Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status: marriage-based cases and where relationship evidence fits

Form I-485 is the USCIS application a person who is already in the United States files to apply for lawful permanent residence (a Green Card). This guide focuses on two marriage-based routes: a spouse of a U.S. citizen filing with or after Form I-130, and a K-1 fiancé(e) who married the petitioner within 90 days of admission. It summarises what the official instructions ask for and where chat history can support evidence of a bona fide marriage.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-14

At a glance

Form: I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
Agency: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
Edition: 09/18/26 (checked 2026-10-14) — USCIS says it rejects the 01/20/25 and 09/04/26 editions if they are postmarked or electronically submitted on or after September 18, 2026, and that there is no grace period. The edition date is printed at the bottom of each page of the form and instructions.
Filing fee: USCIS publishes the current Form I-485 filing fee in its fee schedule (Form G-1055). We do not print the amount here because USCIS fees change; check the schedule on the day you file. The USCIS I-485 page also says that if you file Form I-485 after April 1, 2024, Forms I-765 and I-131 carry their own additional fees. Official fee schedule.

What the form is for

Apply for lawful permanent resident status (a Green Card) while you are in the United States. USCIS calls this adjustment of status; it directs immediate relatives who are outside the United States to consular processing instead.
Complete the K-1 route: after the marriage, the K-1 fiancé(e) and any K-2 children use Form I-485 to apply for permanent residence.
Give USCIS the biographic, admissibility and (unless you are exempt) public charge information it needs. Form I-485 collects the biographic information that used to go on Form G-325A, which is no longer required.
Generally, while Form I-485 is pending you can apply for work authorization with Form I-765 and for an advance parole travel document with Form I-131. These are separate forms; USCIS says you can file them together with Form I-485.

Who can file it

The applicant files Form I-485 for themselves and must be physically present in the United States to file it. The instructions say every applicant, whether principal or derivative, files their own Form I-485.
Spouse of a U.S. citizen (immediate relative): you can file Form I-485 together with the Form I-130 your spouse files for you, while that I-130 is pending, or after it is approved. USCIS says immigrant visas for immediate relatives are always available and that concurrent filing is always allowed for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens.
K-1 fiancé(e): if you were admitted on a K-1 visa and married your U.S. citizen I-129F petitioner within 90 days of admission, you can file Form I-485 as soon as you have married. K-2 children can also file Form I-485 as derivative applicants.
Children in the Form I-130 route are not derivatives: the instructions say derivative applicants are not allowed in the immediate-relative category, and USCIS says the spouse or child of an immediate relative must independently qualify and file their own application. The USCIS I-130 page says a U.S. citizen petitioning for a spouse must also file a separate Form I-130 for each child they share, including stepchildren and adopted children.
Spouse of a lawful permanent resident: this is a family-based preference category, so you can file only when an immigrant visa is immediately available to you (USCIS points to the Department of State Visa Bulletin). Preference-category applicants must also submit evidence that they have continuously maintained lawful status since arriving in the United States.
Adjustment bars and grounds of inadmissibility can make an applicant ineligible. The instructions point to INA section 245 for the bars and INA section 212(a) for the grounds of inadmissibility, and to waivers such as Form I-601 where one is available.

How and where it is filed

Paper filing by mail: where you send Form I-485 depends on your eligibility category. The USCIS direct filing addresses page covers family-based adjustment (including spouses of U.S. citizens and K-1 fiancé(e)s who married the petitioner) and refers you to a lockbox chart based on where you live. Copy the address from USCIS on the day you mail your package.
USCIS changed the Form I-485 filing location on October 7, 2026. When we checked, it said it would accept packages sent to a prior filing location if postmarked on or before November 9, 2026.
Online filing: when we checked, USCIS accepted Form I-485 online as an uploaded completed PDF for certain applicants, including family-based applicants whose underlying Form I-130 had already been filed. Filing Form I-485 online together with a visa petition was limited to attorneys and accredited representatives (and Form I-140 self-petitioners).
Form I-693: if you are required to submit the immigration medical exam (Form I-693, or a partial I-693), submit it with Form I-485 or your application may be rejected. Mail filers send it in the civil surgeon’s original sealed envelope. Online filers open the envelope, upload the completed form, and keep the original and the envelope until USCIS makes a final decision.
Sign the application: USCIS rejects unsigned forms, and a stamped or typewritten name is not accepted in place of a signature.
USCIS may schedule a biometrics appointment and may ask you to attend an interview. If you do not attend your biometrics appointment, USCIS may deny your application.
Tell USCIS about any change of mailing or physical address no later than 10 days after the change.

