How to Fill Out Form I-485 for Adjustment of Status

To fill out Form I-485, the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, download the current 01/20/25 edition from uscis.gov, gather your identity and immigration documents before you type anything, and work through the form part by part, giving every field an answer even if that answer is “N/A.” The form is the centerpiece of a package that also includes a medical exam, photos, filing fee, and — for most applicants — an affidavit of support or an underlying petition. Getting the pieces right the first time is what separates a case that moves to biometrics from one that gets returned at the lockbox.

Adjustment of status is the process that lets you become a lawful permanent resident from inside the United States rather than through a consulate abroad. To qualify, you generally must have been inspected and admitted or paroled, have an immigrant visa immediately available, and meet the other eligibility requirements in the regulations.¹

Get the Current Form and Your Source Documents Together First

Download Form I-485 and its instructions from uscis.gov and check the edition date printed at the bottom. The current edition is 01/20/25, and USCIS rejects filings on older versions.² Type answers directly into the PDF or print in black ink so the scanning equipment can read your responses.

Before you start filling in fields, pull together the documents you’ll be copying information from and eventually submitting:

Long-form birth certificate listing at least one parent, with a certified English translation if the original isn’t in English.³
Photocopy of your passport’s biographical page and any pages showing U.S. visas or entry stamps.
I-94 Arrival/Departure Record showing the date and terms of your most recent entry. If you arrived at an airport or seaport, retrieve the electronic I-94 from the CBP website.
A government-issued photo ID — passport, driver’s license, or national identity card.
Evidence of your immigration status: prior approval notices, visa stamps, and any documents showing how you entered and what statuses you’ve held.

Any translation you include needs a signed statement from the translator certifying the translation is complete and accurate and that they’re competent in both languages, along with the translator’s printed name, signature, address, and date. A professional agency isn’t required, but the certification is. Professional translation typically runs about $25 to $40 per page.

Part 1: Personal Information

Part 1 collects your full legal name, any other names you’ve used (maiden names, prior married names, aliases), date of birth, and current physical address. If you’ve ever been assigned an Alien Registration Number (A-Number) or a Social Security Number, enter both. You’ll also record the details of your most recent entry into the United States — date, city of arrival, and visa category — which is how USCIS confirms you were inspected and admitted or paroled.³

Every field needs an answer. If a question doesn’t apply, type “N/A.” If it asks for a number you don’t have, type “None.” A blank field can be flagged as incomplete, and that’s an avoidable delay.

Part 2: Your Immigrant Category

Part 2 is where you identify the green card category you’re applying under. The main categories are family-based (a qualifying U.S. citizen or permanent resident relative), employment-based (a job offer or extraordinary ability), and diversity visa lottery winners. Each connects your I-485 to an underlying immigrant petition — usually Form I-130 for family cases or Form I-140 for employment cases — that must be approved or filed with your adjustment application.

Concurrent filing means submitting your I-485 at the same time as the underlying petition instead of waiting for the petition to be approved. It’s only allowed when an immigrant visa is immediately available in your category. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, parents, and unmarried children under 21) always have a visa immediately available because those green cards aren’t capped. In every other category, check the monthly State Department Visa Bulletin: your priority date must be current before you can file the I-485.

The Affidavit of Support for Family-Based Cases

If you’re adjusting through a family relationship, your petitioner almost always needs to file Form I-864, Affidavit of Support. It’s a legally enforceable contract promising to support you financially so you won’t need government assistance. The petitioner must show household income at or above 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. For 2026, that’s at least $27,050 per year for a household of two or $34,150 for a household of three in the 48 contiguous states.⁴

If the petitioner’s income falls short, a joint sponsor can fill the gap. A joint sponsor must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, at least 18 years old, domiciled in the United States, and independently meet the income threshold. Up to two joint sponsors are allowed per family unit.⁵ Missing or incomplete I-864 paperwork is one of the most common reasons family-based cases stall.

