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Form I-485 Guide

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What is Form I-485?

Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, asks for lawful permanent resident status while you are in the United States. It is the adjustment application itself. An underlying petition, such as I-130 or I-140, can establish the category supporting it; filing either document does not by itself grant a Green Card.

This guide follows all 14 parts of the 24-page form, edition 09/18/26 (September 18, 2026). “You” means the applicant whose permanent residence is being requested, even when another person helps complete the form. Use the official USCIS I-485 page to confirm the accepted edition and current alerts before filing. The edition date at the bottom of the form is different from its OMB expiration date.

The practical sequence is: establish the adjustment category and ability to file → prepare the form and required evidence → submit through the appropriate process → respond to USCIS notices → receive a decision. The guide explains the questions and this process; it does not choose your category or resolve an individual eligibility issue.

Deciding whether to prepare the application yourself? Do I need a lawyer to file Form I-485? explains what general instructions can help you handle and when the question calls for individual legal review.

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What should I gather before completing I-485?

Start with records that let you answer accurately. You do not need to reconstruct years of names, addresses, entries, and employment from memory while looking at the form.

  • Identity and civil records: names used, birth information, passports, and records of marriages, prior marriage endings, children, and legal name changes.
  • Immigration records: A-Numbers, I-94s, visas, USCIS notices, underlying petition information, and any immigration-court papers.
  • A timeline of addresses, work, schooling, and other activities for the periods requested, plus information about your parents, spouse, and children.
  • Records relevant to the Part 9 questions, including organizational involvement, arrests or court proceedings, immigration violations, and financial or benefit information if the public-charge questions apply.
  • The category-specific evidence, sponsorship information, and medical documentation discussed in the documents section.

Gathering a record is not the same as attaching it. Some records help you prepare answers; others are required evidence; originals may be needed later at an interview. The evidence overview below explains those distinctions.

Before Part 1: leave fields marked “For USCIS Use Only” to USCIS. The attorney or accredited-representative section is for that representative, when applicable. Type or print legibly in black ink for the paper form, follow the specific skip directions, and use Part 14 when an answer needs more room. The general instructions call for “N/A” when a question does not apply and “None” for a zero or none numeric response, unless otherwise directed.

Part 1 — Information About You

1. Your Current Legal Name

Enter your current, legal Last Name, First Name and any Middle Name(s) if you have any. The names you enter should match your documents to avoid confusion and possible issues later. If you changed your name one or more times, you will have an opportunity to enter your previous names elsewhere in form I-485.

2. Other Names You Have Used Since Birth

Enter any other names you have used at any time since birth. This can include a different family name at birth, a maiden name, a previous married name, another legal name, informal names such as nicknames, aliases, or assumed names. Be sure to include all past names on Form I-485. Omission of any names you have used in the past could raise issues later. If you have never used another name, this section does not apply to you.

Tip regarding Other Names You Have Used Since Birth: If you have other legal names, gather the documents that explain how your name was changed (for example, marriage or divorce documents, name change documents, birth certificate, etc)

Additional Help

Do I need to list nicknames on Form I-485?

Yes. Item 2 asks for all other names you have used since birth and specifically includes nicknames, aliases, and assumed names. List a nickname if you have actually used it to identify yourself; do not invent variations that you have never used.

Do I need to list my maiden name on Form I-485?

Yes, if you used a maiden name or another family name before marriage. Enter it as an other name used, even if your current legal name has changed.

What if I used another name but never legally changed my name?

Item 2 is broader than legal name changes. Include other names you actually used, such as a nickname, alias, or assumed name, even if no court or government agency formally changed your name.

3. Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY)

Enter the month, then day, then four-digit year of your birth. Many countries write the day first. If your documents do, you must reverse the order of the month and day, since 03/04/1990 here means March 4th, not April 3rd. This item also asks: Have you ever used any other date of birth? Answer yes if a different birth date appears anywhere on an old passport, school record, or prior immigration filing and list those dates in the boxes provided. You should answer yes even if another date of birth was used because of someone else’s mistake.

Tip regarding I-485 Date of Birth: Providing all information accurately avoids issues later. Leaving out information can raise unnecessary questions as your immigration case progresses.

4. Do you have an Alien Registration Number (A-Number)?
An A-Number is an identifying number the U.S. government assigns to some people in the immigration system. It is written as “A” followed by seven, eight, or nine digits; shorter A-Numbers may be shown with leading zeros on USCIS forms. You can find it on many USCIS notices and immigration documents. Check yes and enter your A-Number if one has been assigned to you; otherwise check no.

Tip regarding Alien Registration Number: Note that if you have an A-Number you must also enter it in the small box at the top right of nearly every page of this form.

Additional Help

Where can I find my A-Number?

Look for an A-Number on USCIS notices and immigration documents issued to you. Depending on the document, it may appear as “A-Number,” “A#,” “Alien Number,” “Registration Number,” or “USCIS#.” Do not use a relative’s A-Number or a case receipt number.

5. Have you ever used, or been assigned, any other A-Number?
This question covers other A-Numbers you have used as well as other A-Numbers assigned to you. If either has happened, check yes and provide those numbers. Do not limit your answer to numbers you believe were formally assigned to you. If records show different numbers and you cannot explain why, keep the records together so the discrepancy can be addressed accurately.

6. Sex
USCIS instructs you to indicate male or female as provided on your birth certificate issued at birth or closest to the time of birth, or in secondary evidence provided to USCIS, if applicable. Follow that specific evidence instruction rather than assuming the entry must match every later identity document.

7. Place of Birth
Enter the city or town and country where you were born. Use your birth records to check the details. The current instructions do not give a universal rule for choosing an old or current country name after a border or name change. If the documents use different names for the same place, explain the difference in Part 14 rather than presenting different places as though they were interchangeable.

Tip regarding Place of Birth: Gather your birth certificate and put it together with all of the other documents for your immigration case.

8. Country of Citizenship or Nationality
Enter your country of citizenship or nationality. It may differ from your birthplace. A passport can help document citizenship, but the country issuing a travel document is not necessarily your country of citizenship. If multiple citizenships or statelessness make a single entry inadequate, explain the facts in Part 14. Keep the relevant nationality and travel documents together with your immigration records.

9. USCIS Online Account Number (if any)
A USCIS Online Account Number is a 12-digit identifier that USCIS may assign for an online account. It is not the email address used to sign in, a case receipt number, or an A-Number. If USCIS has not assigned one to you, this field does not apply.

Tip Regarding USCIS Online Account Number: This is not the same as your A-Number, so be careful not to confuse the two. The current instructions connect an Online Account Number to a previously filed case with an IOE receipt number. Find it in your account profile if you filed online, or at the top of the Account Access Notice if you filed by mail.

Additional Help

What is a USCIS Online Account Number?

It is a 12-digit number USCIS may assign to connect a person with an online account. It is different from the username or email address used to sign in.

Where can I find my USCIS Online Account Number?

Check the top portion of an account-access notice or another notice USCIS sent about your online account. If USCIS has assigned an online account number, enter that number exactly as shown. Simply creating a login does not mean you should guess a number.

Is a USCIS Online Account Number the same as an A-Number?

No. They identify different things. An A-Number identifies a person in immigration records, while a USCIS Online Account Number relates to the person’s USCIS online account. Do not substitute one for the other.

