How to File I-130 and I-485 Together: Documents, Fees, and Mailing

If you’re an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen who is already inside the United States after a lawful entry, you can file Form I-130 and Form I-485 together in a single package — a process USCIS calls concurrent filing. The combined government filing fees for an adult start at $2,115 as of March 2026, and you’ll add a medical exam, an Affidavit of Support, and supporting documents on top of that.¹ The reason this shortcut exists is that immediate relatives have no annual visa cap, so a visa is always considered immediately available when the I-130 is approved.² Getting the paperwork complete on the first submission matters more than moving fast. A single missing document is the most common reason USCIS issues a Request for Evidence, and each one adds months.

Who Can File Both Forms Together

The rule at 8 CFR 245.2(a)(2)(i) lets you file the adjustment application when approval of the underlying petition would make a visa immediately available.³ For immediate relatives, that box is always checked.

Federal law defines immediate relatives as:

Spouses of U.S. citizens
Unmarried children under 21 of U.S. citizens
Parents of U.S. citizens who are at least 21 years old

⁴

On top of the relationship, the applicant must be physically present in the United States when the package is filed and must have been inspected and admitted (or paroled) by an immigration officer at their most recent entry.⁵

One boundary worth naming: if you entered without inspection, the standard concurrent filing path is not available. A narrow exception called Section 245(i) can still work for people who are the beneficiary of a visa petition or labor certification properly filed on or before April 30, 2001, but it requires a $1,000 penalty fee and, for petitions filed after January 14, 1998, proof of physical presence in the U.S. on December 21, 2000.⁶ Family-based petitions for spouses, adult children, and siblings of U.S. citizens, and family of green card holders, sit in preference categories with waiting lines, so those beneficiaries cannot file the I-485 alongside the I-130.

The Forms That Go in the Package

Download every form directly from uscis.gov and check the edition date in the bottom-left corner. USCIS rejects outdated editions.

Form I-130, filed by the U.S. citizen petitioner to establish the qualifying family relationship.⁷
Form I-130A, required when the beneficiary is a spouse. The immigrant spouse provides address and employment history for the past five years.⁸
Form I-485, filed by the applicant. In Part 2, select the box for immediate relative of a U.S. citizen so the application is linked to the I-130.⁹
Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, signed by the petitioner.
Form I-693, the sealed medical exam results.
Form I-765 if you want an Employment Authorization Document to work while the case is pending.¹⁰
Form I-131 if you want advance parole to travel abroad without abandoning the I-485.

Fill in every field on every form. Use “N/A” where a question doesn’t apply. Names, dates of birth, and addresses must match exactly across all forms and supporting documents; a name spelled one way on a birth certificate and another way on the I-485 will trigger a delay. Sign in ink. USCIS does not accept digital signatures on paper filings.

Part 8 of the I-485 asks dozens of questions about criminal history, immigration violations, and security concerns. Answer every one honestly. A “yes” answer doesn’t automatically disqualify you, but you’ll need a written explanation and any relevant court records attached. Leaving a question blank or answering dishonestly does more damage than a difficult truth.

Documents to Gather Before You Start

The evidence package is where cases live or die. Get these together first, then fill out the forms.

Proof of the Petitioner’s U.S. Citizenship

A U.S. passport, a U.S. birth certificate, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a Certificate of Citizenship.⁷

Proof of the Family Relationship

Certified government records. For spouses, a civil marriage certificate plus proof any prior marriages ended through a divorce decree or death certificate. For parent-child relationships, a birth certificate showing both names typically suffices.

The Applicant’s Immigration and Identity Documents

Evidence of lawful admission — a passport page with an admission stamp, a nonimmigrant visa, or a Form I-94.⁵ Add a government-issued photo ID and two passport-style color photographs.

Translations

Any document not in English needs a certified translation. The translator must include a signed statement that they are competent to translate the language and that the translation is accurate. Professional immigration translations generally run $25 to $40 per page.

The Medical Exam

Form I-693 must be completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon. A regular physician’s results will be rejected.¹¹ You can find civil surgeons through the USCIS website. Costs range roughly from $175 to $700 depending on location, and vaccinations are often billed separately.