The Medical Examination and Form I-693

Every applicant needs a completed Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record. Your regular doctor cannot do this. It has to be a USCIS-designated civil surgeon, who you can locate through the USCIS website. The civil surgeon confirms your required vaccinations and screens for certain communicable diseases.

When the exam is done, the civil surgeon seals the completed I-693 in an envelope. Don’t accept it unless it’s sealed, and don’t open it yourself. USCIS rejects any I-693 that arrives opened or tampered with. Submit the sealed envelope as part of your package.

A June 2025 policy change tightened validity: the I-693 is generally valid only while the I-485 it was submitted with is pending. If your I-485 is denied or withdrawn, the medical form goes with it, and any future application needs a new exam.⁶ Because of this, many attorneys now recommend scheduling the exam shortly before filing rather than months in advance.

Budget for the exam separately. Civil surgeon fees aren’t regulated by USCIS and vary by location — typically $250 to $650 for the exam, another $100 to $500 for vaccinations depending on what you need, and $100 to $200 for follow-up tests such as chest X-rays. Most private health insurance does not cover immigration medical exams.

Part 8: The Inadmissibility Questions

Part 8 trips up more applicants than any other section. It’s a long series of yes-or-no questions covering criminal history, immigration violations, security concerns, and other grounds of inadmissibility. Disclose every arrest, even if charges were dropped, the case was dismissed, or the record was expunged. USCIS runs FBI background checks anyway, and an omission can be treated as a misrepresentation serious enough to permanently bar you from a green card.

For any arrest, charge, or conviction you disclose, include certified court dispositions showing exactly what happened. A single crime involving moral turpitude where the maximum possible sentence was one year or less and the actual sentence was six months or less may fall under the petty offense exception, which prevents that conviction from making you inadmissible. A second conviction eliminates the exception.

Public Charge

Part 8 also feeds into the public charge analysis. USCIS considers whether you’re likely to become primarily dependent on the government for support, weighing your age, health, education, skills, income, assets, and the affidavit of support filed for you. If more information is needed, USCIS issues a Request for Evidence for financial documentation.³

A lot of applicants worry that any use of a government benefit will count against them. In practice, many programs are excluded from the public charge determination: SNAP, Medicaid (except for long-term institutionalization), CHIP, WIC, school lunch programs, emergency shelter, and tax credits like the Child Tax Credit are not held against you.⁷ A November 2025 proposed rule could change how public charge is evaluated, but as of early 2026 the 2022 regulations still apply.⁸

Photos, Fees, and Assembling the Package

Include two identical color passport-style photos taken within 30 days of filing. Photos must be 2×2 inches with a plain white or off-white background and a full-face view.⁹ No hats or head coverings unless worn for religious reasons, and even then the full face must be visible without shadows. Lightly write your name and A-Number (if you have one) in pencil on the back so photos can be matched to your file if they separate.

The filing fee is $1,440 for applicants age 14 and older. Children under 14 filing at the same time as a parent pay $950.¹⁰ These fees include biometrics — USCIS folded the biometrics charge into the filing fee in its 2024 rule.¹¹

Pay by personal check, cashier’s check, or money order made out to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security.” To pay by credit card, include Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions. Fee waivers exist for certain categories, including asylees and applicants under VAWA, U visa, or T visa programs. If you may qualify, file Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver.

Assemble the physical package with your payment on top, followed by any cover letter, the I-485 itself, and then supporting documents. Use clips or fasteners at the top rather than staples, which damage pages and slow intake. Tabbed dividers help the intake officer locate what they need.

Where to Mail It and What Happens Next

The mailing address depends on where you live and which category you’re filing under. USCIS uses several lockbox facilities and updates addresses regularly.¹² Check the USCIS website right before you mail. A package sent to the wrong lockbox comes back, and you lose weeks.

