Immigration Category
Identify the petition or other legal basis for permanent residence and whether an immigrant visa is immediately available when required.
Dallas–Fort Worth Adjustment of Status Attorney
The goal is a green card.
The real work is proving you qualify to adjust here.
Adjustment-of-status representation for Form I-485, marriage and family green cards, concurrent I-130/I-485 filings, USCIS interviews, employment authorization, inadmissibility analysis, Requests for Evidence, prior immigration issues, and complex adjustment cases.
Adjustment of status allows certain eligible applicants to seek lawful permanent residence without completing the immigrant-visa process abroad. Eligibility depends on the immigration category, entry and status history, visa availability, admissibility, and other case-specific rules.
I-485Permanent residence filing
I-130Qualifying family relationship
ConcurrentFile together when eligible
InterviewPrepare the record
Dallas–Fort WorthGreen card representation
At a Glance
What is adjustment of status?
Adjustment of status is the process through which certain eligible people already in the United States apply to become lawful permanent residents without leaving the country for immigrant-visa processing. Form I-485 is the central application, but the legal basis and supporting filings depend on the applicant's category and history.
Eligibility Comes First
Being married to a U.S. citizen does not make every immigration problem disappear.
Before filing, the case should be screened for entry history, status violations, prior filings, criminal issues, misrepresentation, removal history, and other facts that can affect adjustment.
Entry & Inspection
How the applicant entered the United States can be critical. Admission, parole, entry without inspection, and other histories can lead to different adjustment analyses.
Status History
Overstays, unauthorized employment, status violations, and the applicant's category should be reviewed before assuming adjustment remains available.
Admissibility
Criminal history, fraud or misrepresentation, unlawful presence, health-related issues, prior removal, and other grounds may affect eligibility or create waiver questions.
Relationship Evidence
Marriage-based cases require evidence that the relationship is genuine, not merely a marriage certificate and completed forms.
Prior Immigration Record
Previous petitions, applications, interviews, denials, border encounters, and statements should be reviewed for consistency with the new filing.
Marriage-Based Adjustment
USCIS is deciding both eligibility and whether the marriage is real.
In a marriage-based adjustment case, the record should establish the petitioner's status, the legal marriage, the applicant's adjustment eligibility, financial sponsorship, admissibility, and the bona fide nature of the relationship. The interview can test details that were submitted months earlier.
01Does the filing history tell one consistent story?
02Do joint records show a real shared life?
03Are prior marriages and divorces fully documented?
04Are there immigration or criminal issues to resolve before interview?
Before Filing
Four records to assemble early.
Entry and immigration records.
Gather passports, visas, I-94 records, prior EADs, USCIS notices, petitions, applications, and any immigration-court or border documents.
Civil documents.
Birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, name-change records, and translations should match the identities used throughout the case.
Financial sponsorship.
Tax returns, income evidence, household information, and any joint-sponsor material should be reviewed before the Affidavit of Support is filed.
Relationship evidence.
For marriage cases, joint housing, finances, insurance, travel, photographs, communications, children, and other evidence can document the shared relationship.
The Adjustment Process
Screen. File. Prepare. Respond. Interview.
A clean filing begins with eligibility analysis rather than simply completing Form I-485.
Confirm Eligibility
Analyze the immigration category, visa availability, entry, status history, admissibility, prior filings, and any waiver or removal issues.
Prepare The Filing
Build the I-485 package and related petition, sponsorship, medical, work authorization, travel, and supporting evidence as applicable.
Manage USCIS Review
Track notices, biometrics, requests for evidence, work authorization, and any issues USCIS raises while the application is pending.
Prepare For Interview
Review the complete record, update evidence, identify sensitive issues, and prepare for the questions USCIS is likely to ask.
Adjustment vs. Consular Processing
Where the green-card case finishes can change the risk.
Some applicants can adjust status inside the United States, while others must pursue immigrant-visa processing through a U.S. consulate abroad. Entry history, immigration category, unlawful presence, inadmissibility, prior removal, and waiver needs can make the choice or legal requirement consequential. The process should be selected only after the complete history is reviewed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Adjustment-of-status questions.
Can I stay in the United States while Form I-485 is pending?
A properly filed adjustment application can place an applicant in a period of authorized stay for certain immigration purposes, but the effect on status, travel, employment, and removal exposure depends on the individual case.
Can I work while my green-card application is pending?
Many adjustment applicants may apply for employment authorization using Form I-765 when eligible. Employment should not begin unless the person already has independent authorization or the requested authorization is granted.
Do all adjustment cases require an interview?
USCIS determines whether an interview is required. Applicants should nevertheless build the filing as though the evidence and prior answers may be examined closely.
What happens if USCIS sends a Request for Evidence?
An RFE identifies additional evidence USCIS says is needed. The response should address every requested item by the stated deadline and should be evaluated in the context of the entire case.
What if I have unlawful presence or a prior immigration violation?
The effect depends on the applicant's category, manner of entry, status and travel history, prior removal record, and the specific inadmissibility or adjustment rules involved. Some cases may require a waiver or a different process.
Adjustment of Status Consultation
Are You Ready To Apply For Your Green Card?
Tell us the basis for your green-card case, how you entered the United States, your current immigration status, whether a petition has already been filed, and whether you have prior immigration or criminal issues.
Use the firm's secure contact page to request a consultation, or call 833-FOR-PIRI to speak with the office.
Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.