Fill out Form I-485 online

Who uses Form I-485

• People in the United States applying for a Green Card through a family petition, such as Form I-130, I-129F or I-360
• Workers and investors with an employment-based or investor petition, such as Form I-140, I-526 or I-526E
• Asylees and refugees applying for permanent residence
• Spouses and children applying as derivative applicants of a principal applicant, in categories that allow it
• Special immigrants, T and U nonimmigrants, Diversity Visa selectees and others in the categories listed in Part 2

Before you start

• Your passport, visa and Form I-94 details from your most recent arrival in the United States
• The receipt or approval notice (Form I-797) and priority date for the underlying petition, if there is one
• Your addresses and your employment or school history for the last 5 years
• Names, dates of birth and countries of birth for your parents, your current and prior spouses, and all of your living children
• Certified police and court records for any arrest, charge or conviction anywhere in the world
• Form I-693 from a civil surgeon in its sealed envelope, and Form I-864 or I-864EZ, if required in your case

How to fill out Form I-485

1. 1

   Part 1. Information About You

   Items 1-9 ask for your legal name, other names, date and place of birth, A-Number, sex, citizenship and USCIS Online Account Number. Items 10-17 cover your most recent arrival (passport or travel document, visa, how you were inspected, admitted or paroled, and your Form I-94), your current immigration status, and whether you have been an alien crewman. Item 18 asks for your physical and mailing addresses, prior addresses for the last 5 years and your most recent address abroad, and Item 19 asks about a Social Security card.

2. 2

   Part 2. Application Type or Filing Category

   Item 1 asks whether you are filing with the immigration court (EOIR) while in proceedings. Item 2 asks for the receipt number and priority date of the underlying petition, if any, and whether you file as the principal applicant or as a derivative applicant; a derivative applicant also gives the principal applicant's name, A-Number and date of birth. In Item 3, select only one category from 3.a. to 3.g.; a derivative applicant selects the category of the principal applicant. Items 4 and 5 ask about INA section 245(i) and the Child Status Protection Act.

3. 3

   Parts 3 and 4. Affidavit of Support and additional information

   In Part 3, select only one box: Items 1.a.-1.d. request an exemption from the Affidavit of Support (Form I-864 or I-864EZ), Item 1.e. says you are not required to submit one or to request an exemption, and Item 1.f. says you are required to submit one. Part 4, Items 1-6, asks about any earlier immigrant visa application at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, any earlier application for permanent residence in the United States, and any rescinded permanent resident status. Item 7 asks for all employment and schooling for the last 5 years, current first, including periods of self-employment, unemployment or retirement and how you were supported; Item 8 asks for your most recent employer or school outside the United States.

4. 4

   Parts 5 to 8. Parents, marriages, children and biographic information

   Part 5 asks for each parent's legal name, name at birth, date of birth and country of birth. Part 6 covers your marital status, your current spouse (Items 4-10) and a prior marriage and how it ended (Items 11-18). Part 7 asks for the total number of your living children anywhere in the world, including adult sons and daughters and current stepchildren, with details for each child. Part 8 asks for ethnicity, race, height in feet and inches, weight in pounds, and eye and hair color.

5. 5

   Part 9, Items 1-55. Eligibility, criminal and security questions

   These items ask about organizations you have belonged to or been involved with (Items 1-9), past denials, unauthorized work, status violations, proceedings and the J exchange visitor two-year rule (Items 10-21), criminal acts and violations (Items 22-41), and security-related conduct (Items 42-55). For Items 22-41 you must answer "Yes" if a question applies, even if the record was sealed or cleared or the event happened outside the United States. Explain every "Yes" answer, and any "No" answer you are unsure of, in Part 14.

6. 6

   Part 9, Items 56-84. Public charge and other grounds

   In Item 56, select the one exempt category that applies to you, or the last box saying you do not fall under any exempt category. If you selected that last box, complete Items 57-64 about family status, household income, assets and liabilities, education, skills and any means-tested public benefits you have received; if you selected an exempt category, go to Item 65. Items 65-84 ask about immigration violations, removal, unlawful presence, reentry and other conduct.

7. 7

   Parts 10 to 14. Signatures and extra space

   In Part 10, give your phone numbers and email, then sign and date Item 4. If you used an interpreter, the interpreter completes and signs Part 11, and anyone other than you who prepared the form completes and signs Part 12. Leave Part 13 blank: you sign it only at the interview when a USCIS officer tells you to. Use Part 14 for any answer that does not fit; put your name and A-Number (if any) on each extra sheet, give the page, part and item number, and sign and date each sheet.

After you fill it out

You file Form I-485 with USCIS together with the required evidence, Form I-693 if it applies to you, and any other forms your category needs; if you are in proceedings in Immigration Court, the instructions say you generally file with that court instead. Paper applications go to a filing address that depends on your filing category, so check the USCIS Direct Filing Addresses page for Form I-485 and the current fee on the USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055) page. USCIS also offers online filing of Form I-485 for certain applicants through a USCIS online account. After filing, USCIS may schedule a biometrics appointment and an interview.

Signing: Print the form and sign Part 10, Item 4 by hand; USCIS does not accept a stamped or typewritten name and rejects an unsigned application. A photocopy, fax or scan of the original hand-signed application is valid for filing, and a parent or legal guardian may sign for an applicant under 14 years of age.

Questions about Form I-485

Official information

• About Form I-485 (USCIS)
• Instructions for Form I-485 (PDF)
• Direct filing addresses for Form I-485
• USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055)

Page text last reviewed November 7, 2026.

Related forms

• Form I-130Petition for Alien Relative
• Form I-864Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA
• Form I-765Application For Employment Authorization
• Form I-131Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
• Form G-1145e-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance