I-485Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
“There is no grace period for the revised edition of Form I-485 because this revision is necessary for USCIS to apply the final rule.”uscis.gov, Form I-485 page · checked 2026-11-02
- Source
- uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-485.pdf
- Size
- 1,778,353 bytes
- SHA-256
- Revision (page)
- Edition Date 09/18/26
- Revision (footer)
- Form I-485 Edition 09/18/26 ✓ match
- Fetched
- 2026-11-02 06:15 UTC
Form I-485 is the application to register permanent residence or adjust status: how someone already in the United States applies for a green card without leaving the country, usually based on an immigrant petition such as an I-130 or I-140. You must be physically present in the U.S. to file, and every applicant, principal or derivative, files their own I-485. It is long (24 pages, with A-Number copies in every page header and a barcode on each page) and is usually filed with supporting forms such as the I-693 medical exam and, for most family cases, an I-864 affidavit of support. Editions matter here: USCIS's I-485 page currently lists the 09/18/26 edition, and the PDF footer we fetched says the same.
How to file Form I-485
Upload a completed PDF (some cases)
USCIS now offers online filing of I-485 by PDF upload for certain applicants and representatives, with related forms such as I-130, I-131, I-765, I-864 and I-693 in the same package. Applicants without a representative may not concurrently file with an underlying I-130 or I-140 unless they are an I-140 self-petitioner. The PDF needs a wet-ink signature, and an uploaded I-693 means opening the civil surgeon's sealed envelope and keeping the original.
“All other Form I-485 applications must be filed by mail.”
Open on uscis.govMail a paper application
Most I-485s are mailed. Use the 09/18/26 edition for every page and the filing address USCIS lists for your category. A required I-693 goes in the civil surgeon's sealed envelope.
“If you are required to submit a Form I-693, or a partial Form I-693 (such as the Vaccination Record), you must submit it with your Form I-485. Otherwise, your Form I-485 may be rejected.”
Open on uscis.govNot inside the U.S.?
I-485 is only for people physically present in the United States. Relatives abroad usually go through consular processing after the petition is approved.
“You must be physically present in the United States to file this application.”
Why our filler is off for this form: USCIS says its forms are optimized for Adobe Acrobat Reader, and part of this PDF is read-only by design (copied headers, barcodes, signature boxes). We turn our fill on per form only after the output re-opens in Acrobat Reader with every value intact and a matching barcode. Until then, Adobe Reader on a computer is the free tool USCIS points to.
Print, sign in ink, scan, send
USCIS does not accept signatures made by software, so the dependable path is paper first, then a clean PDF under the online limit. Every step below runs in your browser.
- PrintThe official I-485 PDF from uscis.gov, every page from the same edition.
- Sign by handIn the signature box, in ink. USCIS: “USCIS does not accept signatures created by a typewriter, word processor, stamp, auto-pen, or similar device.”
- Scan to PDFPhone camera pages, deskewed and cleaned, in this tab.
- MergeForm and evidence in the order the instructions ask for.
- Under 12 MBCompressed to the USCIS online upload limit, with a preview first.
Sources: USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 1, Part B, Ch. 2 (signatures) · uscis.gov/file-online/tips-for-filing-forms-online (12 MB) · checked 2026-10-05
Line help for Form I-485
Plain-language notes written from the official instructions, with the place each one comes from. Informational, not legal advice.
Names, A-Number and USCIS Online Account Number if any, birth details, addresses, and your last arrival and immigration status. The A-Number fills the page headers automatically in Acrobat.
Form I-485 (09/18/26), Part 1The immigrant category you are applying under and the underlying petition's receipt number. Choose it from the instructions' category list; the category decides the evidence and where to file.
Form I-485 (09/18/26), Part 2; Instructions, Additional InstructionsOnly if you claim an exemption from the Form I-864 requirement; the instructions describe the cases.
Form I-485 (09/18/26), Part 3Further information about you, both parents, every marriage, and all children, including those not immigrating with you.
Form I-485 (09/18/26), Parts 4–7Ethnicity, race, height, weight, eye and hair color.
Form I-485 (09/18/26), Part 8Yes/no questions about memberships, immigration history, criminal history and other grounds. Answer each one truthfully; a 'yes' is not automatically disqualifying, and the instructions say what to attach. These are exactly the questions where USCIS points people to qualified legal help.
Form I-485 (09/18/26), Part 9; Instructions, Grounds of InadmissibilityAny disability accommodation request, your statement and handwritten signature, and the interpreter and preparer sections if someone helped.
Form I-485 (09/18/26), Parts 10–13Extra space for answers; put your name and A-Number on each added sheet and sign it.
Form I-485 (09/18/26), Part 14131 of them, mostly by design.
The A-Number you enter is copied into the header of every page, and each page has a PDF417 barcode that Acrobat generates. Clearing those protections would leave mismatched headers and stale barcodes, which is why our filler stays off for this form until it passes an Acrobat round-trip.
pdfnex crawl of i-485.pdf (field counts above)Your own handwritten signature.
USCIS rejects an unsigned application or one with an invalid signature, and does not accept typed or stamped names. A scan or copy of the original hand-signed page is valid for filing.
“USCIS will consider a photocopied, faxed, or scanned copy of an original benefit request with a handwritten signature as valid for filing purposes.”
Form I-485 Instructions (09/18/26), Validity of SignaturesEvery family member files their own.
Principal and derivative applicants each file a separate I-485. Whether someone qualifies, or a bar or waiver applies, depends on the category; USCIS points to its adjustment-of-status pages and Policy Manual, and to accredited help.
“Whether you are a principal or derivative applicant, you must file your own Form I-485.”
Form I-485 Instructions (09/18/26), Who May FileRevision history
We check the USCIS form page and its edition statement every day, and USCIS’s sitemap for preview files of new editions. This list starts when our crawler first saw the form.
| Edition | Status | Fields |
|---|---|---|
| Edition 09/18/26 | Current | no change |
| Edition 09/18/26 | Superseded | baseline |
- Preview_Form_I-485_9-18-26_Edition_USCIS_WILL_REJECT_IF_POSTMARKED_BEFORE_09-18-26.pdf · first seen 2026-10-05
Related forms
I-130
USCIS lists the 04/01/24 edition on its form page.
I-864
USCIS lists the 08/24/26 edition on its form page.
I-765
USCIS is not accepting the 09/15/26 edition. The edition it lists today is 08/21/25.
I-131
USCIS lists the 01/20/25 edition on its form page.
G-1145
USCIS lists the 09/26/14 edition on its form page.
Sources
- USCIS Form I-485 page (edition statements) · checked 2026-10-05
- Form I-485 Instructions (Edition 09/18/26) · checked 2026-10-05
- USCIS, Forms Available to File Online · checked 2026-10-05
- USCIS page for Form I-485 · crawled 2026-11-02
Not affiliated with the IRS, USCIS or any government agency. US federal forms are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105); the line help is ours, written from the instructions. Informational only: not tax or legal advice. If you need help with an immigration case, USCIS explains how to find legitimate legal services: uscis.gov, Find Legal Services.