Timing rule: for any I-693 signed on or after November 1, 2023, the form is valid only while the application it was submitted with remains pending. If your I-485 is denied or withdrawn, you’ll need a brand-new exam for any future filing.¹²

The Affidavit of Support

Form I-864 is a legally binding contract between the sponsor and the federal government. By signing it, the sponsor promises to financially support the immigrant and to reimburse the government if the immigrant receives certain means-tested public benefits.¹³

Household income must be at least 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for the sponsor’s household size. Active-duty military members sponsoring a spouse or child only need to meet 100%.¹³ Include either an IRS tax transcript or a complete copy of the most recent federal tax return, plus all W-2s and 1099s.¹⁴ Pay stubs or an employer verification letter strengthen the picture.

If the Sponsor’s Income Falls Short

Two options. A household member who lives with the sponsor and earns income can contribute earnings using Form I-864A. Or a joint sponsor — a separate U.S. citizen or permanent resident with sufficient income on their own — can submit their own I-864. The petitioner still has to file an I-864 even when a joint sponsor steps in.¹⁵

Assets can also close the gap. For spouses and children of U.S. citizens, the net value of assets (savings, stocks, property, minus debts) must equal at least three times the difference between the sponsor’s actual income and the 125% threshold. For everyone else, the multiplier is five times the gap. Only assets convertible to cash within one year count. Home equity generally works; a primary vehicle generally doesn’t.¹⁵

Fees and How to Pay

As of March 1, 2026, the filing fees for a concurrent adult package are:

Form I-130 by paper: $675 ($625 if filed online)
Form I-485 for an applicant age 14 or older: $1,440
Form I-485 for a child under 14 filing with a parent’s I-485: $950

That puts an adult filing by paper at a minimum of $2,115 in government fees. A separate $235 USCIS Immigrant Fee is charged after approval, before your card is produced.¹ Forms I-765 and I-131 may carry separate fees depending on your eligibility category; the USCIS fee calculator confirms the exact amounts.

Payment is where many packages fall apart. USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for most paper filings. Pay by credit, debit, or prepaid card using Form G-1450, or by direct bank account transfer using Form G-1650.¹⁶ The card must be issued by a U.S. bank, and USCIS will not retry a declined card. A failed payment gets the whole package rejected.¹⁷ Confirm the card has enough available credit before mailing.

Assembling and Mailing the Package

Include a cover letter with a table of contents so the reviewing officer can find each form and document quickly. Organize the package in the order listed in the I-485 instructions, with the payment authorization (G-1450 or G-1650) on top. Use clips or fasteners at the top rather than staples, which slow scanning.

Your mailing address depends on where you live. USCIS runs three Lockbox facilities that handle family-based concurrent filings, in Dallas, Carol Stream (Illinois), and Phoenix.¹⁸ Sending your package to the wrong Lockbox causes delays, so check the state-by-state chart on the USCIS site before you mail.

What Happens After You File

USCIS should mail Form I-797C receipt notices, one for each form in the package, within about 30 days of receiving your filing.¹⁹ Each notice has a unique receipt number for online tracking. If 30 days pass with nothing, contact the USCIS Contact Center.

Shortly after, you’ll get a notice scheduling a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center. USCIS collects your fingerprints, photograph, and digital signature for FBI background checks. Missing this appointment without rescheduling can lead to denial for abandonment.

Creating a free USCIS online account at my.uscis.gov lets you link your receipt numbers, view status updates, receive electronic copies of most notices, respond to Requests for Evidence online, and send secure messages. The account works whether you filed online or on paper.²⁰

Processing times vary widely by field office and workload. In fiscal year 2025, the median processing time for family-based I-485 applications was roughly 7.4 months.²¹ Background check delays, interview scheduling, and Requests for Evidence can push individual cases well beyond that.

Travel and Work While You Wait

Two activities require advance permission from USCIS while your I-485 is pending: leaving the country and working.