10. Recent Immigration History — Place and Date of Last Arrival
Enter the city or town and state where you most recently entered the United States, along with the date on which you arrived. Then, if you entered using a passport or travel document, provide that document’s number, its expiration date, and the country that issued it. If you used a nonimmigrant visa on that trip, provide the visa number and the date it was issued. Be careful here: the visa number is the red number printed on the visa page itself, not your passport number. Many applicants confuse the visa number with their passport number.

Additional Help

Where is the visa number on a U.S. visa?

The visa number is printed on the visa foil placed in the passport and is usually shown in red near the lower-right area. Copy the number from the visa used for your most recent arrival, if the form asks for it.

Is a visa number the same as a passport number?

No. The passport number identifies the passport booklet. The visa number identifies the U.S. visa printed inside it. Form I-485 asks for both in separate fields, so copy each number from the matching document.

11. When I last arrived in the United States
You should select the one option that describes how you entered. Choose “inspected at a Port of Entry and admitted as” if an officer checked you in and gave you a status such as visitor, student, or temporary worker, and write that status in. Choose “inspected and paroled as” if you were allowed in through parole rather than admitted. Select “came into the United States without admission or parole” if you came into the United States without admission or parole; do not treat inspection, admission, and parole as interchangeable. Mark “Other” and explain if none of these fit your situation. The government keeps its own record of entries, so answer as accurately as you can.

Additional Help

What does “inspected and admitted” mean on Form I-485?

In general, it means an immigration officer inspected the person at a U.S. port of entry and authorized entry in an immigration status or class of admission. The most recent Form I-94 and entry documents may show the class of admission.

What does “inspected and paroled” mean?

It means an immigration officer inspected the person and allowed entry through immigration parole rather than admitting the person in an immigration status. Immigration parole is different from criminal parole. The Form I-94 or parole document may identify the parole notation or class. If the entry record is unclear, do not guess which category applies.

12. Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record
Form I-94 records admission or parole. The most recent I-94 may also have been issued by USCIS with an extension or change of status after your arrival. Use the most recent record issued to you. Copy the family name, given name, eleven-character I-94 number, the immigration status shown on it, and the expiration date of your authorized stay. If your I-94 shows “D/S” for duration of status rather than a date, write “D/S.” You can look yours up on the CBP website if you no longer have a copy. If one was never issued to you, this does not apply.

Additional Help

What is an I-94 number?

It is the identifying number on a Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. Form I-485 asks for the number from the most recent I-94 issued to you. Copy the complete number exactly as it appears on that record.

Where can I find my I-94 number?

Most recent electronic I-94 records can be retrieved through the official CBP I-94 website. The number also appears on a paper Form I-94 when CBP or USCIS issued one. Check that this is your most recent I-94, including any later one attached to a USCIS approval notice, before copying it.

What does D/S mean on an I-94?

D/S means “duration of status.” It appears instead of a calendar date on some I-94 records. For this Form I-485 field, copy “D/S” if that is what the most recent I-94 shows; do not calculate or substitute a date.

13. Was your last arrival the first time you were physically present in the United States?
Answer yes only if your most recent entry was your very first time ever in the United States. Answer no if you have been here at any point before that, even briefly and even many years ago. Do not leave out this information even if it was brief or long ago.

14. What is your current immigration status (if it has changed since your last arrival)?
You should only fill this in if your status changed after you arrived. For example, you may have entered as a visitor and later changed to student status. If your status has not changed since arrival, the question does not apply. Follow the instructions’ general “N/A” convention unless a field gives a different direction.

15. Expiration Date of Current Immigration Status
Enter the date your current status runs out, or write “D/S” if that is what your current status record shows. Do not substitute a visa expiration date for the authorized period of stay.

16. Have you ever been issued an “alien crewman” visa?
This asks whether you have ever been issued a visa for service as a crewman, such as a D-1, D-2, or C-1/D visa, even if it was not used for your most recent arrival. Check the visa in your passport or other immigration records rather than relying on memory. This question gathers a fact about your immigration history; it does not by itself determine whether you may adjust status.

17. Did you last arrive in the United States to join a vessel as a seaman or crewman, or while serving in any capacity aboard a vessel or aircraft?
This separately asks about the purpose and circumstances of your most recent arrival—whether you came to join a vessel as a seaman or crewman, or arrived while serving aboard a vessel or aircraft. Answer from your travel, visa, and entry records. Adjustment rules involving crewman service can depend on the actual circumstances of the arrival, not only the visa label, so if the answer may be “Yes” or the records are unclear, consider confirming the issue with a qualified immigration professional.

18. Addresses
Start by entering your current U.S. physical address. This is the address of the place where you actually live and sleep. Then enter the date you first lived there. The form then asks whether that is also your mailing address. If it is not, you should provide the mailing address separately, including an “In Care Of” name if your mail arrives through another person or organization.

Next it asks whether you have lived at your current address for at least five years. If you have not, you must list every prior address going back five years with the dates you lived at each, using Part 14 if you run out of room.

Finally, it asks for your most recent address outside the United States where you lived for more than one year, if that is not already listed above. Keep your mailing address current so USCIS correspondence can reach you. A postal forwarding request does not itself update your address with USCIS.

Additional Help

What does “In Care Of” mean on Form I-485?

“In Care Of,” often written as “c/o,” identifies the person or organization receiving mail for you at that address. Use it when USCIS mail should be delivered through someone else, such as a trusted relative, representative, or organization. It is not a substitute for the street address.

What if it is not safe to receive immigration mail where I live? The current instructions allow applicants with a pending or approved VAWA, T, or U petition or application to use a safe mailing address if they do not feel safe receiving mail at their physical address. Special immigrant juveniles may use an alternate mailing address. This can be a P.O. Box or the address of a trusted person, attorney, accredited representative, or organization where mail can arrive safely and on time. Use a valid U.S. mailing address and the appropriate “In Care Of” name. For an address in a U.S. territory with an urbanization name, the instructions place that name in the “In Care Of Name” field. This does not replace the separate request for your actual physical address.

19. Social Security Card

There are three linked questions here. First, has the Social Security Administration ever actually issued you a card? If yes, write in your social security number. Second, do you want the SSA to issue you a card if this application is approved? And, third, there is a Consent for Disclosure box that allows USCIS to share your information with the SSA.

If the SSA has already issued you a Social Security number, copy that number exactly. Requesting a card through this application is optional. The form separately asks whether you want the SSA to issue a Social Security card. If you answer yes to that request, you must also answer yes to the Consent for Disclosure so USCIS can provide the information the SSA needs.

Part 2 — Application Type or Filing Category

1. Are you filing for adjustment of status with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) while in removal, exclusion, rescission, or deportation proceedings?

This asks whether the government has started a legal case to remove you from the United States, and whether you are filing this application with the immigration court rather than with USCIS. The Executive Office for Immigration Review, usually shortened to EOIR, is the agency that runs the immigration courts.

Answer “Yes” only if you are filing Form I-485 with EOIR while one of the listed proceedings is pending. Court jurisdiction and the correct filing forum can depend on the procedural history of the case, including older notices or orders. If you are unsure whether proceedings are pending or whether EOIR or USCIS has jurisdiction, confirm the filing forum with a qualified immigration professional before filing.

