Form I-485
Form guide
Form I-485 is the green card application itself — how someone already in the U.S. becomes a permanent resident without leaving. It often files together with the petition that makes it possible, and it is the form the interview is usually about.
Part by part
Your identity and every arrival in the U.S. — the I-94 record and your status history.
Which petition your application rides on: a family petition, an employment petition, asylum, or another path.
A long section of yes/no questions about history and admissibility. Answered carefully and truthfully — this is where cases get hurt.
Form I-693, completed by a USCIS-designated doctor and submitted in its sealed envelope.
Watch for
Rushing the yes/no eligibility questions — a wrong checkbox here is serious
Filing when the category is not actually open for adjustment
A medical exam that is missing, unsealed, or out of date
Leaving the U.S. while it is pending without advance parole — that can abandon the application
Every one of these is a completeness problem — the kind the software checks for before your packet is marked ready.
Where it appears
Form I-485
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