USCIS Forms I-485
Adjustment of status
Apply for permanent residence without leaving the US. Eligibility, timelines, medical exams and the interview.
I-485, At a glance
Rev 2026- Who files
- Applicant in the US
- Filing fee
- $1,390 online · $1,440 paper
- Typical timeline
- 8–24 months
- Filed with
- USCIS
USCIS updates fees and processing times without notice. Confirm the current figures on USCIS.gov before you file, or ask us and we'll check them with you.
Processing times vary by form, category and field office. Look up the current time for your own case with the USCIS processing times tool.
Who can adjust status inside the US
Adjustment of status is for someone already in the United States who has an immigrant petition approved or filed on their behalf and, in most family cases, entered the country with inspection: admitted at a port of entry or paroled in. The immediate relatives of a US citizen, a spouse, an unmarried child under 21 or a parent, can file the I-485 together with the I-130 in one package, because no visa number wait applies to them. Everyone else, in the family and employment preference categories, waits until their priority date is current in the Visa Bulletin before filing. Someone who entered without inspection usually cannot adjust inside the US except under specific exceptions, and whether one applies is a question for an attorney.
What is filed with it
- 01The I-485 itself, with passport photographs and a copy of your birth certificate with a certified translation
- 02The I-130 petition, if it is being filed at the same time, or the approval notice if it was filed earlier
- 03Affidavit of Support (I-864) from the petitioner, with tax returns and proof of income, plus a joint sponsor if the petitioner's income falls short of the guideline
- 04Medical examination (I-693) completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon, sealed, and timed so it is still valid when USCIS reviews it
- 05Work permit (I-765) and travel document (I-131) applications, usually filed in the same package so you can work and travel while the case is pending
- 06Passport, visa and I-94 arrival record, showing how and when you entered
- 07Marriage certificate and the decrees ending every prior marriage on both sides, for a spouse case
- 08Certified court dispositions for any arrest or charge, anywhere, even if dismissed
How the process runs
- 01
File the package
We assemble the application, the supporting forms and the evidence in the order an officer reads it, and file. USCIS issues a receipt notice for each form in the package.
- 02
Biometrics
USCIS schedules an appointment for fingerprints and a photograph at an application support center. Missing it without rescheduling can close the case.
- 03
Work permit and travel document
The I-765 and I-131 are decided while the I-485 waits. Do not leave the United States before the travel document is approved: leaving without it abandons the application.
- 04
Interview and decision
Most family cases are interviewed at the local field office. In a spouse case both of you attend. Approval brings the green card by mail, conditional for two years if the marriage was under two years old at approval, with an I-751 to file later.
Common mistakes we catch
Travelling abroad before the advance parole is approved, which abandons the case. A medical exam done too early or submitted unsealed. An affidavit of support that does not reach the income guideline with no joint sponsor lined up. An arrest left off the form because the charge was dismissed. Dates and addresses that differ between the I-130 and the I-485. Each of these draws a request for evidence at best, and a denial at worst. This is what the preparation is for.