2. Receipt Number of Underlying Petition (if any) and Priority Date from Underlying Petition (if any)

Some adjustment categories use an underlying immigrant petition, such as Form I-130 or Form I-140. This item asks for the receipt number and priority date only when a separate petition supports the Form I-485. A USCIS receipt number generally contains 13 characters—three letters followed by 10 numbers—and appears on the Form I-797 receipt or approval notice. When a priority date applies, copy the date from the notice’s labeled “Priority Date” field rather than assuming it is the receipt date. If the filing category does not use a separate underlying petition, these fields may not apply.

Additional Help

Where can I find the receipt number for an underlying petition?

Look on the Form I-797 receipt or approval notice for the underlying petition. A USCIS receipt number generally contains 13 characters: three letters followed by 10 numbers. Copy the receipt number for the petition that supports this application, not the receipt number for an unrelated case.

Is the priority date the same as the receipt date?

Not necessarily. When a priority date applies, it may be printed in a separate “Priority Date” field on the Form I-797 notice. Copy the labeled priority date rather than assuming it is the date USCIS received the petition.

2 (continued). I am filing this Form I-485 as a Principal Applicant or a Derivative Applicant

The form requires you to select one of these two boxes. A principal applicant is the person seeking adjustment in the category that directly provides the immigrant classification. A derivative applicant is generally a qualifying spouse or child seeking status through the principal applicant, but only where that category allows derivatives. This is different from the petitioner-versus-beneficiary distinction. Use the underlying petition or approval notice and the Form I-485 Instructions; if age, marital status, or the relationship creates uncertainty, confirm the classification with a qualified immigration professional.

If you select derivative applicant, you must also provide the principal applicant’s full legal name, A-Number, and date of birth. Be careful to copy these exactly as they appear on the principal applicant’s documents, since a mismatch can slow down both cases.

3. I am applying based on the following category

This is the longest section of Part 2, and it asks you to identify the legal category that is the basis for this application. Item 3 is divided into seven groups, labeled 3.a through 3.g, and the form directs you to select only one category across them. The selected category should match the underlying petition, status, program, or other legal basis shown in your records.

If you are filing as a derivative applicant, the form directs you to select the appropriate box based on the category under which the principal applicant is applying or has applied. If the supporting documents do not make the category clear, a qualified immigration professional can help confirm the legal basis before filing.

3.a. Family-based

This group lists family-based categories. The choices are organized by who the qualifying relative is and the legal relationship: immediate relatives of a U.S. citizen (spouse, unmarried child under 21, or parent of a citizen who is at least 21), other relatives of a U.S. citizen under the preference categories (unmarried adult son or daughter, married son or daughter, or brother or sister), relatives of a lawful permanent resident (spouse, unmarried child under 21, or unmarried adult son or daughter), and several special situations. Those special situations include a widow or widower of a U.S. citizen, someone admitted as a fiancé(e) or child of a fiancé(e) on a K-1 or K-2 visa, a qualifying family member of a deceased service member, and VAWA self-petitioners. The VAWA lines distinguish a spouse or child of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident from a parent of a U.S. citizen who is at least 21. The sibling preference line also requires the citizen to be at least 21. These labels describe the choices on the form; whether a particular category legally applies depends on the petition and the applicant’s circumstances.

Read each line carefully. Distinctions such as married versus unmarried, under 21 versus 21 or older, and U.S. citizen versus lawful permanent resident are part of the category definitions. Use the underlying petition and notices rather than choosing from the description alone.

3.b. Employment-based

This group begins with Alien Investor (Form I-526 or I-526E). It then lists employment-based Form I-140 categories: alien of extraordinary ability, outstanding professor or researcher, multinational executive or manager, a person with an advanced degree or exceptional ability, a professional holding at least a bachelor’s degree, a skilled worker with at least two years of training or experience, and any other worker requiring less than two years. It also includes a national interest waiver line for certain advanced-degree or exceptional-ability applicants seeking a waiver of the usual job-offer and labor-certification requirements. The selected line should match the classification shown on the applicable petition and related USCIS notices; do not infer it from a job title alone.

This group also asks a follow-up question that is easy to overlook: did a relative file the Form I-140 for you—or for the principal applicant if you are a derivative—or does a relative own five percent or more of the business that filed it? If yes, you must indicate which relative it is and whether that person is a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident. The form provides “None of These” choices for the listed relationships and statuses. The N/A box is for adjustment based on a self-petitioned Form I-140.

3.c. Special Immigrant

This group lists the form’s Special Immigrant choices, including special immigrant juveniles, religious workers (with a further choice between minister of religion and other religious worker), certain Afghan or Iraqi nationals, certain international broadcasters, certain employees or former employees of the U.S. government abroad, Panama Canal Zone employees, certain physicians, certain members of the U.S. armed forces, employees and family members of G-4 international organizations or NATO-6. The petition form shown on each line and the applicant’s USCIS notices can help identify the matching choice. Because these statutory categories have specific requirements, the list itself does not establish that a category applies.

3.d. Asylee or Refugee

This group distinguishes applicants adjusting from asylum status from applicants admitted as refugees. If the asylum category is selected, the form asks for the date asylum was granted; if the refugee category is selected, it asks for the date of initial admission as a refugee. Copy the date from the official grant or admission documents rather than relying on memory. USCIS applies different statutory rules to the two categories, so this explanation does not determine which one applies to an individual case.

3.e. Human Trafficking Victim or Crime Victim

This group lists adjustment categories connected to T nonimmigrant status for victims of human trafficking and U nonimmigrant status for victims of qualifying criminal activity. There are two category checkboxes. The T line identifies a principal with Form I-914 or a derivative with Form I-914 Supplement A. The U line identifies a principal with Form I-918, a derivative with Form I-918 Supplement A, or a qualifying family member with Form I-929. These are not separate principal-versus-derivative checkboxes.

These categories have distinct eligibility, evidence, and family-member rules. Use the approval or petition documents and the Form I-485 Instructions to identify the matching line; if the principal, derivative, or qualifying-family-member distinction is unclear, consider confirming it with a qualified immigration professional.

3.f. Special Programs Based on Certain Public Laws

This group lists adjustment categories created by specific public laws or programs. It includes the Cuban Adjustment Act and a separate battery-or-extreme-cruelty line under that Act, dependent status under the Haitian Refugee Immigrant Fairness Act and its corresponding battery-or-extreme-cruelty line, Lautenberg parolees, nationals of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos applying under section 586 of Public Law 106-429, diplomats or high-ranking officials unable to return home under Section 13 of the Act of September 11, 1957, applicants under the Amerasian Act. The program name, prior status, petition, or approval document should support the selected line; the list alone does not determine eligibility.

3.g. Additional Options

This group holds the categories that do not fit anywhere else. They are the Diversity Visa program, continuous residence in the United States since before January 1, 1972 (known as “registry”), Individual Born to a Foreign Government Employee in the United States, S nonimmigrants and qualifying family members, and a general “Other Eligibility” line. The S category states that adjustment is available only if a law enforcement officer has filed and USCIS has approved Form I-854B on your behalf. If you select the Diversity Visa program, you must also provide your Diversity Visa rank number, which appears on your selection letter. If you select “other eligibility,” you should write in the basis for your application on the line provided.

Current qualification for the foreign-government-employee birth category: The USCIS I-485 page carries an alert about the September 4, 2026 interim final rule and the injunction in Casa Inc. v. Trump. USCIS says DHS will not implement that rule or the September 4 form edition specifically against a member of the certified class, or otherwise conflict with the preliminary injunction, unless and until the government obtains relief. The presence of a category on the September 18 form does not determine an individual’s citizenship, eligibility, or protection under that injunction. Check the current alert and obtain individualized help for this category.