Leaving without an approved advance parole document from Form I-131 is treated as abandonment, and your case will be denied.²² A narrow exception exists for certain nonimmigrant statuses like H-1B and L-1, where the underlying visa allows reentry. For everyone else, don’t book travel until the advance parole card is in hand. Carry all your USCIS receipt notices when you do travel.

Filing the I-485 by itself does not authorize work. You need either an approved EAD from Form I-765 or a valid work visa still in effect. The unauthorized employment bars that apply to most adjustment applicants don’t apply to immediate relatives.²³ Working without authorization can still create other problems, so wait for the EAD.

The Interview

The final major step is an in-person interview at a USCIS field office. For family-based cases, the petitioner is generally required to appear with the applicant.²⁴ The officer reviews originals of everything you submitted as copies, verifies the information on your application, and confirms the qualifying relationship is genuine.

Marriage-based interviews include questions about how you met, your daily routines together, and details about your shared life. Consistency between the spouses matters. Bring evidence that has accumulated since filing: joint bank statements, lease agreements, utility bills, insurance policies, and photos together.

The officer will walk through Part 8 of the I-485 again and give you a chance to update any answer that has changed. If anything is added or revised, you’ll re-sign and date the application at the end. Some cases are approved on the spot; others are continued for further review.

If USCIS Asks for More or Denies the Case

A Request for Evidence means USCIS needs more documentation before deciding. You generally get 84 calendar days to respond, plus 3 more if the RFE was mailed. A Notice of Intent to Deny is more serious: USCIS is leaning toward denial and gives you 30 days (plus 3 for mailing) to rebut.²⁵ Neither deadline can be extended. Consulting an immigration attorney at this stage is strongly advisable.

If USCIS denies the I-485, you can file a motion to reopen based on new evidence, or a motion to reconsider arguing the office applied the law incorrectly to the existing record. Either motion generally must be filed within 33 days of the decision (30 days plus 3 for mailing) using Form I-290B.²⁶ Missing the deadline closes the option.

After Approval: Your Card and the Conditional Rule

USCIS mails your green card via USPS Priority Mail to the address on your application. Keep your address current. You can track delivery through your USCIS online account, which shows a USPS tracking number when the card ships, and USPS Informed Delivery adds another layer of visibility.²⁷

If you got permanent residence based on marriage and were married for less than two years when your status was granted, your green card is conditional and valid for only two years.²⁸ To remove the conditions, you and your spouse jointly file Form I-751 in the 90-day window immediately before the card expires.²⁹

Missing the I-751 deadline means you automatically lose permanent resident status and become removable. If you are divorced, widowed, or were subjected to abuse by your petitioning spouse, you can file the I-751 on your own with a waiver, but the evidence bar is high — typically affidavits from people with personal knowledge of the marriage and substantial documentary proof that the marriage was genuine from the start.²⁹

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Visa Availability and Priority Dates
3
GovInfo. 8 CFR 245.2 – Application
4
Legal Information Institute. Definition: Immediate Relatives from 8 USC 1151(b)(2)
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-485 Instructions for Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 2 – Grandfathering Requirements
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-130A Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Form I-765 with Other Forms
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-693 Instructions for Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record
12
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Changes Validity Period for Any Form I-693 Signed on or After Nov. 1, 2023
13
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-864 Instructions for Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA
14
U.S. Department of State. Step 5: Collect Financial Evidence and Other Supporting Documents
15
U.S. Department of State. I-864 Affidavit of Support (FAQs)
16
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees
17
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Pay With a Credit Card by Mail
18
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Lockbox Filing Locations Chart for Certain Family-Based Forms
19
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Non-Delivery of Notice – Case Status Online
20
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Benefits of a USCIS Online Account
21
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Historic Processing Times
22
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Travel Documents
23
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 6 – Unauthorized Employment (INA 245(c)(2) and INA 245(c)(8))
24
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 5 – Interview Guidelines
25
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 6 – Evidence
26
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Questions and Answers: Appeals and Motions
27
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How to Track Delivery of Your Notice or Secure Identity Document (or Card)
28
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Removing Conditions on Permanent Residence Based on Marriage
29
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-751 Instructions for Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence