# How to file Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status)

> The green card application from inside the U.S.: the $1,440 fee (paper-only for family cases), the package contents, the I-693, and what follows filing.

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Publisher: Pop Immigration (https://www.popimmigration.com)  
Last reviewed: 2026-07-20

Form I-485 is the green card application itself — the form an immigrant already in the United States files to become a permanent resident when an immigration basis is available. It anchors the biggest package in family immigration. This page walks the filing: the fee, the contents, the medical exam, and what follows. Every claim is cited; general process description, not advice about any individual case.

## Where the I-485 fits

The I-485 adjusts status from inside the United States. For immediate relatives of U.S. citizens — spouses, unmarried children under 21, parents — it is often filed together with the I-130 as one package. Preference-category applicants also wait on visa availability under the monthly Visa Bulletin before the I-485 stage.

## The fee — and the paper-only rule

Under the current G-1055 schedule the I-485 costs $1,440 for applicants 14 and older, or $950 for a child under 14 filing concurrently with a parent. Family-based I-485s cannot be filed online — the application goes on paper to a USCIS lockbox. USCIS fees change periodically — before filing, verify current amounts on the official USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055) at uscis.gov/g-1055.

## What goes in the package

The applicant's civil documents and photos per the instructions; the sponsor's Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, with its financial documents; and the medical examination — Form I-693, completed and sealed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon. USCIS's I-485 page states when the I-693 must be submitted; because that timing rule has changed over time, the current statement on that page is the authority.

Two optional companions are no longer free: the work permit (I-765, $260 with the pending I-485) and advance parole for travel (I-131, $630).

## After the envelope ships

The receipt arrives as Form I-797C; biometrics follow as scheduled; marriage-based applicants are generally interviewed; and status is trackable online with USCIS's published processing-time estimates. This page claims no timeframe — the estimates tool is the reference.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does Form I-485 cost?

$1,440 on paper for applicants 14+, $950 for an under-14 child filing with a parent, under the current G-1055 schedule. Family-based I-485s are paper-only. Fees change — verify at uscis.gov/g-1055.

### Can the I-485 be filed with the I-130?

For immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, the two are often filed together as one package. Preference categories also wait on Visa Bulletin availability.

### Is the medical exam required at filing?

The I-693 is completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon and submitted per the current rule stated on USCIS's I-485 page — that timing rule has changed over time, so the page itself is the authority.

### Is a work permit included?

Not for post-April-2024 filings — the I-765 with a pending I-485 is $260, and advance parole (I-131) is $630.

### Is there an interview?

Marriage-based applicants are generally interviewed; the related interview-prep guide covers what it tests.

## Sources

- USCIS — I-485: https://www.uscis.gov/i-485
- USCIS — I-485/I-130; Dept. of State — Visa Bulletin: https://www.uscis.gov/i-485
- USCIS — I-485 (package contents; I-693 timing): https://www.uscis.gov/i-485
- USCIS — I-485 (process); Processing Times: https://egov.uscis.gov/processingtimes/

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