Evidence the instructions ask for

Two identical color passport-style photographs of yourself, taken recently.
A copy of a government-issued identity document with your photograph, for example a passport (even if expired) or a driver’s license.
A copy of your birth certificate issued by the civil authority in your country of birth. USCIS only accepts a birth certificate that lists at least one parent.
Evidence of your most recent inspection and admission or parole, such as the passport page with your visa, the passport page with your admission or parole stamp, and Form I-94.
Evidence of your immigrant category: generally a copy of the Form I-797 receipt or approval notice for the Form I-130 filed for you, unless you file Form I-485 together with that I-130. K-1 applicants include a copy of the Form I-797 approval notice for the Form I-129F.
Spouse of a U.S. citizen: USCIS lists a copy of your marriage certificate and proof that any prior marriage was legally ended (for example, a divorce decree or death certificate).
K-1 and K-2 applicants: a copy of the marriage certificate showing that the K-1 fiancé(e) married the I-129F petitioner within the 90-day period. K-1 applicants also submit evidence that they entered into a bona fide marriage with the petitioner within 90 days of admission.
Form I-864, Affidavit of Support (or Form I-864EZ), when required. The instructions say that not submitting it when required will result in denial of Form I-485.
Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, or a partial Form I-693, if required.
Certified police and court records for any arrest, charge or conviction anywhere in the world, if applicable.
A full English translation of every foreign-language document, with the translator’s certification that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate, plus their signature, printed name, signature date, and contact information.

Where relationship evidence fits

The general Form I-485 evidence list asks for proof of your immigrant category and has an item for a marriage certificate and other proof of family relationship, which covers derivative spouses and children and categories, such as K-1, that require a marriage certificate. The I-485 instructions do not list bona fide marriage documents: for a spouse of a U.S. citizen they come from the I-130 instructions, and for K-1 adjustment from the USCIS evidence checklist.
Spouse of a U.S. citizen filing together with Form I-130: the I-130 instructions ask for a copy of your marriage certificate and proof that any prior marriages ended, and say you should also submit one or more documents that may prove a bona fide marriage, such as joint ownership of property, a lease showing you live together, combined finances, birth certificates of children born to you both, affidavits from third parties who know your marriage, or any other relevant documentation of an ongoing marital union.
K-1 adjustment: the USCIS checklist says you must submit evidence that you entered into a bona fide marriage with your U.S. citizen petitioner within 90 days of your admission, and the instructions ask for the marriage certificate.
USCIS may request more information or evidence after you file, may ask for the originals of copies you submitted, and may ask you to attend an interview at a USCIS office.
USCIS says it may verify the information you submit, for example by reviewing public records, contacting people, making unannounced site visits to residences, and interviewing people.

What chat history can help show

An ongoing marital union: dated conversations about daily life, shared bills, moving in together and family plans can be part of the “any other relevant documentation” the I-130 instructions allow. They support joint leases, bank records and affidavits; they do not replace them.
K-1 cases: messages about the wedding plans and the wedding itself can sit alongside the marriage certificate when you show a bona fide marriage entered into within 90 days of admission.
A consistent timeline: messages dated around key events (the engagement, the wedding, moving in together) help your account line up with the dates on your other documents.

Before you include chat history

Chat history is not a named requirement for Form I-485 or Form I-130. Treat it as supporting evidence and lead with the documents the instructions name.
Send paper copies. The USCIS I-130 page says not to send non-paper materials such as CD-ROMs, DVDs or thumb drives (photographs or copies of such items are accepted), and the USCIS mail-filing tips say not to submit evidence using digital media, photo albums, scrapbooks or binders.
Leave out intimate content. The USCIS I-130 page says not to submit graphic photos of childbirth or intimate relations as evidence of a relationship or marriage.
Messages in another language need a full English translation with the translator’s certification.
Never edit or invent messages. The I-485 instructions warn that knowingly falsifying or concealing a material fact, or submitting a false document, leads to denial and may lead to criminal prosecution.

Common mistakes

Mailing an outdated edition. USCIS rejects the 01/20/25 and 09/04/26 editions of Form I-485 if postmarked or electronically submitted on or after September 18, 2026, with no grace period.
Forgetting to sign, or using a stamped or typewritten name. USCIS rejects unsigned forms.
Leaving out Form I-693 when it is required. USCIS says the application may be rejected.
Not including Form I-864 or I-864EZ when it is required. The instructions say this results in denial.
Travelling outside the United States while Form I-485 is pending without an advance parole document. The instructions say USCIS will consider the application abandoned, apart from listed exceptions (for example, K-3/K-4, H-1B/H-4, L or V nonimmigrants maintaining status who return with a valid visa).
K-1 applicants filing on the basis of a marriage to someone other than the I-129F petitioner, or a marriage outside the 90 days after admission. USCIS says a K-1 who does not marry the petitioner generally cannot apply for a Green Card based on any other category.
Not disclosing every arrest or charge, including arrests as a minor. The instructions say you must disclose all arrests and charges.
Sending original documents that were not requested. USCIS may destroy originals it did not ask for.
Sending chat exports, photos or videos on a USB stick, CD or DVD, or in binders, albums or scrapbooks, instead of as paper copies.
Foreign-language documents or messages without a complete, certified English translation.

