I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence
File your I-485 with up to 37 checks before USCIS sees it
Adjustment of status, question by question in plain English. We prepare the Affidavit of Support for family cases, check the inadmissibility questions against the rest of your answers, and show you the whole report before you pay.
No account, no card. Money-back guarantee.
- Up to 37 pre-filing checks
- Document list from your answers
- Money-back guarantee
Last updated
- $249All-inclusive price
- Up to 37Pre-filing checks
- I-864Prepared for family cases
- 100%Money-back guarantee
Your basis to adjust
What is your basis to adjust status?
The category decides which questions apply, whether you need a sponsor, and whether you can file now. The free eligibility check confirms yours.
- 01
Family
The spouse, parent, child, or other relative of a citizen or green card holder, usually on an approved or concurrently filed I-130. Immediate relatives of citizens have no visa wait.
MOST COMMONCheck eligibility - 02
Employment
EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 workers adjusting on an approved or concurrent I-140. Whether you can file now depends on your priority date in the visa bulletin.
PRIORITY DATE MATTERSCheck eligibility - 03
Asylee or refugee
One year after your asylum grant or refugee admission you can adjust under INA 209. These categories skip the public charge test and the Affidavit of Support.
AFTER ONE YEARCheck eligibility - 04
K-1 and other routes
Fiancé(e)s who married within 90 days, plus VAWA self-petitioners, Special Immigrant Juveniles, and 245(i) applicants. Each has its own rules and we check the ones that apply to you.
SPECIAL RULESCheck eligibility
Online filing
Who can file I-485 online?
Online filing is narrower than most people expect. This is where it stands and what it means for your packet.
- 01
Employment-based, standalone
USCIS accepts an online I-485 for some employment-based applicants filing on their own, without a family petition attached.
ONLINE - 02
Family-based cases
Family adjustment goes on paper. Your packet is print-ready with the right lockbox address.
PAPER - 03
Filing with other forms
Adding an I-765 work permit or an I-131 travel document usually means the whole packet goes on paper together.
PAPER - 04
Either way, same preparation
Your answers produce the same finished application. We tell you which route yours takes and give you the instructions for it.
BOTH
What you get
Everything you need to file the application correctly
You answer questions. We handle the form, the Affidavit of Support, the checks, and the document list.
- FLAGSHIP
Up to 37 checks before you file
Your category and entry, the inadmissibility questions, public charge, the sponsor's income on Form I-864, and every blank field. Each check shows pass, review, or fix.
Plain-English questions
Every I-485 question rewritten in everyday words, including the inadmissibility questions people get wrong.
Affidavit of Support prepared
Family cases need Form I-864. We calculate household size, compare income against the 125% guidelines, and tell you if you need a joint sponsor.
Your document list
Medical exam, birth records, sponsor tax documents, and everything else your category actually needs.
How it works
Prepare your I-485 in four steps
Most people finish in one or two sittings. Your answers save as you go.
Check you qualify
Answer a few questions about your category, your entry, and your status. Free, and no account needed.
Answer the questions
Work through the application in plain English. Family cases fill the Affidavit of Support at the same time.
Read your report
Every check, what passed, what needs attention, and how to fix it. Still free at this point.
File it
Download your finished application and document list, with the instructions for your filing route.
Pre-filing audit
See every check before you file
Every I-485 runs through up to 37 checks: 26 on the application itself, plus 11 on the Affidavit of Support when your category needs one. You see the full report before you pay.
Eligibility and category
- Category matches your petition status
- Inspected, admitted or paroled, or 245(i)
- Lawful status maintained under 245(c)
- Derivative filing allowed in your category
- J-1 and J-2 two-year home residence under 212(e)
- Prior permanent residence not rescinded
- One-year physical presence for asylees and refugees
Family, marriage and age
- Marital status consistent across the form
- Prior marriages legally ended
- K-1 marriage inside the 90-day window
- Child status and age-out risk under CSPA
- Automatic citizenship heads-up for a child
Admissibility and background
- Criminal history grounds
- Security and terrorism grounds
- Unlawful acts and immigration violations
- Fraud or misrepresentation
- Military and other grounds
- Removal or immigration court history
- Travel while pending and advance parole
- Medical exam on Form I-693 still valid
Public charge and history
- Affidavit of Support required or exempt
- Public charge questions complete or correctly skipped
- Five-year address history with no gaps
- Five-year employment history with no gaps
Affidavit of Support on Form I-864, for family cases
- Sponsor income against the 125% poverty guidelines
- Sponsor meets the age requirement
- Sponsor is domiciled in the United States
- Household size counted correctly
- Joint sponsor income is enough
- Household member income added correctly on I-864A
- Assets cover any income shortfall
- Right tax year and transcripts attached
- Sponsor employment and income source disclosed
- Sponsored relatives match the petition
- Sponsor Social Security number disclosed
Form integrity
- Required fields complete
- Field content validation
Compare your options
Three ways to file your I-485
What you get, what it costs, and where each option leaves you.