4. Are you applying for adjustment based on INA section 245(i)?

For the family-based, employment-based, special immigrant, or Diversity Visa categories identified on the form, this item asks whether the application relies on INA section 245(i). Section 245(i) is a grandfathering provision that may permit certain applicants who would otherwise be barred from adjustment to apply by filing Supplement A and paying the required additional sum. A qualifying immigrant petition or labor certification generally must have been properly filed on or before April 30, 2001, and filings after January 14, 1998 may involve an additional physical-presence requirement. The old filing date alone does not establish that section 245(i) applies, and grandfathering rules can extend to some principal and derivative beneficiaries.

Select “Yes” only if you are actually filing under section 245(i). Because the grandfathering and physical-presence rules are fact-specific, consider confirming this item with a qualified immigration professional before filing.

5. Are you 21 years of age or older and applying for adjustment based on classification as a child, under the provisions of the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA)?

This item asks whether an applicant who is 21 or older is seeking adjustment based on classification as a “child” under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). CSPA can preserve child classification for some applicants, but it does not automatically cover everyone who turns 21 while a case is pending. The rules differ by immigration category and can depend on petition dates, visa availability, marital status, and whether the applicant timely sought to acquire permanent residence.

The form directs applicants to the “Who May File Form I-485” section of the current instructions. Because CSPA calculations and requirements are case-specific, use the official instructions and consider confirming the answer with a qualified immigration professional rather than deciding from age alone.

Part 3 — Do I need an Affidavit of Support, or can I claim an exemption?

Part 3 asks which Affidavit of Support rule applies to you. An Affidavit of Support is a sponsor’s financial commitment on Form I-864 (or Form I-864EZ when its requirements are met). Most family-based immigrants and some employment-based immigrants need one. Other categories do not. This is a separate question from the public-charge questions in Part 9.

The full heading is “Request for Exemption for Intending Immigrant’s Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA.” In Item 1, select the one statement that actually fits. The six choices do different jobs:

1.a — Qualifying Social Security work credits. This is the exemption for someone who has earned, or can be credited with, 40 qualifying quarters of work in the United States. The instructions explain when a spouse’s or parent’s quarters can count and which quarters cannot count because of means-tested public benefits. Attach the required Social Security earnings statements. Forty quarters is a legal credit calculation, not simply “I have lived here for ten years.”

1.b — Certain children who will become U.S. citizens. This line concerns a child under 18 who is unmarried, is not likely to become a public charge, and will automatically become a U.S. citizen under INA section 320 upon admission as a lawful permanent resident. Age and a citizen parent alone do not establish every condition.

1.c and 1.d — Certain self-petitioners. Item 1.c concerns a widow or widower with Form I-360; Item 1.d concerns a VAWA self-petitioner. Match the choice to the actual basis for adjustment.

1.e — The Affidavit of Support requirement does not apply by statute. This is for someone who does not fit the listed exemptions but is not legally required to submit an Affidavit of Support and is not requesting an exemption. 1.f is the alternative for someone who fits none of the exemptions and is required to submit one.

For example, someone adjusting in a category that does not require I-864 is answering a different question from someone in a category that ordinarily requires it but who qualifies for the 40-quarter exemption. Neither should select a box simply because no sponsor document has been prepared yet. The current I-485 incorporates this exemption request in Part 3; follow its current instructions instead of adding an old I-864W by habit.

Part 4 — What immigration, employment, and education history do I list?

This part adds history that is not captured by your most recent entry or current address. Answer from your records, including earlier applications that did not result in approval.

Items 1–4: Immigrant visa applications abroad. Item 1 asks whether you have ever applied for an immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate. If yes, give the location in Item 2, the decision in Item 3, and its date in Item 4. An immigrant visa application is different from an application for a temporary visitor, student, or work visa.

Items 5–6: Earlier permanent-residence history. Item 5 asks whether you previously applied for permanent residence while in the United States. Item 6 asks whether you have ever held permanent resident status that was later rescinded under INA section 246. A prior application and a formal rescission of previously granted status are different events.

Item 7: Employment and education for the last five years. Start with your current activity and work backward through all employment and schooling during that period. Include self-employment, unemployment, and retirement. For periods without work, explain how you were supported. Provide the employer or school, occupation or activity, address, and dates requested; continue in Part 14 when necessary.

What matters is a readable history, not an artificial sequence of uninterrupted jobs. If you attended school while working, show both with their real dates. If you were unemployed between two jobs, identify that period and its source of support instead of silently leaving a gap.

Item 8: Most recent work or school outside the United States. Provide the most recent foreign employer or school if it was not already included in Item 7. This can reach farther back than five years. Do not import the “more than one year” rule from the foreign-address question in Part 1; Item 8 is a different request.

Part 5 — What information do I provide about my parents?

Give the requested identifying information for each parent. Items 1–4 concern Parent 1: current legal name, name at birth if different, date of birth, and country of birth. Items 5–8 repeat those fields for Parent 2.

The questions are not limited to parents who live in the United States or are included in your immigration case. A parent’s death does not make their identifying history irrelevant. Use available civil records to check names and dates. If information is genuinely unknown, explain what is unknown rather than inventing a date or treating an unknown answer as “not applicable.”

Part 6 — How do I explain my current and previous marriages?

This part asks for your legal marital history, including marriages outside the United States. It is not limited to a marriage that supports the current application.

Items 1–3: Your status and number of marriages. Select your current marital status in Item 1. Item 2 asks whether your current spouse is a member of the U.S. armed forces or Coast Guard and includes an N/A choice. Item 3 counts all marriages, including marriages abroad, annulled marriages, and marriages to the same person more than once.

Items 4–10: Your current spouse. Provide the spouse’s name, A-Number if any, date and country of birth, current physical address, and the date and place of your marriage. Item 10 separately asks whether your spouse is applying with you. Listing a spouse here does not give the spouse an I-485 application or establish derivative eligibility.

Items 11–18: Prior marriages. Give the prior spouse’s legal name, including the family name before that marriage, date of birth, country of birth, and citizenship or nationality. Then give the marriage date and place, where and when it legally ended, and how it ended—divorce, annulment, death, or the explained alternative. Use Part 14 for additional prior marriages.

Keep the marriage certificate and the record ending each earlier marriage together. Separation and divorce are different statuses: moving apart does not by itself supply a divorce date. If the legal effect of a foreign divorce, customary marriage, or another relationship is uncertain, that question needs to be resolved before choosing the legal status on the form.

Part 7 — Which children do I list?

List all of your living children, not just children who will immigrate with you. Item 1 asks for the total, including biological and legally adopted children and current stepchildren, wherever they live and regardless of age or marital status. Include children born outside marriage and living children whose whereabouts are unknown.

Items 2 and 3 provide spaces for two children: name, A-Number if any, date and country of birth, relationship to you, and whether that child is applying with you on a separate Form I-485. Continue in Part 14 for more children.

For example, an adult child living abroad can belong on this family-information list even though that child is not applying with you. Listing someone as your child answers the family-history question; it does not decide whether that person qualifies as an immigration “child” or derivative applicant.

Part 8 — Biographic information

Items 1–6 ask for ethnicity, race, height, weight, eye color, and hair color. Select one ethnicity and all applicable race categories as directed. Give height in feet and inches and weight in pounds, then choose the appropriate eye- and hair-color boxes, including “Bald” when applicable. These are separate identifying fields; the race choices are not a request for your nationality.

