How Long Does It Take To Get a Green Card After Filing I 485 in Arizona?

Written by Diamondback Legal on January 16, 2023

Relatives or spouses not physically present in the United States cannot file I 485 in Arizona. Even if they are physically present in the United States, eligibility exclusions can still prevent the filing of I-485 applications. Inadmissibility grounds that could prevent a person from filing I-485 may include health-related grounds, criminal grounds, security grounds, violations of immigration law or procedure, public charge grounds, or other grounds.

I 485 in Arizona Processing Times

The amount of time to process a Form I-485 will depend on your form category and the service center that is handling the form. When it comes to employment-based applications, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reports the following processing times:

California Service Center — 29 months
Texas Service Center — 50.5 months
Tuscon, AZ — 21.5 months
Phoenix, AZ — 21.5 months

For family-based adjustment applications, USCIS reports the following processing times:

Phoenix, AZ — 13.5 months
Tuscon, AZ — 16 months

Required Initial Evidence for Form I 485 in Arizona

Immediate relatives will need to provide all of the following information:

Two passport-style photographs
A copy of a person’s government-issued identity document with a photograph
A copy of a person’s birth certificate. When this is not available or does not exist, people can submit other acceptable evidence of birth, such as a church, school, or medical records, and proof of unavailability or nonexistence.
Inspection and admission or inspection and parole documentation
Documentation of immigrant categories, such as a copy of Form I-797, Approval or Receipt Notice, for Form I-130, filed on your behalf
Form I-864, Affidavit of Support (when required)
Certified police and court records of all criminal charges, arrests, or convictions regardless of final disposition (when applicable)
Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility (when applicable)
Form I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After Deportation or Removal (when applicable)
Documentation regarding J-1 and J-2 exchange visitor status (Form I-612, when applicable)
Form I-508, Waiver of Diplomatic Rights, Privileges, Exemptions, and Immunities (when applicable)
Form I-566, Interagency Record of Request – A, G, or NATO Dependent Employment Authorization or Change/Adjustment to/from A, G, or NATO Status (only if a person has A, G, or NATO nonimmigrant status)
Form I-485 Supplement A, Adjustment of Status Under Section 245(i) (Supplement A) (when applicable)

If a person is the spouse or child of a United States citizen’s immediate relative, they must independently qualify for adjustment of status and file their own application. They cannot qualify for adjustment of status as the derivative beneficiary based on the immediate relative’s application.

Family Preference Immigrants must provide everything listed above for immediate relatives and proof that they have continuously maintained a lawful status since arriving in the United States. Spouses or unmarried children under 21 years of age of family-based principal applicants must provide:

Everything listed above for immediate relatives;
Proof, a person, has continuously maintained a lawful status since arriving in the United States
A copy of documentation showing a person’s relationship to the principal applicant, such as a marriage certificate, birth certificate, or adoption decree
A copy of the Form I-797, Approval or Receipt Notice, for the principal applicant’s Form I-130 (unless you are filing your Form I-485 together with the principal applicant’s Form I-485)
A copy of the Form I-797, Approval or Receipt Notice, for the principal applicant’s Form I 485 or a copy of the principal applicant’s Green Card (if not filed together with the principal applicant’s Form I-485)

When it comes to Special Immigrant Juveniles, the required evidence will include:

Two passport-style photographs
A copy of a government-issued photo identity document (when available)
A copy of a person’s birth certificate
Documentation of a person’s immigrant category
Disposition on criminal charges, arrests, or convictions, when available
Form I-601, Waiver of Inadmissibility (when applicable)
Documentation regarding J-1 and J-2 exchange visitor status (when applicable)
Form I-508, Waiver of Diplomatic Rights, Privileges, Exemptions, and Immunities (when applicable)

What Happens at an I-485 Medical Examination in Arizona

When immigrants apply for Green Cards through Form I-485 for adjustment of status, they need to obtain medical examinations. A medical doctor authorized by USCIS may perform a medical examination.

After a person completes their medical examination, the civil surgeon should give them a completed Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, in a sealed envelope. People should not accept these forms if they are not in sealed envelopes.

USCIS will return a form to you if it is not in a sealed envelope or if the envelope has been opened or altered. A person must submit their Form I-693 to USCIS, not the civil surgeon.

Suppose a person is applying for an adjustment of status. In that case, they can submit Form I-693 by mail with their Form I-485 to the location specified for their Form I-485, by mail after filing their Form I-485 at the location specified in their most recent communication with USCIS, or in person at an interview in a USCIS field office (when an interview is required).

Complicating Factors to I-485 Cases

I-485 processing times always vary depending on numerous factors, including USCIS caseload, the basis of the application, and whether a form is properly filed. When a person properly files Form I-485, USCIS initially responds by mailing a person a receipt notice that confirms receipt of their application.

Form I-797C, Notice of Action, is a receipt notice that usually arrives two to three weeks after a person files. If a person does not properly file their Form I-485, USCIS will send a Notice of Action to reject the application or it could send a Request for Evidence that requests additional items.

USCIS rejects many initial I-485 applications, so you should not be particularly alarmed if you join the masses. When your application is approved, however, you should receive an appointment notice that assigns your biometrics appointment date, time and location three to five weeks after filing.

A biometrics appointment or screening is usually a short appointment that lasts no longer than a half-hour and allows USCIS to collect your fingerprints, photograph, and signature. An appointment notice will tell a person what they need to take to the appointment.

You should expect to have to take some kind of government-issued photo identification to enter the building. USCIS accepts ID documents such as passports or national photo identification issued by your country, a driver’s license, military photo identification, and state-issued photo identification cards.

When people also submit Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, as a part of their adjustment of the status package, they receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). This is often referred to as a work permit.

A person will need to apply for an EAD if they are authorized to work in the United States because of their immigration status or circumstances and need evidence of that employment authorization, or they are required to apply for permission to work, such as if they have a pending Form I 485 in Arizona, pending Form I-589, or nonimmigrant status that allows them to be in the United States but does not allow them to work in the United States without first seeking permission from USCIS.

About four to 10 months after filing, an applicant should receive a notice to attend an adjustment of status interview. Interviews are not always required, however, so some people may have their interviews waived or petitioners may not be required to attend.

Some people may be granted permanent residence at the end of their adjustment of status interviews. When approved, green cards may be mailed to people shortly after the interviews.

When USCIS denies the application, a person should receive a notice stating the reasons for the denial and their options. Anybody who receives a green card no longer has a use for an EAD card.

Filing fees for Form I-485 can be a bit steep. When people are under 14 years of age and are filing with Form I 485 in Arizona application of at least 1 parent, the filing fee will be $750.

If an applicant is under 14 years of age and is not filing with the Form I-485 application of at least 1 parent, the filing fee will be $1,140. If an applicant is between 14 and 78 years of age, there is a form fee of $1,140 and a biometric services fee of $85 for a total of $1,225.

Applicants who are 79 years of age or older pay $1,140. There are no fees for people filing Form I-485 based on having been admitted to the United States as refugees.

Call Us Today to Speak with an Arizona Immigration Attorney

Are you struggling to complete Form I-485 and obtain much-needed immigration benefits? You should take the time to speak to Diamondback Legal about your case because we help all classes of immigrants get the benefits they need and deserve.

Our firm will make sure that your application is all set to go and does not have any issues that lead to USCIS rejection. You can call (602) 584-8938 or contact us online today to set up a free consultation with our Arizona Immigration Attorney.