I-485 Form

What Form I-485 is

Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, is the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) form people in the United States use to apply for a green card without leaving the country. This template is the 09/18/26 edition (OMB expiration 02/28/2027), 24 pages.

The edition matters more than usual. According to the USCIS Form I-485 page, as of October 3, 2026, USCIS published the 09/18/26 edition to apply the Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility final rule, and it rejects the 01/20/25 and 09/04/26 editions if they are postmarked or submitted on or after September 18, 2026. USCIS says there is no grace period. If you started an older version, move your answers to this edition.

Who uses it

People physically present in the United States who are eligible to adjust status through a family, employment, special immigrant, asylee or refugee, humanitarian, Diversity Visa, registry, or other category listed in Part 2. Eligibility, the right category, and the answers in Part 9 can have serious consequences, so read the official instructions and consider a qualified immigration attorney or accredited representative.

What to have ready

• Your A-Number and USCIS Online Account Number, if any, and Social Security number if one was issued.
• Passport, visa, and Form I-94 details and your last arrival date and place.
• The receipt number and priority date of the underlying petition (for example, Form I-130, I-140, or I-360), if any.
• Five years of address and employment history, details about your parents, marriages, and all children.
• Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, if required. The instructions say a required I-693 must be submitted with Form I-485, otherwise the application may be rejected (see uscis.gov/i-693).

How to fill it out with PDF Editify

Click "Fill Template Now", type into the fields, and download the completed PDF. USCIS does not accept electronic or pasted signatures on paper filings, so print and sign Part 10 by hand (see the USCIS Policy Manual chapter on signatures). Part 13 is signed later, at an interview, in front of a USCIS officer.

Part 1. Information About You

Current legal name and other names, other dates of birth, A-Numbers, sex, place of birth, citizenship, USCIS Online Account Number, passport and visa used at last arrival, recent immigration history (admitted, paroled, or entered without admission or parole), Form I-94 details, current status, crewman questions, current physical and mailing addresses, prior addresses for five years, and Social Security card questions, including consent for the SSA to issue a card.

Part 2. Application Type or Filing Category

Whether you are filing with the immigration court (EOIR), receipt number and priority date of the underlying petition, principal or derivative applicant, and exactly one category from Items 3.a to 3.g. Follow-up questions cover INA section 245(i) and the Child Status Protection Act.

Part 3. Request for Exemption for Intending Immigrant's Affidavit of Support

Select one reason if you are exempt from submitting Form I-864 or I-864EZ, or select that no exemption applies.

Parts 4 to 8

Part 4 asks about prior immigrant visa and permanent residence applications and your employment and educational history for the last five years. Part 5 covers your parents, Part 6 your marital history, Part 7 all of your children, and Part 8 biographic information (ethnicity, race, height, weight, eye and hair color).

Part 9. General Eligibility and Inadmissibility Grounds

Yes or no questions about immigration history, criminal history, security, and other grounds, plus the Public Charge section. If you are in an exempt category you select it and skip the remaining public charge items; otherwise you complete them. Explain any "Yes" answer, or any "No" you are unsure about, in Part 14.

Parts 10 to 14

Part 10 is your contact information, certification, and signature. Part 11 is for an interpreter and Part 12 for a preparer. Part 14, Additional Information, is extra space; include your name, A-Number, and the page, part, and item number.

Filing and fees

USCIS offers online filing of Form I-485 for certain applicants and representatives. Paper filing addresses depend on your category and are listed on the Form I-485 filing addresses page. The fee depends on age, filing method, and category, so check the USCIS Fee Schedule (G-1055) on the day you file; USCIS has announced increases to certain H.R. 1 fees effective October 16, 2026.

Common mistakes

• Filing the 01/20/25 or 09/04/26 edition, or mixing pages from different editions.
• Selecting more than one category in Part 2.
• Leaving out a required Form I-693.
• Skipping the Public Charge items without selecting an exempt category.
• Signing with a typed or pasted signature.

For a longer walkthrough, read our Form I-485 adjustment of status guide.