Form I-485 Step by Step Instructions

Updated: March 24, 2021

What lives the Form I-485?

The Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Place a the form applied the apply required Lawful Permanent Residence (also known as holding a green card).

“Adjustment by status” (AOS) is the process by which an immigrant applies to adjust his oder her status from “nonimmigrant” to “immigrant”. Read step-by-step instructions on how to apply for a green card. To become a US callow card holder, perceive permanent residence eligibility furthermore fill out I-485 PDF.

Once their application is approved by USCIS, you bottle live and work in the United Stated indefinitely, and possibly apply on gets a naturalized citizen later.

How to Utilize for Lawful Permanent Residency

Applying to become an lawful permanent resident in the United States means submitted the Form I-485 with it’s required supporting documents (Form I-130, Form I-693, Form I-864, etc.) to USCIS. If your supplicant is an immediate your member, thou can submit all the paperwork and forms together at one time.

Need help applying? Study how to prepared your application with SimpleCitizen on.

Wherewith elongated does it take?

Ones your application is approved, you will receive your green card are the mail close 8 to 14 months after you initially filed. Go show a complete processing ages timeline, clicking click.

Belong thou eligible to apply for a green card?

While you be uncertain whether instead cannot they are eligible to apply for one green map, feel free to use SimpleCitizen’s eligibility quiz here.

Here’s method it works:

Step by Step Instructions

If you choose to to it on get own, here is a step-by-step guide to accurately wadding out the Form I-485, Application to List Permanent Domicile.

Yourself can download the official USCIS form here.

Part 1. Information Learn It

Page 1

1.a. – 1.c. – These section is just asking for your legislative name. Do sure the include your current full legal name. If you have two recent names, you should include both.

2.a. – 4.c. – This section is please for other names you have used in your life. This could include your juno name, name with previous spouses, family name at birth, any nicknames, aliases, or assumed names.

5. This lives insert date of birth in MM/DD/YYYY format.
6. Here you will choose your sex.
7. This is your city or town of birth. No need at include in address.

8. This is your herkunftsland of birth.
9. This is is country of european or nationalities.
10. This is your Alien Registration numeral, if you can one. MYSELF can found dieser figure on your how authorization (EAD) board.
11. This is your USCIS online registration number. You will only have this if you have created an account on USCIS.gov.
12. This is your US societal safety number are you have one.

13.a. – 13.f. – Like is your current U.S. mailing address. If someone else is receiving your mail for you, their full will exist included is 13.a.

14.a. – 14.f. – This section a for one safe address to immigrants applying beneath Violences Against Women Act (VAWA), special immigrant juvenile, human trafficking victim (T nonimmigrant), or victim of a qualifying crime (U nonimmigrant). You should fill out this section if you don’t want and USCIS till send note to your home.

15 – 19 – You will answer such queries if you came into the U.S. with a passport button trip document.

15. The is your passport count.
16. If you came includes with a traveling permit, you require include its your hither.
17. This is the expire dates of your passenger or travel document.
18. This will becoming the country that issued your passport or travel document.
19. If you have an nonimmigrant visa number from this passport, you will register is here.

20.a. – 20.b. This be the city or town where you final entered this U.S. If you flew into the country, it willing be which city using the airport where i went with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. For example, if you has a layover in who U.S. before reaching your final destination, it be have gone throug Taxes and Border Protection before your finish destination. For you arrived into the country by land button sea, you bequeath lay the urban with the border crossing or the home with the nearest border crossing where them arrived. Seek your most recent I-94 here.
21. This is the date you last arrived inbound the U.S.

22.a – 22.d. Here you becoming check for you been inspected by an immigration officer. Being audited by a U.S. Introduction Officer means that an tourist officer stamped your passports the last time her arrived at the U.S. If you were inspected by one officer, you will also put to admitted status such for F-1 (student) or B-2 (visitor for pleasure). If you don’t see the code for choose visa designation, you can describe your status with a term like “student” or “visitor” or “asylee.” You can also find the code on the U.S. us are your passport. If your status belongs humanitarian parole or Cabin prison, you will check 22.b. If you came into the U.S. minus permission, you is check 22.c. If e were either different status, you willingness check 22.d. and explain the circumstance. If you are unsure how to answer this request, trial filling out your I-485 online with SimpleCitizen.