Part 9 — How should I approach the eligibility and inadmissibility questions?

Part 9 asks about facts USCIS uses to decide eligibility and whether a legal ground prevents admission. Answer the actual question before trying to predict its legal effect. A “Yes” answer is not, by itself, a decision on your application; an inaccurate “No” does not make a difficult history disappear.

The form directs you to explain a “Yes” answer—or an answer you are unsure about—in Part 14. Identify the exact item and the relevant facts, dates, and places. Read time limits carefully: some questions ask “ever,” some concern the last five years, some ask about future plans, and some apply only after a particular answer.

The groups below follow the form’s order and retain item numbers. They explain the questions, not whether an exception, waiver, or legal bar applies to your particular history. A record involving criminal proceedings, removal, misrepresentation, or security activity deserves a review of the actual documents rather than an answer based only on a short label.

Items 1–9 — Which organizations and activities count?

Item 1 asks broadly about ever being a member of, involved in, or associated with an organization, association, fund, foundation, party, club, society, or similar group anywhere in the world. It is not limited to political groups or groups involved in unlawful activity.

For a “Yes,” Items 2–5 identify the first organization, its location, its nature and purposes and your involvement, and your dates of membership or involvement. Items 6–9 repeat those details for a second organization. Continue in Part 14 for more. Describe both the group and what you actually did; a name alone may not explain either.

Items 10–21 — Entry, status, proceedings, and J exchange visitors

Items 10–13 ask, separately, about denial of admission, denial of a U.S. visa, work without authorization, and violations of nonimmigrant status. An admission decision at the border and a visa decision at a consulate are not the same event. Likewise, having a pending immigration application does not answer whether a particular period of work was authorized.

Items 14–18 address removal-related history: ever being in, or currently being in, removal, exclusion, rescission, or deportation proceedings (including expedited removal); a final order; reinstatement of a prior order; failure to leave within a period of voluntary departure; and applications for relief or protection from removal. Check all relevant notices and orders. A proceeding, an order, and an application for relief are distinct facts, even when they concern the same case.

Items 19–21 concern a J exchange visitor subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement. Item 19 asks whether that requirement applied; Item 20 asks whether you complied. If the conditional question applies, Item 21 asks about a waiver or a favorable Department of State recommendation. Do not treat spending two calendar years since the J program as the same thing as meeting a foreign-residence requirement.

Items 22–41 — What must I disclose about arrests, offenses, and related conduct?

This section reaches events in the United States and elsewhere, including records that were sealed, cleared, or otherwise changed. The form specifically warns against assuming that being told you no longer have a record means the event can be omitted. Its requests for conduct, arrest, conviction, and punishment are separate.

Items 22–25: The event and its outcome. Item 22 covers arrest, citation, charges, detention, and diversion, including immigration or military involvement. Item 23 asks about committing an offense even without arrest or prosecution. Item 24 asks about a guilty plea or conviction, including the listed later relief such as expungement, pardon, amnesty, or rehabilitation. Item 25 asks about punishment or restrictions on liberty, including suspended sentences, house arrest, treatment, probation, and community service.

For example, an arrest followed by dismissal still answers a different question from “Was I convicted?” Explain the arrest and the dismissal accurately instead of using the dismissal to erase the arrest from the history. For a “Yes” in this section, give the offense, when and where it occurred, arrest or charge details, disposition, and any punishment, including its duration and suspended portions. The supporting court-record rules are explained in the documents section below.

Items 26–29: Controlled substances. Item 26 covers violation, attempt, or conspiracy involving controlled-substance law or regulation. Item 27 asks about trafficking or benefiting from it, or knowingly assisting it. Item 28 asks whether a spouse or parent trafficked or assisted trafficking and whether you received a financial or other benefit within the last five years. Item 29 asks whether you knew, or reasonably should have known, the source of that benefit. The family-benefit question has its own time limit; it is not a substitute for the broader conduct questions.

Items 30–34: Prostitution, commercial vice, and immunity. These ask about prostitution in the past or intended in the future; directly or indirectly procuring or importing people for prostitution, including the attempts specified on the form; receiving its proceeds; intended illegal gambling or other commercial vice; and use of immunity to avoid prosecution for a criminal offense in the United States.

Items 35.a–35.b: Foreign-government service and religious freedom. The form asks whether you have served as a foreign government official and whether, while serving, you were responsible for, enforced, or directly carried out violations of religious freedom. Answer the service question and the conduct question separately.

Items 36–40: Trafficking in persons. These cover sex trafficking involving force, fraud, or coercion, with a separate rule in the question for someone under 18; forced labor or services through peonage, debt bondage, involuntary servitude, or slavery; knowing assistance; and benefits from a spouse’s or parent’s trafficking within the last five years, followed by knowledge of the source. Read the conduct described on the form rather than assuming “trafficking” requires a conviction.

Item 41: Money laundering. This asks about past engagement, knowing assistance, and intended involvement. A “No” to drug trafficking does not answer the separate money-laundering question.

Items 42–55 — Security, weapons, military service, and harm to others

Items 42.a–42.d ask about intended conduct: espionage or sabotage; unlawful export of goods, technology, or sensitive information; opposing, controlling, or overthrowing the U.S. government through force, violence, or other unlawful means; and other unlawful activity. These are questions about plans or intentions, not only past convictions.

Items 43.a–43.e ask about ever receiving weapons, paramilitary, or military-type training; kidnapping, assassination, hijacking, or sabotage of a conveyance; using weapons or dangerous devices with the stated intent to endanger people or damage property; threats, attempts, conspiracy, preparation, or planning of the listed acts; and incitement under circumstances indicating an intention to cause death or serious injury.

Items 43.f–43.i separately ask about membership or participation in groups involved in the identified activities; recruitment or fundraising for them; support for the activities; and support for an individual or organization involved. Support can include money, things of value, services, or labor. The questions are broader than personally carrying out an attack. Explain the actual role and circumstances, including coercion when relevant, rather than deciding that a sympathetic reason makes the factual question inapplicable.

Items 44–45 ask about intended involvement in the referenced activities and other activity that could endanger U.S. welfare, safety, or security. For a “Yes” to Items 42–45, explain what occurred or what is intended, with the requested dates and locations.

Item 46 asks whether a spouse or parent ever engaged in the activities in Items 43.b–43.i. Its explanation concerns what that spouse or parent did, including dates and places. It is not limited to your own conduct.

Items 47–49 concern supplying or transporting weapons you knew or believed would be used against another person; work, volunteering, service, or participation involving detention of people; and involvement in a group in which you or others used or threatened weapons against people. These questions do not say “only unlawful employment” or “only paid service.”

Items 50–52 ask about military or police units, armed groups outside the official military, and membership or affiliation with a Communist or totalitarian party. For Items 50–51, include the country, unit or group, rank or position, and dates in Part 14. Ordinary service can still be responsive to a service question; disclosure and the legal consequence are separate matters.

Items 53.a–53.d address torture, genocide, killing or attempted killing, and intentionally causing or trying to cause severe injury. The introductory wording includes ordering, inciting, calling for, assisting, and participating, not just personally inflicting the harm.

Items 54–55 concern children under 15: recruitment, enlistment, conscription, or use in hostilities or to serve or help an armed force or group; and use in combat, related services, or support such as carrying supplies. Attempts and work with others are included. For a “Yes” to any of Items 47–55, explain what happened, when, and where in Part 14.

