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  4. Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

For more information on updates to Form I-485, see this video.

Alert: To improve efficiency and reduce Form I-765 processing times for Form I-485 applicants, USCIS may decouple Forms I-765 from Forms I-131 filed at the same time.

To improve efficiency and reduce Form I-765 processing times for Form I-485 applicants, USCIS may decouple Forms I-765 from Forms I-131 filed at the same time. Effective Feb. 1, 2022, when possible, USCIS will adjudicate the request for employment authorization first and, if it is approved, we will issue an Employment Authorization Document without any notation about advanced parole. We will adjudicate the Form I-131 separately and, if it is approved, we will issue an Advance Parole Document.

ALERT: If you are an Afghan parolee with an approved Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, as an Afghan employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government or International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, or an approved Form DS-157, Petition for Special Immigrant Classification for Afghan SIV Applicants, and you did not complete Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, we encourage you to file Form I-485 as soon as possible to apply to become a lawful permanent resident and get a Green Card.

If you are an Afghan parolee with an approved Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, as an Afghan employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government or International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, and you did not complete Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, at a safe haven, we encourage you to file Form I-485 as soon as possible to apply to become a lawful permanent resident and get a Green Card. You must provide a U.S. address to file Form I-485. If your address changes, you must notify us of your new address within 10 days by submitting Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card. The fastest way to submit your AR-11 is online. Special filing instructions apply to those filing Form I-485 in this category. You do not have to pay the filing or biometric services fees for Form I-485 if you were paroled into the United States due to the humanitarian crisis and are applying for adjustment as an Afghan Special Immigrant.

When filing Form I-485, include evidence of an approved Form I-360 petition or a copy of the Chief of Mission approval letter which also indicates approval of your Form DS-157 petition. 
Review filing instructions at the Green Card for an Afghan Who Was Employed by or on Behalf of the U.S. Government webpage, and see the Instructions for Form I-485 for complete filing information.

ALERT: Effective December 9, 2021, USCIS is temporarily waiving the requirement that the civil surgeon sign the Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record (Form I-693) no more than 60 days before the date the applicant files an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485).

Effective December 9, 2021, USCIS is temporarily waiving the requirement that the civil surgeon sign the Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record (Form I-693) no more than 60 days before the date the applicant files a Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. It is still in the best interest of applicants to undergo the immigration medical examination close to the time of filing the Form I-485, as the Form I-693 only retains its evidentiary value for 2 years from the date of the civil surgeon’s signature. After the 2-year timeframe, the applicant would need to submit a new Form I-693 if USCIS has not adjudicated the Form I-485. This temporary waiver is effective until September 30, 2022.

If you have filed an Form I-485 in an employment-based category and USCIS issued you a Request for Evidence (RFE) for your Form I-693, you should respond as soon as possible so we can complete the processing of your adjustment application.

What This Form Can Help You Do

Become a Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder) Through a Job Offer
Become a Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder) Through Asylee Status
Become a Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder) Through Refugee Status
Green Card Eligibility
U.S. Citizen Petition for a Preference Relative to Become a Lawful Permanent Resident
U.S. Citizen Petition for an Immediate Relative to Become a Lawful Permanent Resident

Forms and Document Downloads

Form I-485 (PDF, 988.06 KB)
Instructions for Form I-485 (PDF, 589.99 KB)

Form Details

Edition Date

07/15/22. Starting Sept. 21, 2022, we will only accept the 07/15/22 edition. Until then, you can also use the 03/29/21 and 03/10/21 editions. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions.

Dates are listed in mm/dd/yy format.

Where to File

Where you file your Form I-485 depends on your eligibility category. Go to the Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-485 page to see where you should file your application. 

Filing Tips: Go to our Form Filing Tips page for information on how to help ensure we will accept your form.

Don’t forget to sign your form. We will reject any unsigned form.

If you file at a USCIS lockbox, you may not receive an A-Number on your Form I-797, Notice of Action, due to a change in our business process. In these cases, we will send your A-Number in a second notice a few days after accepting your application.

When to File

Save time by filing Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, with Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. USCIS generally considers a completed Form I-693 to retain its evidentiary value for two years after the date the civil surgeon signed Form I-693. Effective Dec. 9, 2021 until Sept. 30, 2022, USCIS is temporarily waiving the requirement that the civil surgeon’s signature be dated no more than 60 days before the Form I-485 is filed.

You are not required to file the Form I-693 at the same time you file Form I-485. While some applicants intend to bring their completed Form I-693 to their interview, some applications may not require an interview. USCIS makes decisions to waive interviews on a case-by-case basis.

Filing Form I-485 and Form I-693 at the same time may eliminate the need for us to issue an RFE to obtain your Form I-693. This may also help avoid adjudication delays if we decide that you do not need to be interviewed.

Filing Fee
Varies.

See the chart below for filing fees based on your category.

