USCIS Redesigns Green Card Application

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has revised the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485). The new Form I-485 and instructions “have been substantially updated to reduce complexity after collecting comments from the public and stakeholders,” USCIS said.

USCIS said that starting on June 26, 2017, there will be a 60-day “grace period” during which the agency will accept both the 01/17/17 and 06/26/17 editions of Form I-485 and Supplements A and J (which have also been revised). Beginning August 25, 2017, USCIS will only accept the revised form and supplements.

Changes to the form include:

• Adjustments to navigation and the organization of questions, along with new spacing, columns, flow, white space, and formatting intended to enhance readability.
• Inclusion of questions about biographic information (Form G-325A) so applicants will no longer need to file a separate form;
• A list of 27 immigrant categories, which allows applicants to identify the specific immigrant category under which they are applying; and
• A comprehensive, updated list of admissibility-related questions. Questions were added to ensure USCIS officers have the necessary information to better assess an applicant’s admissibility and eligibility.

USCIS noted that although both the revised Form I-485 and its instructions may look different from earlier versions, the process for filing the form and supplements A and J remains the same. Applicants must still submit their paper applications to the location listed in the form instructions.