Items 56–64 — Do I have to answer the public-charge questions?

First answer Item 56. If you fall within one of its listed exempt categories, select that category and follow the form’s instruction to skip Items 57–64 and continue at Item 65. Otherwise, select the statement that no listed exemption applies and complete Items 57–64. Do not skip this section merely because you have a sponsor or do not receive benefits.

Item 56 lists asylum and refugee categories, certain Afghan or Iraqi applicants, special immigrant juveniles, VAWA self-petitioners, T and U categories, and specified humanitarian and statutory programs. The list continues onto page 19. Match the precise exemption, including its conditions, rather than selecting a roughly similar label. In particular, the T- and U-related exemptions for adjustment under another category have conditions tied to the pending application or valid status at filing and adjudication.

Other listed choices include the Cuban Adjustment Act and its abuse-related category; HRIFA dependent categories; Lautenberg, Polish, and Hungarian parolees; registry; specified NACARA, Amerasian, Vietnamese/Cambodian/Laotian, Cuban/Haitian entrant, American Indian/Kickapoo, Liberian, Syrian, and military-family provisions. These are specific statutory classifications, not exemptions based only on nationality or a family connection.

How is this different from Part 3? Part 3 asks whether an Affidavit of Support is required or an exemption from that document requirement applies. Part 9 asks whether the public-charge ground of inadmissibility applies and requests information for that review. Answer both using their own rules; one exemption is not automatically the other.

Item 57: Family status. Describe your family situation in your own words. If you state a household size, it should include the individuals whose income, assets, and liabilities you report in Items 58–60. Keep those answers consistent instead of counting one group of people for size and a different group for money.

Item 58: Annual household income. Select the applicable range. The instructions allow income provided to the household from outside sources, such as alimony or child support, but exclude income from means-tested public benefits and illegal activities. This is annual income, not a bank balance.

Items 59–60: Assets and liabilities. Item 59 asks for the total value of assets owned by household members, such as accounts, investments, and real estate, excluding assets from illegal activities. Item 60 separately asks for secured and unsecured debts owed by household members, such as mortgages, car loans, unpaid taxes or support, and credit-card balances. Do not replace these two answers with a single net-worth figure.

For example, a household-owned car and the loan still owed on it belong to different sides of that picture: the car is an asset, and the outstanding loan is a liability. The monthly loan payment is not the same as the remaining debt. This distinction explains the fields without supplying a valuation method for unusual property.

Items 61–62: Education and skills. Select the highest completed education level, giving the highest grade if you select less than a high school diploma. If a degree’s title differs, the instructions say to choose the nearest equivalent. List skills as well as formal credentials: work experience, occupational licenses, training, languages, and trade or apprenticeship certificates can be relevant. Item 62 is not limited to college degrees.

Items 63–64: Means-tested public benefits. The September 18, 2026 form asks whether you have ever received any means-tested public benefit. For a “Yes,” identify each benefit and each period of receipt, its start and end dates, the dollar amount if applicable, and why you received it. The instructions include both past receipt and benefits being received when you file.

Do not answer this edition using an older checklist limited to cash assistance or long-term institutional care. Gather the actual benefit notices so the program and recipient are clear. Whether a particular program is means-tested, and how receipt affects an individual application, should be checked against the current USCIS form instructions and alerts and public-charge policy guidance. Some older USCIS resources remain archived; this guide does not treat an archived benefit list as the answer to the new question or infer a denial from benefit receipt alone.

Items 65–76 — Missed proceedings, false information, removal, and unlawful presence

Item 65 asks about failing or refusing to attend, or remain at, a removal proceeding filed on or after April 1, 1997. A “Yes” requires a written explanation of why, including any explanation of reasonable cause. Do not substitute “the case is old” for the requested account.

Items 66–71 distinguish altered, fraudulent, or counterfeit documents used to seek an immigration benefit; lies, concealment, or misrepresentation in seeking one; a false claim to U.S. citizenship by any means; arriving as a stowaway; knowingly assisting unlawful entry; and a final civil penalty under INA section 274C for fraudulent documents. These questions are not all asking whether a criminal court convicted you. The circumstances and exact representation matter, especially for a possible citizenship claim.

Items 72–73 ask about exclusion, deportation, or removal, including leaving on your own after an order, and about ever entering without inspection and admission or parole. A departure after an order can be responsive even if no officer physically escorted you out.

Item 74 asks about unlawful presence since April 1, 1997 and directs you to give the dates in Part 14 if you answer “Yes.” The form describes presence after the authorized period of stay or without admission or parole. Calculating unlawful presence can involve exceptions and rules that are not identical to every status violation. If your timeline includes pending applications, age-related issues, or disputed entry or stay records, have the actual timeline reviewed instead of counting days from a visa’s expiration date alone.

Item 75 applies after a “Yes” to Item 74 and asks whether severe trafficking was at least one central reason for that unlawful presence. Read the form’s accompanying trafficking definition and explain the facts; it does not ask merely whether you have ever experienced hardship.

Items 76.a–76.b ask about entering or attempting to reenter without admission or parole after either more than one year of unlawful presence in the aggregate or a prior exclusion, deportation, or removal. The earlier event and the later entry or attempt are both important. Do not combine these into a single question about how you most recently arrived.

Items 77–84 — Other conduct, voting, and military-service questions

Items 77–81 ask about intended polygamy; retaining or withholding custody of a U.S.-citizen child outside the United States from a person granted custody by a U.S. court order; voting in violation of law; renouncing U.S. citizenship to avoid taxation; and accompanying an inadmissible person certified by a medical officer as helpless because of sickness, disability, or infancy and needing your protection or guardianship under INA section 232(c). Answer these specific circumstances rather than treating them as general questions about marriage, family travel, or all citizenship renunciations.

Items 82.a–82.c ask separately about applying for exemption or discharge from U.S. military training or service because you were not a U.S. citizen, receiving that exemption or discharge, and desertion. Item 83 asks about leaving or remaining outside the United States to avoid or evade military training or service during war or a declared national emergency. If you answer “Yes,” Item 84 asks for your nationality and immigration status immediately before leaving. These are the last questions in Part 9.

Part 10 — How do I sign Form I-485?

Items 1–3 request your daytime telephone number, mobile number, and email address, if applicable. Item 4 is your signature and date. Read the certification before signing: you are declaring under penalty of perjury that you understand the application and that its information and supporting submissions are complete, true, and correct.

Having an interpreter or preparer does not remove your responsibility to review the answers. Check the finished application and every continuation page before you sign, including entries another person typed.

The instructions permit a parent or legal guardian to sign for a child under 14 and a legal guardian to sign for someone mentally incompetent. Follow any category-specific instructions that apply. A typed or stamped name is not a substitute for a signature. USCIS accepts a photocopy, fax, or scan of an original handwritten signature under its signature rules; for the online PDF-upload method, submit the properly signed PDF and follow the current account instructions.

Part 13 is a different signature space used at an interview. Leaving Part 13 for the officer does not mean you should leave Part 10 unsigned when filing.

Part 11 — Who completes the interpreter section?

Anyone who interpreted the instructions and questions into a language you understand must complete this part. Items 1–2 identify the interpreter and any business or organization; Items 3–5 provide contact information. The certification identifies the language, and Item 6 is the interpreter’s signature and date.

