A yellow folder with a descriptive label about the application to register permanent residence or adjust status USCIS Form I-485.

I-485 application guide: How to fill out the adjustment of status form

  • Posted byby PinayRican
  • Last Updated: 3 weeks ago
  • 4 min

After entering the United States on a K-1 visa, you must file the I-485 application to adjust your status to permanent resident commonly known as AOS. When we began working on our I-129F petition and DS-160 application, we made it a point to draft the forms ahead of time. This allowed us to thoroughly review and double-check everything before submission, while also helping us identify any unclear sections. This gave us the opportunity to research and find the best approach. We followed the same strategy when preparing the I-485 documents for our application to register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. While the form is generally straightforward, there were a few fields where we were uncertain about how to proceed. Through research, we were able to complete the form accurately.

This blog will be your I-485 application guide on how to file for Adjustment of Status. It will guide you through filling out the form step by step, highlighting key fields that require attention, important details to include, and where to find the necessary information.

Download the I-485 form from the USCIS website. Make sure the form is the latest edition and is not expired to avoid rejection of your application. When we submitted ours, we filled the previous format which is already expired, but details are the same. Note: All images in this post are from the new simplified form and the format is much easier to follow. You may also download a PDF file of Instruction for application of Form I-485 as a guide on how to fill up the form.

Form I-485 edition and expiration date shown

Step by step process to fill out Form I-485:

Part 1

Page 1 questions number 1 to 3 is all about information about you or you who are applying for lawful permanent residence. Start to fill out where the form states. The information asked for is basic such as your legal name, other name used if any and birth date but take note of the below points that might help in filling up this form:

  • Do not fill-in fields marks “For USCIS Use Only”
  • A-Number is your alien number that can be found in your I-797 Notice of Action (Approval Notice)
  • In Current Legal Name, note that in my case, I did not use my husband’s surname because I need to go to another process of legal name change so I keep my name as it appears in all my identifications. I still use my maiden name.
  • Mark boxes applicable to you. Do not leave it blank.
An image of the USCIS Form I-485 Part 1

Page 2 questions number 4 to 11 is just a continuation of the basic information about the applicant. Succeeding pages should have A-Number on top portion all its pages. Do not leave it blank and provide on any page it was asked to.

  • Fill in all the fields that has been asked. Put N/A or NONE whenever the question is not applicable to you.
  • Mark the boxes applicable to you and answer the question that corresponds to the box.
An image of the USCIS Form I-485 Part 1 part of our I-485 Application guide.

Page 3 is still a continuation of information about the applicant. This asked mostly for your arrival details and applicant’s residential address in the US.

  • Mark the boxes applicable to you. Do not leave any fields blank. Put N/A or None if not applicable.

Page 4 is still a continuation of information about the applicant

  • Mark the boxes applicable to you. Do not leave any fields blank. Put N/A or None if not applicable to you.
  • For Social Security Card, the applicant has an option to obtain social security number prior to the submission of I-485. Then the field can be filled out. However, one has an option to obtain social security through USCIS like I did.
An image of the USCIS Form I-485 Part 1 part of our I-485 Application guide.

Part 2

Page 5 are questions regarding the Application Type or Filing Category.

  • Mark the boxes applicable to you. Do not leave any fields blank. Put N/A or None if not applicable to you.
An image of the USCIS Form I-485 Part 2 part of our I-485 Application guide.
  • If you enter the US with K1 visa, select per below.  Else, select what is applicable to you.
An image of the USCIS Form I-485 Part 2 part of our I-485 Application guide.

Page 6 to page 7 (3.b to 3.g) is a continuation of filing categories.

Page 7 – item number 4 per below or as applicable to you.

An image of the USCIS Form I-485 Part 2 part of our I-485 Application guide.

Part 3

Page 8 is a Request for Exemption for Affidavit of support Under Section 213A of INA. However, this is not applicable to me.

An image of the USCIS Form I-485 Part 3 part of our I-485 Application guide.

Part 4

Page 8 to page 9 is all about information about you (the applicant) such as:

  • Your previous application of an immigrant visa if any
  • Employment and Educational History

Part 5

Page 9 to page 10 is the information about your parents

Part 6

Page 10 to page 11 is the information about your marital history such as:

  • Current marital status
  • Your current marriage
  • Your previous marriages if any.

Part 7

Page 12 is the information about your children. Please note that you should count your own children including your husband or wife’s children.

An image of the USCIS Form I-485 Part 7 part of our I-485 Application guide.

Part 8

Page 13 is your Biographic information

  • Ethnicity
  • Race
  • Height
  • Eye color
  • Hair color

Page 13 to page 21 is your General Eligibility and Inadmissibility Grounds. The questions are mainly answerable by yes or no.

Part 10

Page 22 is the applicant (you) contact information, certification and signature.

Part 11

Page 22 is the applicant’s (you) interpreter if any. Put N/A to all the fields related to interpreter if not applicable to you.

Part 12

Page 23 is the contact information, certification and signature of the preparer (if someone prepares your application). Put N/A to all fields related to preparer if not applicable to you.

Part 13

Page 23 is the Signature at Interview. Do not write anything in these fields. This is for USCIS officers only for your interview (if required).

Part 14

Page 24 is an additional information sheet. You may use this if you need more fields for your:

  • Work history
  • Previous addresses
  • Children

Once the form is complete, carefully review it to ensure all fields are filled. When printing, verify that the entire page prints correctly, including barcodes and all pages. We faced issues where some sections didn’t print and that could a possible reason of rejection. Most importantly, don’t forget to sign the form—it’s then ready for submission.

If you are going through this process, feel free to share your journey with us by leaving a comment. We hope our I-485 application guide: How to file for Adjustment of Status help you in any way possible.

Disclaimer: The ideas, tips, suggestions, guides, and any message expressed on this page are solely based on our own journey experiences. We are not immigration agents, lawyers, or anything related.