I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

Alert: USCIS has prioritized employment-based adjustment of status applications during every step of its processing and adjudication during this fiscal year.  We continue to make processing and resource allocation decisions to increase the pace of adjudications and limit the potential for employment-based visa numbers to go unused.  If you are applying for a Green Card in an employment-based category and we issued you a Request for Evidence (RFE) for your Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, you should respond as soon as possible so we can finalize a decision on your adjustment application.  

Information about
ALERT: If you are concurrently filing a Form I-140 and Form I-485, do not combine your supporting documents. Clearly separate each package using fasteners or heavy clips to hold together each set. We recommend assembling each form package in the following order:
  • Check or money order or Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions;
  • Form G-1145, Request for e-Notification (if applicable);
  • Form G-28 (if applicable);
  • The form you are filing; and
  • Supporting documentation.
For additional information visit: Tips for Filing Forms by Mail 
04/01/24. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions.
Dates are listed in mm/dd/yy format.If you complete and print this form to mail it, make sure that the form edition date and page numbers are visible at the bottom of all pages and that all pages are from the same form edition. If any of the form’s pages are missing or are from a different form edition, we may reject your form.If you need help downloading and printing forms, read our instructions. 

Where you file your Form I-485 depends on your eligibility category. Go to our Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-485 page to see where you should file your application. 
If you file at a USCIS lockbox, you may not receive an A-Number on your Form I-797, Notice of Action, due to a change in our business process. In these cases, we will send your A-Number in a second notice a few days after accepting your application.

You can find the filing fee for Form I-485 by visiting our Fee Schedule page.  
You can pay the fee with a money order, personal check, cashier's check, or pay by credit card or debit card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions. If you pay by check, you must make your check payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
When you send a payment, you agree to pay for a government service. Filing fees are final and non-refundable, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition, or request, or if you withdraw your request. If you pay by credit card or debit card, you cannot later dispute the payment. Use our Fee Calculator to help determine your fee.
If you are submitting multiple forms, pay each filing fee separately. We are transitioning to electronically processing immigration benefit requests, which requires us to use multiple systems to process your package. We may reject your entire package if you submit a single, combined payment for multiple forms.

Save time by submitting all required initial evidence and supporting documentation at the same time you file Form I-485.
View the checklist of required initial evidence.
The checklist is an optional tool to use as you prepare your form, but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. Submitting all required initial evidence and supporting documentation at the same time you file Form I-485 may eliminate the need for us to issue a Request for Evidence to obtain additional documentation and evidence. This may also help avoid adjudication delays if we decide that you do not need to be interviewed.
You may also save time by submitting Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, with your Form I-485. We generally consider a completed Form I-693 to remain valid for two years after the date the civil surgeon signed it.

Filing Tips: Review our Tips for Filing Forms by Mail page for information on how to ensure we will accept your form.
Don’t forget to sign your form. We will reject any unsigned form.