I‑485 petition for permanent residence in the US: requirements, processing time and fees

I-485 is one of the forms required to apply for permanent residency in the USA. With this form, you register permanent residency status, that is, obtain a “Green Card”.

Permanent residence in the US for investors

The I‑485 petition has 20 pages and asks for general immigrant information, employment history, immigration history, immigrant category, address in the US, criminal record, and information about spouses and kids.

The point of the I‑485 petition is:

• to provide the government with information about yourself;

• to prove your eligibility for permanent residency, for example, to show that you don’t have criminal acts and violations.

You can complete the I‑485 form yourself or with the help of a lawyer to avoid possible mistakes. On the USCIS website, you can find the actual edition of the I‑485 petition.

These are the first two pages of the I-485 petition

The I‑485 is used for the adjustment of immigration status. If you have a US temporary residence permit, you will need to complete the I‑485 petition to adjust it to permanent residence.

Temporary residence permits are issued on the basis of family reunification, marriage, employment, studies or investment in local companies.

To complete an I‑485 form, you must come to the United States: it is impossible to file this petition from abroad.

To be eligible for a Green Card, you must enter the US on an immigration visa, such as an IR visa for relatives or an EB‑2 visa for professional workers. Holders of such visas are allowed to submit an I‑485 petition and get a Green Card.

Immigration visas are issued for:

1. Family reunification. If the applicant’s relative has permanent residency or citizenship status in the US, such applicant may qualify for IR or F visa and move to the United States.

2. Marriage. If a foreigner is going to marry a US citizen, they obtain a K‑1 visa to enter the country, which is considered a nonimmigrant visa. So the new spouse must change the K‑1 visa to a CR‑1 after the marriage is registered and only then file the I‑485 form.

3. Skilled work. If a foreigner wants to work in the US and has enough qualifications, they can get a visa of E category and relocate to the country.

4. Business investments. Investors contributing significantly to local US companies get EB‑5 visas to the USA.

If you came to the United States on a non-immigrant visa like a B‑1/B‑2 tourist visa, H‑1B work visa or J‑1/J‑2 student visa, you cannot file the I‑485 petition.

The applicant must attach several supporting documents to the I‑485 form:

1. Two recent passport photos 2×2 inches. They should contain a picture of you on a white background, printed on thin paper with a glossy finish. On the US Department of State website, you can find all the requirements and examples of correct photos.

2. Valid passport or any other government-issued ID, for example, driver’s licence or military identification document.

3. Birth Certificate. Refugees and asylum seekers don’t need to provide it.

4. Documents proving your Immigrant Category: your immigrant petition or a photocopy of form I‑797 for your immigrant petition.

5. Form I‑864 to prove financial means. You must show that you can support yourself in the United States financially.

6. Form I‑693, a report of medical examination and vaccination record. In fact, you are not required to submit form I‑693 along with I‑485, but it will help to avoid delays in the application process.

7. Certified police and court records for any criminal charges, arrests, or convictions you may have. You don’t need to report traffic fines if the penalty was only a fine of less than $500 or points on your driver’s licence.

8. Evidence that you came to the US legally. Suitable evidence can be a copy of a passport page with an admission or parole stamp issued by a US immigration officer, a page with a non-immigrant visa, or form I‑94 Arrival‑Departure Record.

Suppose you cannot provide evidence of legal entry, and DHS has no record of the admission or parole. In that case, USCIS will presume that you came into the US illegally and may reject or not accept your application.

If you don’t have specific required documents, USCIS usually allows you to give alternative evidence instead. For example, you can provide church or school records, hospital or medical records, or personal affidavits instead of a birth certificate.

The applicant’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 can also get US permanent residence. To do so, they need to complete the I‑485 form either along with the applicant or after their application approval.

Each relative fills out a separate application form. The exception is children under 14 — their applications are filled out and signed by their parents. Children over 14 years old file a form on their own.

There are also some additional documents family members need to provide along with the I‑485 form:

• a copy of the marriage certificate and other proof of relationship;

• documents proving the immigrant category.

There are two ways to prove the immigrant category. The first is to provide the form I‑797, approval or receipt notice for the main applicant’s immigrant petition. The second way is to submit a copy of the main applicant’s form I‑551, a Green Card.

If the applicant or their spouse was previously married, they must also submit evidence to prove the legal termination of any prior marriages, for example, a divorce certificate.

The USA is a country with great cultural diversity and a friendly attitude towards newcomers. 13.7% of the US population are immigrants, half of whom have already obtained a passport through naturalisation

There are two fees one needs to pay: filing fee and biometric services fee.

The filing fee is:

• $1,140 for applicants of 14 and older;

• $750 for children under 14 who complete the application together with at least one parent.

Biometric services fee is:

• $85 for applicants between 14 and 79 years old;

• $0 for applicants under 14 or over 79 years old.

Even if the fee is $0, applicants should still appear for their scheduled biometrics collection appointment.

The petition is processed for 8 to 30 months. Processing time highly depends on the immigrant category and the state where they submit it. For example, employment-based applications in New York City are processed for 21 months.

You can find your application’s approximate processing time on the USCIS website processing times page.

How to avoid delays in processing the I‑485 form:

• submit form I‑693 along with I‑485. It is a report of immigration medical examination and vaccination records;

• file all required evidence and supporting documentation;

• use the current edition for form I‑485.

One of the ways to get permanent residency in the USA is through investment. One can contribute to local business independently or with the help of Regional Centers and get Green Cards for the whole family.

All about the US residency by investment

The minimum investment amount is $800,000 acting through the Regional Centres and $1,050,000 acting as an independent investor. Another requirement is to create 10 jobs for skilled workers from the US.

Immigration agent supports the applicant throughout the entire process: from selecting a project for investment to obtaining a Green Card.

1. I‑485 is one of the forms required to apply for permanent residency in the USA. With this form, you register permanent residency status, or as it is called, a "Green Card".

2. To complete an I‑485 petition, you must reside in the United States since it is simply impossible to do this from abroad.

3. To be eligible for a Green Card, an applicant’s visa should be an immigration visa, such as a family reunification IR visa or investor EB‑5 visa.

4. The applicant’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 can also get permanent residence. Each relative fills out a separate application form.

5. Applicants must pay the filing fee and the biometric fee.

6. The petition is processed for 8 to 30 months. Processing time highly depends on the immigrant category and the state where they submit it.