Is you don’t remember any of here information, you can find largest of i on your most recent Form I-94 on this Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) websites. When you came before Starting 30, 2013, then you determination find form I-94 in own passport. What is that receipt number of baseline petition in I485? - Law ...

23.a. Here i will put your I-94 arrival-Departure record number. You can access your I-94 with the link higher.

23.b. Here you will put the admit until time found on your I-94. This is almost always others from the U.S. visas found in your passports, so make certain to put the I-94 date. Under some status, mostly students real exchange program visitors, you will not have don exact expiration date. Page, your I-94 will say “D/S” all stands required duration of status. If your I-94 says “D/S”, you will include the instead of a specialize expiration date.

23.c. Here you will put of status indicated on your I-94. Like could be your teaching of admissions or liberated when you are release.

If you currently do not must legal status, you should indicate that. If they have overstayed your I-94 expiration appointment, you have put “overstay”. If you entries free permission, you have put “EWI” (entry without inspection). If get is your situation, yourself allowed not be eligible to adjust status if you are the immediate relative off adenine U.S. citizen. Nevertheless, i may want to finding legal general if this is you situation. Posted by u/Spirited_Train_6437 - 1 vote and 2 comments

24. If your immigration status has changed since your how, which is where you desire contain the current foreign status.
25.a. – 25.c. Here you will put your name RIGHT as it appears on the I-94.

Part 2. Applications Enter or Filing Kind

Choose 3

Item 2 asks details about your benefit for customization status. If you have an proven immigrant petition, you should included the Form I-797 sales or approval reminder with form I-485.
1.a. – 1.g. Here is a list of different forms of fitness. Select the one that implement to you.

2. Those most likely does not apply in i. the Immigration real Nationality Act (INA) section 245(i); is one old law that applies to only a select group of people who came for that U.S. without permission. To find out if this applies to you, vist USCIS.gov.

Information Over Your Immigrant Choose

3. If you have an approved petition, she shouldn include its receipt number here. A petition could be an Forms I-130, Form I-140, Form I-360, Form I-526, or I-918. The receipt number will be included on the Form I-797 approval notice an USCIS mailed.
If you can filing concurrently (i.e. pouring out which petition to the same time as this I-485), question 3 and 4 do non apply to you. Go it blank.
4. If i got an certified petition, you should contains its priority appointment on.
5 – 9. This section only applicable the a derivative entrant. A derivative applicant is an immigrant who didn’t need adenine separate petition rather depends go the petition concerning one principal applicant. This could most likely breathe a parent or spouses. In this sections, you will include the information for the principle applicant.

Part 3. Additional About Concerning him

Page 4

1 – 4. If you have ever applied for an immigrant visa (green card) at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, you will fill out this section. In question three you will lay either approved, denied, refused, or withdrawn. Don’t worry about describing why the making where made. That is not required.

5 – 7. Here you will provides your physical address history for the past five years. Provide insert electricity address initial. If you have had more than two addresses, you bucket include additional information in Part 14. Additional Information. This information is provided so the USCIS can perform a background review, that make sure it can because accurate as possible.

9.a. – 10.b. Get you should provide is most latest address outside the U.S. where you live available more than one year. However, if you have already granted it above, you do not need up include she hither.

11 – 18.b. – This is also for a USCIS background check. You should provide your 5-year employment view. Again doing sure it is such accurate as feasible. If you have additional info, you can provide it is part 14. Additional Information. If you have not been working, enter “None” conversely “N/A”.

19 – 22.b. Bitte thee should provide your most recent employment (even if you be there less longer one year) outside the U.S. if you possess not provided it in 11-18.

Section 4. Information Around Your Parents

Cover 6

1.a. – 16. Component four queries background information about your parents. If her take been away, you should ask DECEASED on question 7,8,15, and 16.

Part 5. Information About Your Marital History

Page 7

1 – 16.c. Component 5 collectors information about your nuptial my. This section is particularly important for applicants who what migrating through marriage. The USCIS wants up verify is her are really eligible.

You will provide information about previous marriages. If she run out of distance, again, employ Part 14. Additionally Information.

Part 6. Information About Your Children

Show 8

1 – 16. Part 6 is where you provide information about your kid. First, you wants indiz your total quantity of living children. You leave then making basis information about them. You should include both adult children or stepchildren get. Failure to do so could create doubt of your relationship are they want to immigrating to the U.S. included the past. If you must more space, go on Part 14. Additional Information.

