A Step-by-Step Guide to Adjustment of Status in Chicago

Before submitting your petition, you must check if you’re eligible to apply for a Green Card. Green Cards and adjustment of status lawyers in Chicago explain that you can be eligible to apply under the following categories:

Adjustment of Status (AOS) may also grant a Green Card to people with legal status by virtue of being holders of a temporary visa such as a student visa, tourist visa, or business travel visa. If you’re eligible to apply for adjustment of status under these categories, you also must:

When applying for a Green Card, applicants often must fill out two forms: a green card application and an immigrant petition. Your sponsor must file the application on your behalf, or you may be eligible to file for yourself, depending on the case specifics.

When submitting your application, you must attach various supporting documents, so gather them beforehand. These include:

While not all these documents may be necessary for your application, double-check that you don’t miss out on anything. Skilled Chicago Green Cards and adjustment of status lawyers can guide you appropriately.

Once you submit your application, your local Application Support Center will schedule a biometrics appointment to provide your fingerprints and photograph. The notice will indicate the appointment’s date, time, and venue. Biometrics are crucial in helping the authorities verify your identity and conduct various security and background checks.

During the appointment, the officers will ask you to sign an acknowledgment certifying that you reviewed all the information and that the application was complete, true, and correct when you filed it. Missing the appointment or failing to sign the acknowledgment could cause the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to deny your application.

The USCIS officials will review your application and determine whether you should attend an interview. If they schedule you for one, you must present yourself in person to answer questions under oath regarding your application. Remember to carry all the original versions of the documents you submitted when filing Form I-485, including your official travel documents.

The agency may request additional evidence if what you submitted is no longer valid, you didn’t submit all the necessary evidence, or it needs more information to determine your eligibility.

Once the USCIS reviews your application, it will make a decision and notify you of the outcome. If the application is approved, you will get an approval notice, followed by the Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) later.

If the agency denies your application, it will also send you a notice and tell you why it was denied. The officials will also let you know whether you can appeal the decision, although appeals for adjustment of status application are rarely allowed. You can file a petition to reopen or reconsider the application with the help of Green Cards and adjustment of status lawyers in Chicago.