Frequently asked questions

Can my U.S. citizen spouse file Form I-130 and I file Form I-485 at the same time?

Yes. The I-485 instructions say an immediate relative may file Form I-485 together with Form I-130, while the I-130 is pending, or after it is approved, and USCIS says concurrent filing is always allowed for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. A spouse of a lawful permanent resident can file both together only if an immigrant visa is immediately available.

Do WhatsApp or other chat messages count as evidence for a marriage-based Form I-485?

They are not a named requirement. For a spouse of a U.S. citizen, the I-130 instructions list documents that may prove a bona fide marriage and end with any other relevant documentation that shows an ongoing marital union, which is where chat messages can sit alongside joint leases, finances and affidavits. Submit them as printed pages (not on a USB stick or disc), leave out intimate content, and translate anything that is not in English.

I entered on a K-1 visa. What extra evidence goes with my Form I-485?

You file after marrying your I-129F petitioner within 90 days of admission. On top of the general evidence, the instructions ask for a copy of the marriage certificate, and the USCIS checklist says you must submit evidence that you entered into a bona fide marriage with your petitioner within 90 days of admission. USCIS also lists a copy of the Form I-797 approval notice for the I-129F and the passport page with your K-1 visa.

Can I travel abroad while my Form I-485 is pending?

The instructions say that if you leave the United States while your adjustment application is pending, USCIS will consider it abandoned unless you first obtain an advance parole document by filing Form I-131, or you fall under a listed exception, such as a K-3/K-4, H-1B/H-4, L or V nonimmigrant who is maintaining status and returns with a valid visa.

Will my marriage-based Green Card be conditional?

USCIS says permanent residence based on marriage is conditional if you were married less than 2 years on the day you obtained status, and the conditional Green Card is valid for two years. To remove the conditions you file Form I-751; for a joint filing, USCIS says to file within the 90-day period immediately before the card expires.

Can I file Form I-485 online?

In some cases. When we checked on 14 October 2026, USCIS accepted Form I-485 online as an uploaded PDF for family-based applicants whose Form I-130 had already been filed. Filing Form I-485 online together with a visa petition was limited to attorneys and accredited representatives (and Form I-140 self-petitioners). Check the USCIS Forms Available to File Online page before you choose.

How much is the I-485 filing fee?

USCIS publishes the current fee in its fee schedule (Form G-1055). We do not print the amount because USCIS fees change; check the schedule before you file. The USCIS I-485 page says that if you file Form I-485 after April 1, 2024, Forms I-765 and I-131 carry their own additional fees.

My spouse lives outside the United States. Do we use Form I-485?

No. The person applying must be physically present in the United States to file Form I-485. USCIS directs immediate relatives who are outside the United States to its consular processing page instead.

Related guides and templates

Official sources

USCIS — I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (checked 2026-10-14)
USCIS — Instructions for Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, Form I-485 (edition 09/18/26) (checked 2026-10-14)
USCIS — Checklist of Required Initial Evidence for Form I-485 (for informational purposes only) (checked 2026-10-14)
USCIS — Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-485 (checked 2026-10-14)
USCIS — Green Card for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizen (checked 2026-10-14)
USCIS — Green Card for Fiancé(e) of U.S. Citizen (checked 2026-10-14)
USCIS — Concurrent Filing of Form I-485 (checked 2026-10-14)
USCIS — I-130, Petition for Alien Relative (checked 2026-10-14)
USCIS — Instructions for Petition for Alien Relative, Form I-130 (edition 04/01/24) (checked 2026-10-14)
USCIS — Conditional Permanent Residence (checked 2026-10-14)
USCIS — Removing Conditions on Permanent Residence Based on Marriage (checked 2026-10-14)
USCIS — Forms Available to File Online (checked 2026-10-14)
USCIS — Tips for Filing Forms by Mail (checked 2026-10-14)
USCIS — G-1055, Fee Schedule (checked 2026-10-14)

Not legal advice. PartnerProof turns WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage exports into dated, chronological PDF evidence you can print and add to your package. It does not fill in or file USCIS forms. Try it free →