The interpreter certifies fluency in English and the identified language and that the questions, instructions, and your answers were interpreted so you understood them. This is a declaration about work actually performed, not a space to list a bilingual person who did not interpret the application.

Part 12 — What if someone prepared the application for me?

A person who prepared the application for you completes Part 12. Items 1–2 request the preparer’s name and business or organization; Items 3–5 request contact details; Item 6 is the signature and date.

The preparer certifies preparation at your request and with your consent, based on information you supplied, and that you reviewed and understood the completed information. A person who both interpreted and prepared the application completes both Parts 11 and 12. Attorney or accredited-representative involvement may also require Form G-28; it does not replace these certifications.

Part 13 — Do I sign the interview section before filing?

No. Leave Part 13 for an interview, if USCIS requires one, and sign it when the USCIS officer directs you. It records the interview certification and any changes identified there. It is not an extra signature to complete in advance, and it does not replace your filing signature in Part 10.

Part 14 — How do I add information without losing track of the question?

Use Part 14 for answers that need more room and explanations requested elsewhere in the form. Item 1 and the A-Number field identify you. Items 2–5 provide spaces to identify the page, part, and item number for each continuation and then give the answer.

For example, an extra address belongs under the page number, Part 1, Item 18; an explanation of an arrest belongs under the applicable Part 9 item. Label each separately so USCIS does not have to infer which answer you are expanding.

You may copy Part 14 or attach additional sheets as the instructions allow. Put your name and A-Number, if any, on each additional sheet, identify the page, part, and item, and sign and date each sheet. Continue the facts requested by that field, including dates and locations when required. An attachment is part of your application, so review it before signing too.

What documents should I gather before filing I-485?

Assembling your evidence? Our I-485 supporting-document checklist and explanation shows what each record establishes, which requirements depend on your category, and how the medical and sponsorship rules fit into the package.

Gather a core set of identity and immigration records, then add the evidence required for your adjustment category and your individual answers. There is no single packet that is correct for every I-485 applicant. Read both “What Evidence Must You Submit with Form I-485?” and the category-specific Additional Instructions in the official instructions.

Keep working records separate from the documents you actually submit. A bank statement might help you answer a financial question without being a universal I-485 attachment; a required sponsor tax document is a different matter. The instructions, the related form’s requirements, and any later USCIS request determine what belongs in the filing.

Identity and civil records. The general requirements include two recent, identical passport-style color photographs meeting the specifications, a copy of government-issued photo identification, and a civil birth certificate identifying at least one parent, unless the category instructions provide otherwise. Gather legal name-change records, marriage certificates, records legally ending earlier marriages, and adoption or other relationship evidence when relevant to the application.

For civil records from another country, the Department of State’s country-by-country civil-document guidance helps identify the available document and issuing authority. If primary evidence is unavailable, explain why and follow the instructions for secondary evidence. If neither is available, the instructions permit two or more affidavits from nonparties with direct personal knowledge, together with the required explanation. Simply omitting a difficult document is not the same as documenting its unavailability.

Entry and immigration history. Gather passports, visa pages, admission or parole stamps, I-94 records, and USCIS notices. Many applicants must provide evidence of inspection and admission or parole connected to their most recent arrival; the instructions identify exceptions, including certain humanitarian and other categories. Keep later USCIS-issued I-94s too so the answers about your current status and most recent I-94 are accurate.

Where your category requires proof of continuously maintained status, records may include extension and change-of-status approvals, I-94s, student Forms I-20, exchange-visitor Forms DS-2019 or IAP-66, and relevant passport pages covering entries and periods of stay. The instructions specifically discuss family and employment preference applicants, religious workers, international broadcasters, and Diversity Visa selectees. An exception to an adjustment bar requires its own legal and evidentiary basis; do not infer one just because some applicants have different rules.

The petition or category that supports adjustment. Include the relevant receipt or approval evidence, such as Form I-797 for an underlying petition, as directed. Concurrent filing changes which notices are already available. Derivative applicants may need the principal applicant’s petition, I-485, or permanent-residence evidence as well as proof of the qualifying relationship. Other categories rely on their own grant, admission, selection, or statutory evidence. An I-130 approval is not itself an approval of I-485.

Employment-based evidence. Some applicants need Supplement J to confirm a qualifying job offer. The current I-485 instructions require it for a principal applicant filing after approval of an I-140 in a category requiring a job offer; they say it is not required at that time when filing with an I-140 or while that I-140 is pending, although USCIS may request it later. Extraordinary-ability and national-interest-waiver cases are not tied to a particular job offer. The instructions instead address a signed statement of intent to work in the occupational field for certain self-petitioners. Follow the exact situation rather than adding Supplement J to every employment case.

A current Supplement J wording discrepancy: The September 18, 2026 I-485 and Supplement J instructions say Supplement J is not required at initial filing while the underlying I-140 is still pending. The USCIS filing webpages use broader wording requiring it for a separately filed I-485 based on a previously filed I-140. If that pending-petition situation applies, confirm the current direction before deciding to omit Supplement J; this guide does not resolve the inconsistency.

Sponsorship and special circumstances. Include a properly completed I-864 or I-864EZ and its required evidence when applicable, or the evidence supporting your Part 3 exemption. Depending on the case, additional requirements can include Supplement A for section 245(i), J exchange-visitor records and evidence addressing the two-year requirement, or forms concerning diplomatic privileges and official status. A waiver application is required only when the applicable law and individual circumstances call for it; this guide does not select a waiver for you.

Do I submit the medical examination with I-485?

If you are required to submit a full or partial Form I-693, submit it with I-485. USCIS warns that omitting a required medical form can result in rejection. The requirement can differ by category and previous medical examination, so use the current I-693 requirements to determine whether you need a full examination or only a specified portion, such as the vaccination record.

A USCIS-designated civil surgeon completes the examination and signs the form. Ordinary medical records or a personal doctor’s note do not replace the required immigration medical report.

Filing by mail: submit the medical form in the original sealed envelope supplied by the civil surgeon. Filing I-485 online through the current PDF-upload process: USCIS specifically directs you to open that envelope, upload the completed and signed I-693 with the application, and keep the original form and the envelope until a final decision. USCIS may request them or review them at an interview. The online instruction is an important exception to older advice that the applicant must never open the envelope.

What if my history includes an arrest, charge, or conviction?

Gather the records showing both what happened and how the matter ended. The I-485 instructions distinguish arrests without charges, formal charges, convictions or alternative programs, and records later vacated, sealed, or expunged. Depending on the event, they require original or certified arrest reports, certified charging documents, plea agreements, dispositions, sentence or program-completion records, and orders granting later relief.

Dismissed charges and juvenile events can still require disclosure and records. The limited exception for documentation of certain minor traffic matters is an evidence rule; it does not erase the form’s actual disclosure questions. Read the instructions’ conditions, including the rules for criminal charges, alcohol or drugs, injury to people or property, physical arrest, and the amount of the fine.

If a certified disposition cannot be obtained, follow the instructions’ substitute-evidence process: the custodian’s explanation when required, your own account of the unavailable record and outcome, and secondary evidence or a qualifying statement from someone with direct personal knowledge. Do not replace a required certified record with an unexplained internet summary.

Do I send originals, copies, or translations?

Normally submit clear copies unless the instructions require an original or certified document. Medical envelopes and specified court records have their own requirements. USCIS may ask to see originals later; do not send irreplaceable originals just because you have them. The instructions warn that unsolicited originals may be destroyed.