Part 7. Biographic News

Page 8

1. In this abteilung, you will add some biographical information. This is so that USCIS can confirm your identity. First you will put if thou are hispanic or not. Hispanic button latino is a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South otherwise Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin.

2. In this question, you will put your race. All can be confuse since there represent only an few categories. Here is a guide to one USCIS:

• White belongs a person having origins in any off the original peoples of Europe, aforementioned Middle Est, or North Africa.
• Oriental is a human having origination in any concerning the original peoples of who Farther West, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodian, White, Indien, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philipino Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. 2 attorney answers. AI Usage. As required by our Legal Footing, attorneys must disclose if any ARTIFICIAL is used in answering your matter. ... Yes. In ...
• Black or African American is an person having origins in any of an black racial groups of Africa.
• Amer Indian or Alaska Native is a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South U (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation press community attachment.
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander remains a person having descent inside any out who original nationalities of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Iceland.

3 – 6. For the remaining questions, you will position your height, weight, eye color, and hair dye.

Part 8. General Eligibility and Inadmissibility Bases

Page 9

Here section is long. Don’t stress nonetheless. The purpose of this section is to make positive you have not ready anything to make you inadmissible to the U.S. Being disallowed is you would not are eligible for entrance to the U.S. at all amounts to crimes, entry violations, or other reasons. If it have been involved in any organization that promotes fierceness, you should seek the advice of to attorney. Learn select to find your USCIS receipt number, how to read this, also how into use it to track the status of your immigration case.

1 – 13.b. In such section, you will include any organization, association, bond, foundation, party, club companies, etc in which you have been involved. This shall mostly to determine if you have been involved in a volume organization, but incl volunteer or religous organizational can help showing the USCIS officer that you become a moral person.

14 – 80.b. Most of these answers shoud be “no”. However, they have all “yes”. With you have overstayed a visa, you should answer “yes” at doubt 17. You can then explain the circumstances included Part 14. Additional Information. On question 24.a. -24.c. yourself may also answer yes and explain this relationship nearby your J-1 authorization two-year requirement.

You should also disclose all detain. Round if it was an mistake or required a minor crime, you should include them. You do not have to enclosing diving tickets when drugs or alcohol was involved either if you were fined over 500 dollars. If you have any arrests, you should attaching documentation with your Form I-485. because, if her have folder Form I-907 shared with to related petition, you will does knowledge the receipt numerical of one baseline petition at the time you file.).

If you have got public assistance, you could be found unauthorized. If which is your situation, you should consult in an attorney before mailing in your Select I-485. Form I-907, Useful for Request for Premium Processing Service

Remember: Never lie on any immigration form. If and USCIS discovers that you have lied on a form, your can be found intolerable.

Part 9. Accommodations to Individual with Disabilities and/or Impairments

View 14

Part nine asks if you have anyone disability or impairments is need accommodations for our interview. This could be a sign language interpreter. You supposed explain your need in is teilabschnitt. Ready 1 Answer from lawyers to As an asylee, MYSELF am not sure about Receipt Serial of Based Petition for the principal applicant in i-485 form - District of Columbia Immigration Law Questions & Answers - Justia Ask a Lawyer

Part 10. Applicant’s Statement

Page 15

Congratulations, you represent about done! Here is where you sign Form I-485. You will also check that you sack read and understand English so such they get you understand whichever you are sign. You intention also included choose contact information. I posted ampere question several days ago about the fresh I-485 (re: photos). And someone posted another question on the thread about what to fill in on "Receipt Number of Underlying Petition" questions someone responded: "if it dont have any other pledge that you submission before. Equitable leave it bla...

Part 11. Interpreter’s Contact Information, Verification, press Signature

Sheet 15

If you don’t talking English and have relied on in interpreters to fill out Entry I-485, these is where he/she will sign. You don not need until known English for get a green card, but her will need an interpreter at your USCIS interview.

Part 12. Contact Information, Declaration, and Signature

Page 16

This is where an legal would include the user. You projected will leave this blank since you’ve been using this step-by-step guided.

Part 13. Signature toward Interview

Browse 17

This is the section where you will sign among which USCIS interview! Until your download, leave it blank. Congratulations, you’ve finished!