Once the lockbox accepts your package and processes payment, USCIS mails Form I-797C, Notice of Action — your receipt notice with a unique receipt number you can use to check case status online. The notice also serves as temporary proof of your pending application. Expect it within about 30 days.¹³

Shortly after, USCIS schedules a biometrics appointment at an Application Support Center. A technician takes fingerprints, a photo, and an electronic signature, which run against FBI databases. Bring the appointment notice and a valid photo ID. If you can’t make the appointment, request a reschedule through your USCIS online account or by calling the Contact Center before the appointment date. A no-show without rescheduling can result in denial.

Work Authorization and Travel While Your Case Is Pending

A pending I-485 by itself doesn’t authorize employment or travel. For work authorization, file Form I-765 under eligibility category (c)(9), the code for adjustment applicants. It’s optional if you already hold a valid work visa like an H-1B, but many applicants file anyway. If you already have an EAD and file a timely renewal, the card automatically extends for up to 540 days from its expiration date while the renewal is pending.¹⁴

For travel, file Form I-131 to get advance parole. This is the piece most people overlook, and the consequences are severe. Leave the country while your I-485 is pending without approved advance parole and USCIS will typically treat the application as abandoned. You’d lose the filing fees and potentially need to restart from abroad. USCIS often issues a single combo card that acts as both EAD and advance parole, so filing both forms with the I-485 is standard practice.

Requests for Evidence and the Interview

During review, USCIS may send a Request for Evidence if documents are missing or something needs clarification. The RFE specifies a deadline of up to 84 days (12 weeks), and no extensions are granted.¹⁵ Respond fully and on time. An incomplete or late response is one of the most common — and most preventable — reasons for denial.

Most applicants are called for an in-person interview with a USCIS officer, who asks questions to verify the information on the form and confirm the underlying relationship or employment. Marriage-based cases are almost always interviewed because USCIS wants to determine the marriage is genuine. Employment-based cases, particularly for workers with extraordinary ability or advanced degrees, are more frequently approved without an interview when the file is straightforward. Interview waivers are entirely at the officer’s discretion; there’s no right to request one.

Bring originals of every document you submitted as a copy, plus anything requested in the interview notice. Family-based cases can expect questions about how you met, your living arrangements, and shared finances. Interviews typically run 15 to 30 minutes, longer for complicated cases.

After Approval and Keeping Your Address Current

If approved, your Permanent Resident Card comes in the mail. Most green cards are valid for 10 years. One exception applies to applicants who adjusted through a marriage less than two years old at approval: they receive a conditional card valid for two years and must later file Form I-751 to remove the conditions.¹⁶ If your I-485 is denied, your denial notice will describe the specific options available in your case, whether a motion to reopen, a motion to reconsider, or an appeal.¹⁷ Deadlines are strict.

While your case is pending, report any change of address to USCIS within 10 days of moving by filing Form AR-11, which you can submit online. If you enter the receipt numbers for your pending applications, USCIS will update the address on those cases so your mail follows you. This matters more than people realize: if an interview notice or RFE goes to your old address and you miss the deadline, your case can be denied for abandonment.

1
eCFR. 8 CFR Part 245 – Adjustment of Status to That of Person Admitted for Permanent Residence
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Forms Updates
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions to Form I-485
4
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States
5
U.S. Department of State. I-864 Affidavit of Support FAQs
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Alert – Validity of Form I-693
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How Receiving Public Benefits Might Impact the Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility
8
Federal Register. Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility
9
U.S. Department of State. Photo Requirements
10
Federal Register. USCIS Fee Schedule
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 2024 Final Fee Rule
12
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Lockbox and Service Center Filing Location Updates
13
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. e-Request – Non-Delivery of Notice
14
Federal Register. Increase of the Automatic Extension Period of Employment Authorization
15
eCFR. 8 CFR 103.2
16
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Conditional Permanent Resident Spouses and Naturalization
17
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Questions and Answers – Appeals and Motions