You may pay the fee with a money order, personal check, or cashier’s check. When filing at a USCIS lockbox facility, you may also pay by credit card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions. If you pay by check, you must make your check payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

When you send a payment, you agree to pay for a government service. Filing and biometric service fees are final and non-refundable, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition, or request, or if you withdraw your request. Use our Fee Calculator to help determine your fee.

Read our Paying USCIS Fees page for more details.

If You Are…

Form Fee

Biometric
Services Fee

Total

Under 14 and filing with the I-485
application of at least one parent

$750

$0

$750

Under 14 and not filing with the I-485 application of at least one parent

$1,140

$0

$1,140

Age 14–78

$1,140

$85

$1,225

Age 79 or older

$1,140

$0

$1,140

Filing Form I-485 based on having been admitted to the United States as a refugee

$0

$0

$0

Checklist of Required Initial Evidence (for informational purposes only)

View the checklist of required initial evidence.

Special Instructions

Afghan SIV

Effective July 20, 2022, USCIS transitioned the responsibility to adjudicate Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) petitions filed by Afghans to the DOS. Afghans who start the SIV application process on or after July 20, 2022, will seek classification as a special immigrant with DOS by filing Form DS-157 with the application for Chief of Mission (COM) approval. For more information, see instructions on the DOS website on Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans – Who Were Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Government.

When filing Form I-485, you must supply evidence of an approved Form I-360 or a copy of the Chief of Mission approval letter that also indicates approval of your Form DS-157.

Final Rule on Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility

If you are requesting an extension of stay or change of status, you may be subject to the new public benefit condition. For more information, please see our Public Charge page.

INA 245(i)

If you are seeking to adjust status under the provisions of section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, see Supplement A for additional instructions.

Filing I-485 Supplement J

If you are filing Form I-485 together with a Form I-140 that names you as the principal beneficiary, you do not need to file Supplement J.

However, you must file Supplement J if you are filing Form I-485 based on a previously filed Form I-140 or if you are requesting job portability to a new, permanent job offer under INA section 204(j). Go to our Form I-485, Supplement J page for specific instructions on when and how to file Supplement J.

Adjustment of Status for Liberian Nationals and Certain Family Members

Certain Liberian nationals and their family members may be eligible to adjust status. For more information, see our Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness page.

You may file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, while your Form I-485 is pending. If you file Form I-765, write “(c)(9)” as your eligibility category for Part 2, Item Number 27 on your Form I-765.

Filing Forms I-765 and I-131 with Form I-485

If you submit Form I-485 and pay the required fee, you do not have to pay an additional fee to also file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and/or Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, for advance parole. You may submit these forms together. If you choose not to file Form I-765 and/or Form I-131 with your Form I-485, then you must submit a copy of your I-797C, Notice of Action, (also known as your receipt) as evidence that you filed Form I-485.

Which Box to Check in Part 2 of Form I-485

Before filing a Form I-485 based on a family-sponsored or employment-based preference category, check our Visa Bulletin page to see if your priority date makes you eligible to apply. 

If you are the principal applicant, check the appropriate box in Part 2, Item Numbers 1 of Form I-485 and check the appropriate box in Part 2, Item Numbers 2.a. through 8.e.

If you are the derivative spouse or child of the principal applicant, check the appropriate box in Part 2, Item Numbers 1 of Form I-485 and check the appropriate box in Part 2, Item Numbers 2.a. through 8.e.

For more information on the Visa Bulletin or the charts, please go to our Visa Availability and Priority Dates page.

Premium Processing

You may file Form I-485 and Form I-140 together at the USCIS Dallas Lockbox.

If you are requesting premium processing for Form I-140, you must also file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service. Refer to our Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, page if you want to file Forms I-485, I-140, and I-907 together. Do NOT file Form I-907 at a USCIS lockbox facility.

If you are filing Form I-485 based on a pending or approved Form I-140, go to our Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-485 page to see where to file your application. 

Read the Employment-Based Preferences chart in the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin page to ensure your priority date is current before you file your application.

E-Notification:  If you want to receive an email and/or text message when we accept your form at a USCIS lockbox facility, complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, and clip it to the first page of your application.

Attorney or representative: You may be represented, at no expense to the U.S. government, by an attorney or other authorized representative. Your representative must submit Form G-28, Notice of Entry or Appearance as Attorney or Representative, with your Form I-485. Your representative may also submit Form G-28 at the time of your interview.

Related Links
  • Card Delivery Tracking
  • Immigration Benefits in EOIR Removal Proceedings
  • Filing Directions to Obtain Employment Authorization and Advance Parole Card Where Adjustment of Status Application is Pending
  • I-693,Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record
  • How USCIS Determines Same or Similar Occupational Classifications for Job Portability Under AC21
  • USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 7, Adjustment of Status
  • Public Charge
Last Reviewed/Updated:
08/02/2022
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