Any submitted document containing foreign-language information needs a complete English translation. The translator signs a certification of completeness, accuracy, and competence to translate into English, including the identifying and contact information and date required by the instructions. Translating only the heading or the favorable portion is not a complete translation.

How do I file I-485?

First confirm the filing category, whether you are eligible to file now, and whether USCIS or the immigration court is the correct filing authority. Then use the filing method and destination for that situation. Completing the questions does not by itself establish eligibility or visa availability.

Ready to choose the destination? Where do I file Form I-485? explains how to follow the current category, residence, related-form, and carrier instructions without relying on an old mailing address.

For a family-based filing, our I-130 and I-485 concurrent-filing explanation distinguishes one combined submission from filing I-485 while I-130 is pending, including the current online rules.

For categories subject to visa availability, check the current USCIS adjustment-of-status filing charts and the rules for your category. USCIS specifies which chart may be used for filing in the relevant month. A priority date and an approved petition do not always mean an I-485 can be filed immediately.

Can I file online? USCIS currently offers I-485 PDF upload for certain applicants and representatives. Check the I-485 filing page and online-filing eligibility and instructions before choosing it; other I-485 applications must be mailed.

The current online rules distinguish concurrent filings. Representatives can submit I-485 with an underlying I-130 or I-140, and I-140 self-petitioners can concurrently submit their own I-140 and I-485. An unrepresented applicant who is not an I-140 self-petitioner cannot use that online concurrent route: the petitioner files the underlying petition in the petitioner’s account, and the applicant may submit I-485 after the petition acceptance notice, when otherwise eligible. This describes the online process, not a general prohibition on all concurrent paper filings.

Where do I mail it? Use the current Direct Filing Addresses for I-485 for your category and circumstances, including any distinction between U.S. Postal Service and courier delivery. Do not copy another applicant’s address or mail it to the local office simply because that office might conduct an interview. Cases filed with EOIR follow the applicable court-filing and USCIS processing directions instead.

What is the fee? Use the current USCIS fee schedule and the I-485 page immediately before submission. Check the filing category, any applicable exemption or permitted waiver, and the required payment method. Related applications can have separate fees and rules. Do not assume an I-765 or I-131 is free because it accompanies I-485, or use the OMB expiration date to decide which form edition is accepted.

Which related forms belong with it? Include the forms your case actually requires, such as sponsorship, medical, representation, or category-specific supplements. I-130 establishes certain family relationships; I-485 seeks permanent residence. I-765 requests employment authorization or an employment document. I-131 has separate travel-related purposes and requirements. They are not interchangeable, and the filing of I-485 alone does not grant work or travel permission.

What should I check immediately before submitting?

Use this final check alongside the current instructions, not as a substitute for the evidence requirements of your category.

  • Confirm that USCIS accepts the edition you are using. Keep all pages from that edition, with the page numbers and edition dates visible.
  • Check names, A-Numbers, dates, addresses, the selected adjustment category, and every required answer. Use “N/A” or “None” as the instructions direct; follow specific skip instructions rather than filling every unused box indiscriminately.
  • Include the required evidence, translations, related forms, labeled continuation sheets, and any necessary explanations. Check the medical submission rule for your filing method.
  • Review and sign Part 10, obtain interpreter and preparer signatures when applicable, and leave Part 13 for the officer. Check signatures on related forms and additional sheets too.
  • Verify the current fee, payment method, filing destination or online eligibility, and any visa-availability requirement.
  • Keep a complete copy of what you submit, plus the online confirmation or mailing/delivery record. For paper submissions, follow USCIS mailing and packet-preparation guidance.

What happens after I file I-485?

If your family petition was just approved while I-485 is pending, our I-130 approval next-steps explanation shows why the adjustment application still needs its own decision and which notices to follow.

Filing starts a review process; it does not make you a permanent resident. USCIS may request biometrics, additional evidence, or an interview before issuing a decision. The official adjustment-of-status overview explains this sequence.

Receipt. After accepting the application, USCIS sends a receipt notice with a case number. Keep it and check the information. A receipt confirms acceptance for processing, not approval. A rejected package has not reached the same stage; read the rejection notice and correct the stated issue before resubmitting rather than assuming the case is pending.

Biometrics. If required, USCIS sends an appointment notice giving the date, time, location, and what to bring. Review your application beforehand because you may be asked to reaffirm its truth and completeness. If you cannot attend, follow the official rescheduling instructions promptly; missing the appointment can jeopardize the application. See USCIS biometrics preparation guidance.

Requests for evidence. USCIS may ask for missing or additional evidence. Read the entire notice, including what to send, where to send it, and the deadline. A request is not an approval or a denial. Respond to the actual request rather than sending an unrelated new packet or assuming documents previously supplied answer every concern.

Interview. USCIS decides whether one is required. Follow the appointment notice about who must attend and what to bring. The adjustment overview directs interviewees to bring originals of documents submitted with I-485, including passports, travel documents, and I-94s, even when expired; the petitioning relative may also need to attend where applicable. Do not sign Part 13 before the officer instructs you.

If an interview is scheduled, What should I expect at my I-485 interview, and what should I bring? helps you organize originals and updates, review your filed answers, and prepare for attendance, interpretation, and the steps after the appointment.

Tracking and address changes. Use your receipt number and USCIS online account or official case-status tools. Keep your address current through USCIS’s change-of-address process; changing it with the Postal Service alone does not update USCIS. Follow the special procedures for protected cases when applicable. An inquiry about delay should use the current USCIS processing-time and inquiry rules rather than a promised completion date from another applicant’s experience.

Decision and card delivery. USCIS sends a written decision. After approval, the Green Card is produced and mailed separately. The USCIS delivery-tracking guidance explains where to find tracking information and what to do about missing mail. If tracking says delivered but the card is missing, follow the Postal Service and USCIS inquiry steps promptly. Do not assume an approval notice and a physical card arrive together.

If a notice is missing, a case appears outside normal processing, or a document is returned, use the appropriate USCIS inquiry channel or Contact Center. If the application is denied, read the reasons and any available motion or review instructions in the notice. The route and deadline depend on the decision; there is no single appeal procedure this guide can promise for every case.

Can I work or travel while I-485 is pending?

Not simply because I-485 was filed. Work authorization must come from a valid status or other authorization, or from approval of the appropriate employment-authorization application. A pending I-765 is not the same as an approved work permit.

Can I work while my I-485 is pending? explains category (c)(9), existing work authorization, what receipts establish, and the current rules for EAD renewals and automatic extensions.

Travel can also affect a pending adjustment application, including possible abandonment, and the rules have category- and status-specific exceptions. Before leaving, check the current I-485 and I-131 instructions against your actual status and travel document. Filing a travel application is not permission to travel, and this guide does not decide whether a particular trip preserves your application.

Can I travel while my I-485 is pending? explains advance parole, abandonment, status-specific exceptions, separate pending applications, and current warnings about unlawful presence and return.

Official sources and related FormExplainer guides

This walkthrough uses the 24-page I-485 and 41-page instructions, both edition 09/18/26, together with the current USCIS resources linked at the relevant steps. The USCIS I-485 page is the place to recheck accepted editions, filing changes, and court-order alerts before filing.

Return to Immigration & Asylum guides for related form explanations. The I-130 guide explains the family petition, the I-765 guide explains the employment-authorization application, and the I-589 guide explains the asylum application. Each serves a different purpose from I-485.