Swipe to compare all three
| Feature | Do it yourself | Immiva | Traditional immigration attorney |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay to prepare it | Free | $249 | $3,000–$10,000+ |
| The form itself | YesThe blank USCIS form, free to download | YesYour I-485, filled in from your answers | YesFilled in for you |
| Affidavit of Support | NoA separate form and a poverty-guideline table to read | YesPrepared, with the income math done | YesPrepared for you |
| Error checking | NoNone. You find out from the rejection notice | YesUp to 37 checks, shown before you pay | YesA person reads it |
| Inadmissibility questions | NoYou read and interpret them alone | YesChecked against the rest of your answers | YesReviewed with you |
| What it costs you upfront | YesNothing | Yes$249, and only after you see the report | NoA retainer before anything starts |
| How long it takes you | NoWeeks of reading instructions | YesUsually one or two sittings | NoWeeks of back and forth |
Your complete I-485 packet
The application, the Affidavit of Support where it applies, the pre-filing report, your document list, and filing instructions.
$249One price for this application. The USCIS filing fee is separate and paid to the government.
Covered by a money-back guarantee. Read the guarantee terms
Common questions
I-485 questions, answered
What people ask before they start.
Online filing is limited. Some employment-based applicants filing on their own can use a USCIS online account. Family cases, and any packet that includes a work permit or travel document, go on paper. We tell you which applies to you.
Only in the narrow cases above. Either way your finished application is the same, and we give you the instructions for your route, including the right lockbox address if you are mailing it.
The I-485 asks dozens of questions about your entry, your status and your background, and knowing which answers matter is our job, not yours. We check each one against the rest and put anything that needs attention in your report before you file. An open immigration court case, a removal order, or a prior denial belongs with a lawyer first. If your answers point to one, we tell you.
You do not have to decide. Your answers tell us whether your category needs one, and if it does, we add Form I-864 to your packet and prepare it. As a rule of thumb: family cases almost always need it, employment cases usually do not, and asylees and refugees are exempt. When it applies, we also work out your household size, check your sponsor's income against the 125% guidelines, and tell you if you need a joint sponsor. Check the income requirement
Only with the right documents. You file the work permit on Form I-765 and the travel document on Form I-131 separately, and USCIS can treat leaving the country without advance parole as abandoning your application.
Your birth certificate, passport and I-94, the approval or receipt notice for your petition, the medical exam on Form I-693, and two photos. Family cases also need the sponsor's tax return and proof of income for Form I-864. Your category adds or removes items, and we build the list from your answers. See the I-485 document checklist
It depends on your category, your field office, and the visa bulletin. Immediate relatives of citizens move fastest. Employment cases wait on a current priority date. USCIS publishes current times by office and category.
Immiva's fee is $249, paid once, after you have seen the report. It covers the finished form, the pre-filing report, your document list, and the filing instructions. The USCIS filing fee is separate and goes to the government.
No. Immiva is software. It turns the form into plain-English questions, fills the form from your answers, and checks those answers before you file. We do not give legal advice, and nothing here replaces a lawyer when your situation calls for one. The checks tell you when that is.
I-485 guides
Read this before you file
Categories, medical exams, sponsors, and what happens while you wait.
- I-485 Complete Guide: Adjustment of Status to Green Card (2026)Who can adjust, the steps, evidence, fees, and timing, in plain English.Complete Guide
- How to File I-485 in 2026: Step-by-Step InstructionsA walk-through of assembling, paying for, and mailing or e-filing your application.How to File
- I-485 Document Checklist 2026Every supporting document USCIS expects, organized by category and situation.Evidence
- I-485 Medical Exam (I-693): Requirements, Vaccines, and TimingWhen to do the exam, which vaccines you need, and how long it stays valid.Medical Exam
- Form I-864 for I-485: Income Requirements and Sponsor RulesWho needs a sponsor, the income thresholds, and how joint sponsors work.Affidavit of Support
- I-485 Processing Time 2026: Wait Times by CategoryRealistic timelines for family, employment, and humanitarian categories.Processing
- Working and Traveling While I-485 Is Pending: EAD and Advance ParoleHow the combo card works and when it’s safe to leave the country.Work & Travel
- I-485 Interview: Questions, Preparation Tips, and WaiversWhat officers ask, how to prepare, and when the interview is waived.Interview
Related forms
What comes before and after
The I-485 rarely travels alone. These are the forms on either side of it.