How To Fill Out USCIS Form I-485 Step by Step
In this part of our guide, we walk through each part of the eighteen-page I-485 form. Some of the sections on the application are shorter than others and only require basic personal information. Other sections, like Part 8, are quite complex and detailed. Do not stress too much as many of the questions will not apply to you.
Read on for our step-by-step instructions to fill out and complete Form I-485:
Part 1: Your Personal Information
Provide your full legal name(s), date of birth, sex, city and country of birth, and country of current nationality. You can fill out sections 10 through 12 only if you have received those identification numbers.
Make sure that you can reliably receive mail with your U.S. mailing address. If you need the USCIS to send notices to a separate, safer address, then use section 14.
In sections 15-19, provide the information of the passport or travel document you used to enter the United States. Sections 20 and 21 detail your most recent port of entry, such as an airport, seaport, or land entry.
Sections 22 and 25 are about your immigration status upon arrival. Indicate if you entered as a student, visitor, refugee, or if you entered without permission. Section 23 should be the same as the information on your I-94 form, which is attached to your passport. If the expiration date has passed, then write ‘overstay’. If your immigration status has changed since arrival, also indicate that here.
Part 2: Application Type or Filing Category
Inform the USCIS which immigration category you wish to apply under, such as through family, employment, or another avenue. If you are the beneficiary of a green card sponsor, such as your employer, then attach a copy of Form I-797 (this form would have been sent to you by the USCIS).
Section 2 likely does not apply to you. If you attempted to reside in the U.S. as a foreign worker or relative to a U.S. citizen before 2001, then you may qualify under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Learn more about this adjustment at USCIS.gov.
If you have an approved petition (via Form I-797), then add the petition’s information in sections 3 and 4.
Fill out section 5 if you are a ‘derivative applicant’. A derivative applicant is someone applying for permanent residence along with another individual, who is the main ‘principal’ applicant. Section 5 details your principal applicant’s information.
Part 3: Your History and Additional Information
In this section, USCIS will want to know if you’ve applied for a Green Card before. They will also ask for an address you’ve lived at in the past 5 years and for your employment history, so that a background check may be done on your profile.
Part 4: Your Parents
Give the personal information of your parents here. If they passed away, write ‘Deceased’ on sections 7,8,15, and 16.
Part 5: Your Marital History
This section is especially important for applicants who are immigrating through marriage. This section will help verify that you are eligible.
You will have to provide information about previous marriages too. If you run out of space, use the ‘Additional Information’ section in Part 14.
Part 6: Your Children
Provide the number of children you have, and their basic personal information. You should include both your adult children and stepchildren here, if any. If your children want to immigrate to the U.S. in the future, then this information should be as accurate as possible so that the USCIS is clearly informed about your relationship with them.
Part 7: Biographic Information
Indicate if you are Hispanic, Latino, or not. Also specify your race, height, weight, eye color, and hair color.
Part 8: General Eligibility and Inadmissibility
This section helps determine if you have committed crimes or immigration violations that make you ineligible (‘inadmissible') for a Green Card.
In sections 1 through 13, list the organizations you have been a part of. USCIS will flag applicants involved in violent organizations. Conversely, being a part of religious or volunteer organizations may help your application.
In sections 14 through 80, indicate if you ever overstayed your visa, disclose arrests, and disclose minor crimes. You may explain the circ*mstances of these violations in the ‘Additional Information’ section of Part 14. It is possible to obtain ‘Forgiveness’ waivers for certain violations, which would allow you to remain eligible for a Green Card. However, it is essential in these cases to consult with an experienced immigration attorney before submitting your application.
Part 9: Accommodations for Disabilities and Impairments
If you need disability assistance for your immigration interview, such as a sign language interpreter, then note that in this section.
Part 10: Your Statement, Certification, and Signature
Provide your signature in this section to make your application official! You will indicate that you understand English here too, so that the USCIS is aware that you know what you are signing.
Part 11: Your Interpreter’s Information, Certification, and Signature
If you do not speak English and relied on an interpreter to fill out Form I-485, then your interpreter will sign here. English is not required to obtain a Green Card, but you will need an interpreter at your immigration interview.
Part 12: Your Preparer’s Information, Declaration, and Signature
If you used an attorney to help complete Form I-485, then they will fill their information here.
Part 13: Signature at the USCIS Interview
Leave this section blank until your USCIS interview.
Part 14: Additional Information
Use this space if you need to provide more information. If you need even more space than what is provided, then you may either attach a separate piece of paper to the application or you may make copies of Part 14 and file those copies with the application.
