If your family is filing multiple I-485 applications, you may want to combine them. However, it’s very important to organize them separately so that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) doesn’t mix up or misplace your paperwork.
Submitting your family’s cases together is simple with a little preparation. Adjustment of status applications generally include several forms and many supporting documents. Combining more than one I-485 applications together in the same parcel can make it overwhelming for the person receiving your package. Organization is vital.
If Form I-485 for a child age 13 or younger is filed in the same package with the Form I-485 of at least one parent, the fee for the child’s Form I-485 is reduced to $750. This is one example of why you may want to combine applications. Although USCIS will process each case separately, most families of applicants prefer to submit their paperwork together. But without some organization, you run the risk of mixing up applications and confusing USCIS. This could result in a unnecessary Request for Evidence or even a rejection.
Some people just want to submit their applications together as a family unit. That’s okay too.
Consider organizing each application in a separate envelope. For example, use a separate 9” x 12” envelope that includes one I-485, a separate check for USCIS fees, and supporting documents for each application. If you have a family of four, you’ll have four separate envelopes. Bundle the multiple envelopes inside one larger package (or box). In this way, each application package is organized separately but combined for the purposes of applying together. Alternatively, you may separate the cases by rubber band or fasteners if you are sending more than one case in an envelope.
In preparing each package (case), USCIS recommends that you:
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