Adjustment of Status Procedures

Once you know that you are eligible for U.S. lawful permanent residence (a green card), the question becomes how to apply for it. Some -- but not all -- applicants who are already in the United States may use a procedure called Adjustment of Status. This involves submitting all of your application materials to, and attending the interview at, an office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Adjustment of status applicants never need to leave the U.S. for an interview at a U.S. consulate in their home country, which can be a distinct advantage depending on the circumstances of their case. Find out how adjustment of status works here.

Noncitizen spouses, parents, and ummarried minor children of U.S. citizen members of the U.S. military have a possible path to a green card that others don't.

Understanding the Visa Bulletin cutoff dates in the “dates for filing” and “final action dates” charts, and when they allow you to submit your green card application and get a U.S. work permit.

For some , the question of whether they are eligible to use the U.S.-based green-card application procedures known as "adjustment of status" is as important as whether they meet the underlying eligibility criteria for a green card.

Once you've spent at least a year in the U.S. in asylum status, you can apply for a green card (adjustment to lawful permanent resident status).

A breakdown of the various costs you will need to pay the U.S. government, doctors, lawyers, and more who will help you get a U.S. green card through the adjustment of status process.

Various categories of foreign-born persons who have the right to spend time in the U.S. do NOT have the right to work here as well, unless they have first applied for and received an employment authorization document (EAD), often referred to as a work permit.

Because so much is at stake, it is easy to make simple mistakes, such as forgetting to bring important documents, trying to do the interview in English when you really need an interpreter, and so on.

A step-by-step description of the typical adjustment of status interview (for a case based on family relationship).

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