categories do not use the same underlying petition. Each principal or derivative applicant generally files a separate Form I-485.

Use the current I-485 instructions and category-specific USCIS guidance to identify the correct basis before completing Part 2. Do not copy a category from another person's case.

3. Check visa availability before filing when your category is numerically limited

Many family-sponsored and employment-based preference applicants may file Form I-485 only when an immigrant visa is available under the filing chart USCIS designates for that month. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are not subject to the same numerical preference waiting system, but they still must meet the other adjustment requirements.

Some categories allow concurrent filing of the immigrant petition and Form I-485 when a visa is immediately available; others require an approved petition first. Check USCIS's current visa-availability page and the Department of State Visa Bulletin immediately before filing rather than relying on an older priority-date cutoff.

4. Check adjustment bars and inadmissibility

Form I-485 asks detailed questions about immigration history, entries and exits, status violations, employment, criminal history, security-related matters, prior immigration proceedings, public-charge questions where applicable, and other grounds that can affect admissibility or adjustment eligibility. Some statutory bars do not apply to every category, and some applicants may qualify for an exception or a separate waiver.

Do not treat a general checklist as an individual eligibility decision. A past removal order, unlawful presence, unauthorized employment, misrepresentation issue, criminal record, prior status violation, or other complex fact can materially change the filing strategy and should be evaluated with qualified legal help when necessary.

5. Use the current Form I-485 edition

As reviewed August 29, 2026, the current USCIS Form I-485 PDF displays edition 01/20/25. Check the live USCIS I-485 page immediately before printing because USCIS can change accepted editions. Do not use the OMB expiration date as the test for whether USCIS accepts an edition.

6. Complete the medical exam requirement

Many adjustment applicants must submit Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon. USCIS requires certain applicants to submit the required I-693 with Form I-485 or the I-485 may be rejected. The medical requirements and exceptions can differ for refugees, derivative asylees, K nonimmigrants, and other categories.

USCIS policy updated June 11, 2025 provides that a Form I-693 is generally valid only while the immigration benefit application with which it was submitted remains pending; if that benefit is denied or withdrawn, a new medical examination may be required for a later benefit request. Follow the current I-693 page and your category-specific instructions.

7. Prepare the evidence required for your category

The evidence package can include identity and civil records, proof of inspection and admission or parole when required, immigration records, the underlying immigrant petition or approval notice, evidence of visa availability, and category-specific documents. Family-based cases may also require Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA, unless an exception applies. Employment-based applicants may need Supplement J or other employment evidence in applicable cases.

Documents in a language other than English generally require a complete English translation with the translator's certification. Submit originals only when USCIS instructions specifically require them.

8. Verify the filing fee for the exact category

Form I-485 does not have one fee that applies to every applicant. The current Form G-1055 fee schedule lists the general Form I-485 filing fee as $1,440. For a child under 14 filing Form I-485 concurrently with a parent's I-485, the listed fee is $950. USCIS also lists multiple $0 categories and other special fee rules.

If Form I-485 is filed with, or adjudicated by, the Immigration Court, the current fee schedule lists an additional $1,500 fee under Public Law 119-21 when that charge applies. Fee-waiver eligibility is category-specific, and statutory additional fees may not be waivable. Check the current Form G-1055 and, if relevant, the Form I-912 rules immediately before filing.

9. Use the live filing-address instructions

USCIS filing locations depend on the adjustment category, the underlying petition, whether forms are filed together, and other case-specific factors. Use the live Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-485 immediately before mailing. Do not reuse a Lockbox, service-center, or court address from an older form packet.

If your case is in removal proceedings, jurisdiction and filing instructions can be different. Follow the immigration court and USCIS instructions that apply to your proceeding rather than sending a duplicate filing to a USCIS Lockbox.

10. Do not assume related forms are included in the I-485 fee

Depending on eligibility, an adjustment applicant may separately file Form I-765 for employment authorization or Form I-131 for a travel document. These forms have their own current fee and eligibility rules. Filing Form I-485 does not automatically grant employment authorization or advance parole, and leaving the United States while adjustment is pending can have serious consequences in some cases.

11. Track notices and keep the case current

Keep a complete copy of the filed I-485, evidence, payment record, and delivery confirmation.
Read the Form I-797 receipt notice and use the official case-status tool.
Attend biometrics and interview appointments if USCIS schedules them.
Respond to any Request for Evidence or Notice of Intent by the deadline in the notice.
Report an address change through the correct USCIS process while the case is pending.
Use the current USCIS processing-time tool for the I-485 category and field office; published times are estimates, not guarantees.

12. Understand the decision

If USCIS approves Form I-485, the applicant becomes a lawful permanent resident as of the effective date stated by USCIS, subject to any conditional-residence rules that apply to the category. If USCIS denies the application, read the decision carefully. The availability of a motion, review, renewed application in proceedings, or another remedy depends on the legal basis and procedural posture of the case.

File Form I-485 to adjust status