Application Based on IU Employment

Permanent residence based on IU employment

You may be eligible to become a U.S. permanent resident based on your employment at Indiana University. You and your hiring department should work with OIS to begin the review process.

Your hiring department will submit an e-form request to OIS to initiate a review of your case. After review, OIS will make a recommendation about which route to permanent residence is best for your case.

OIS may file a Special Handling Labor Certification and an I-140 petition, or an I-140 petition for outstanding professor or researcher. Or your case may be referred to an immigration attorney for the processing of a Standard Labor Certification and I-140.

The information below regarding the filing of Form I-485 should be helpful to understand the general process, but it is not legal advice. You may choose to consult an immigration attorney.

Complete Form I-485 and gather supporting documents

After you have an approved I-140 petition, you are eligible to file Form I-485 if your visa number is available. You can find information about the visa number and current filing dates on the Visa Bulletin. Form I-485 is your application to adjust your status to permanent resident. The I-485 petition is a self-petition. In most cases, you will be responsible for filing your I-485 petition directly with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

You and each dependent must file all of the documents below. The application requires many documents, so allow sufficient time to gather and complete all of them. If you have general questions about the process, please contact us.

In Part 2 of Form I-485, check box 1.b. if you are filing on the basis of a filed or approved I-140 petition.

Complete Parts 1-3 of the I-485 Supplement J.

OIS completes Parts 4-7. Please contact us when you are ready to file so that we may complete our sections.

The current fee is $1,225 for each applicant, or $750 for each child under 13 who is filing with a parent. The fee covers biometrics (fingerprints) and any applications for employment (I-765) or travel authorization (I-131). You may pay by personal check, money order, or certified check, made payable to the Department of Homeland Security. Staple a separate check to each I-485 form.

Please check the Form I-485 instructions to confirm the fee amount before mailing.

The photos must meet the Department of State’s requirements for passport photos. Print the applicant’s name on the back in pencil, place the photos in a separate envelope or plastic bag, and staple the bag or envelope to the I-485 form.

A designated USCIS civil surgeon must complete and seal this form, which is a report of medical examinations and vaccination records. Students and spouses may use the designated civil surgeons at the IU Health Center. Download the form, review the vaccination requirements, and find a civil surgeon on USCIS’s Form I-693 page.

Include the following:

  • A photocopy of your most recent I-94 from your most recent entry into the United States
  • A statement that lists all previous periods of stay and visa status in the United States, including copies of related documents (I-20s, IAP-66s, DS-2019s, I-797s), if possible
  • Your Exchange Visitor waiver letter, if applicable

Supply a photocopy of your passport ID page, expiration page, and all U.S. visa pages.

Form I-140 is called the Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker. If your I-140 has been approved, include a copy of your I-797 approval notice. If your I-140 is pending, write “CONCURRENT FILING” on the cover sheet and mailing envelope and attach a copy of the I-140 Receipt Notice.

The birth certificate must show your parents’ names. A passport is not an acceptable substitute for a birth certificate. Learn more.

Include this photocopy with your spouse’s documents.

If you have been married for fewer than two years, include evidence that the marriage is legitimate. Suggested items include any of the following:

  • Documentation of joint ownership of property
  • A lease showing that you are joint tenants in a common residence
  • Documentation that shows mixing of your financial resources
  • Birth certificates of your children
  • Affidavits that have been sworn to or affirmed by third parties who have personal knowledge of the marriage’s legitimacy. Each affidavit must contain the person’s full name, address, date of birth, place of birth, relationship to you or your spouse (if any), and complete information and details about how the person acquired his or her knowledge of your marriage.
  • Any other relevant documentation that will prove an ongoing marital union

If you or your spouse has been married before, include photocopies of any divorce decrees and death certificates from all previous marriages for both of you. These documents should be included with your spouse’s documents.

Your hiring department can follow this format to compose the letter:

This is to certify that [Your Name] is a [Title] in the [Name of Department], Indiana University, [Campus]. His/her annual salary is $[Salary Amount] for the current academic year.

The department chair or administrative secretary may sign the letter.

You must complete Form I-134, an affidavit of support, on behalf of any family members who are also applying. Include the original form with your spouse’s documents, and include a copy with the documents for each additional dependent.

Employment-based applicants do not file Form I-864.

If you want confirmation that the USCIS facility receives your application, file Form G-1145 with your application. You will receive a text message, email, or both when USCIS receives your application. This service is free of charge.

You may have travel restrictions while your application for permanent residence is being processed, which can take a long time. If you plan to travel abroad, you will probably need to file Form I-131 to avoid canceling your application. If you do not currently have plans to travel abroad, you should still consider filing the I-131 in case you need to travel urgently.

You can file the I-131 with your I-485, or you can file the I-131 later with a photocopy of your I-485 receipt.

Learn more about travel while your application is being processed.

All documents that are not in English must be translated. You should use a translator, such as a friend or colleague. You should not translate your own documents. The translation must be accompanied by a certification from the translator but does not have to be notarized. The following is an example of an acceptable certification:

I, [Name of Translator], hereby certify that I am competent to translate from the [Name of Language] language into English and that the attached/above is an accurate translation of the original [Birth/Marriage/Other] document.

Signature_________
Name of translator_________
Address_________
Telephone__________

Prepare a cover sheet that lists all of the documentation that is included in your application.

Submit all forms and documents

Remember to keep a copy of everything you send to USCIS.

You will send Form I-485 and all supporting documents to a lockbox facility. They will be forwarded to the USCIS Service Center for processing. Please confirm the mailing address by checking the USCIS I-485 instructions before mailing.

If you are filing Form I-485 together with Form I-140, send your documents to the USCIS Dallas Lockbox.

U.S. Postal Service (USPS):
USCIS
Attn: NFB
P.O. Box 660867
Dallas, TX 75266-0867

FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: NFB (Box 660867)
2501 S. State Hwy.
121 Business Suite 400
Lewisvill, TX 75067

If you live in Indiana and are filing Form I-485 based on a pending or approved Form I-140, you file with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox. Include a copy of Form I-797, which shows that your Form I-140 has been receipted or approved.

U.S. Postal Service (USPS):
USCIS
Attn: NFB
P.O. Box 805371
Chicago, IL 60680-5371

FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: NFB (Box 805371)
131 South Dearborn-3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517