For years the choice with a green card application was paying an attorney several thousand dollars or filling out the government forms alone and hoping you got them right. Starting today there is a third option. You can prepare and file Form I-485 without a lawyer using Immiva, the same plain-English way we already handle citizenship and family petitions. Form I-485 is the application you file to get a green card from inside the United States, and for family-based cases we now prepare the Affidavit of Support (Form I-864) in the same packet. One flat fee covers both. Here is what launched, who it helps, and what USCIS charges on top.
Immiva now supports the I-485, and the I-864 with it
Form I-485, officially the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, is how people already in the U.S. move from a temporary status or a pending petition to lawful permanent resident, the green card (USCIS). It comes up in most family-based and employment-based green card cases, and it is one of the longer, more error-prone forms USCIS publishes.
What is new is that you no longer need an attorney to get it filled out correctly. Immiva asks plain-English questions, fills the official USCIS form for you, and runs a pre-filing review before you submit anything. For family cases it also prepares the I-864 affidavit of support, the financial sponsorship form that USCIS treats as part of the same decision. If you want the full background on eligibility, evidence, and timing, our complete I-485 adjustment of status guide covers it in depth. This post is about the launch itself and how filing this way works.
Do you need an I-864 with your I-485?
The I-864 is one of the highest-stakes pieces of a family case. If your category requires an affidavit of support and you do not file one, or you file a weak one, USCIS must deny the case on public charge grounds. That is written into the statute, not left to an officer's discretion (USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 8, Part G, Ch. 6).
Most family-based applicants need it. A U.S. citizen or green card holder sponsoring a spouse, parent, or child signs the I-864 and must show income of at least 125 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for their household size, or 100 percent if the sponsor is on active military duty sponsoring a spouse or child (USCIS, Affidavit of Support). Employment-based applicants, asylees, refugees, and VAWA self-petitioners are usually exempt. Because a sponsor falling short of the income line is one of the most common reasons a green card case stalls, Immiva checks the sponsor's income against the current guidelines as part of the packet, and you can test your own numbers first with the free sponsor income calculator.
A simplified look at which I-485 categories need an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864) and which are usually exempt. For the full rules and income thresholds, see the I-864 guide.
What you get for $129, and what USCIS charges
Immiva's fee for the whole thing is $129, paid only when your packet is ready to download. That single charge covers your completed I-485, the I-864 for family cases, a pre-filing review, a document checklist built around your category, and filing instructions (pricing). The same fee covers the application no matter how many USCIS forms it takes, so the affidavit of support is not an add-on. A traditional attorney quotes anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 or more for the same form preparation, which is the gap Immiva is built to close.
The government filing fee is separate and goes straight to USCIS. For most applicants the I-485 fee is $1,440, and that amount includes the biometrics appointment (USCIS fee schedule). Children under 14 filing with a parent pay a reduced fee. One thing that surprises people: since the April 2024 fee rule, a work permit (Form I-765) and a travel document (Form I-131) each carry their own USCIS fee even when you file them alongside the I-485, so they are no longer free add-ons. Our guide to the work permit and advance parole walks through how that combination works.
How filing the I-485 without a lawyer works
The process has three parts. First, a free eligibility check confirms whether you can adjust status at all and under which category, since you generally cannot file the I-485 until an immigrant visa is available in your category (USCIS). Second, you answer plain-English questions and Immiva fills the form, runs up to 34 pre-filing checks across the I-485 and the I-864, and flags anything that tends to trigger a Request for Evidence or denial. Third, you get a ready-to-file packet with your forms, a tailored document checklist, and instructions for mailing or e-filing.
What filling out the I-485 looks like inside Immiva: plain-English questions, section by section, with your progress saved as you go.
There is one document Immiva cannot produce for you, and that is the Form I-693 medical exam. A USCIS-designated civil surgeon has to complete it, and you submit it with your application (USCIS). We tell you when to schedule it so the timing lines up.
The finished packet: Immiva prepares the I-485, the I-864 for family cases, and the G-1145, with a filing checklist, ready to download.
When you should still talk to a lawyer. Self-filing fits clean cases. If you have a criminal record, prior removal or deportation history, past visa fraud, or a complicated immigration history, those are questions a form cannot answer, and you should speak with a licensed immigration attorney before filing anything. Immiva flags those situations during the review rather than letting you file blind.
To recap: you can now file Form I-485 without a lawyer using Immiva, the affidavit of support is prepared with it for family cases, and the whole packet is $129 with the government fee paid separately. Check your eligibility first, and if your situation is complicated, talk to an attorney before you file.
Official Sources
This guide reflects current USCIS policy and federal regulations, verified against these official sources as of June 2026:
USCIS Resources
- USCIS Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
- USCIS Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA
- USCIS, Affidavit of Support overview
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 8, Part G, Chapter 6 (Affidavit of Support)
- USCIS Form I-864P, HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support
- USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055)
- USCIS Processing Times
Immigration and Nationality Act
- INA Sections 212(a)(4) and 213A, the public charge ground of inadmissibility and the affidavit of support requirement, as summarized in the USCIS Policy Manual citations above.
Immigration law and fees change. We monitor USCIS policy updates and revise this post when they do.