Today we submitted to the government Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. This has been, by far, the most expensive form fee ($395). Aside from the original petition for the K-1 visa, it also required the most work in terms of preparation. The package included the following:

• Personal check ($395) for I-485 and biometric services
• Form I-485
• Copy of birth certificate (front and back)
• Translation of birth certificate
• Copy of K-1 passport with non-immigrant visa
• Two passport style photos (in bag attached to form G-325A)
• Copy of medical exam with vaccination record
• Form G-325A
• Copy of Form I-94 (front and back)
• Form I-864 Affidavit of Support
• Most recent pay stub
• Signed verification from employer
• Tax returns for the years 2003 – 2005 with W-2s
• Copy of Form I-797 NOA 2 (approval of I-129F Petition)
• Copy of marriage certificate (dated March 1, 2006)

All forms now reflect Kristien’s new married name.

The 485 has very specific instructions. I found conflicting information on where to submit the form but it ultimately went to Chicago. In one instance I found a government web page that said to submit to the Local USCIS office. Fortunately, the page was dated and was older than the form’s information. Also, the form is electronically fillable, which saves a lot of time.

The translation of the birth certificate need not be professionally done. Simply attach a signed statement attesting that the person submitting is fluent or competent in the English language.

The I-864 is not fillable from the USCIS web site. I went to Visa Journey and found a fillable version and compared the two. They were exactly the same. This is one form that caused a lot of work. The reason is because I needed the three most recent tax years for supporting documentation. That means 2005 taxes had to be completed. Another delay was getting the Notary stamp and signature.

For something including this much information take it directly to the post office, send it certified mail with a delivery receipt. The peace of mind is well worth it.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 15th, 2006 at 6:45 PM and is archived under Immigration. You can follow comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment or trackback from your own site.