Filing for adjustment of status

On Behalf of | Jul 16, 2021 | US Immigration Law

You may be looking to complete the adjustment of status process so that you can become a permanent U.S. resident under an immigrant visa. If a family member or employer has not filed an immigrant visa petition on your behalf, you’ll need to learn more about the filing process for adjusting your status. If the petition has already been filed for you or if the petition has been approved, you may experience a waiting period to receive an available visa before filing Form I-485. If you live in Texas, here is some information that can make the filing process easier.

When you should file

You’ll need to find your visa type using the Visa Bulletin chart to determine the right time to file your adjustment of status application. When you find your type of visa, look to the right of your visa type to find the correct filing date based on your country of birth.

Understanding the chart

If the date that the chart displays is current or the priority date is earlier than the date you see on the chart, you can file for adjustment of status if you meet all the other requirements for this filing.

A “U” on the chart means “unauthorized,” which means numbers are not authorized to be issued. The priority date is usually the date when your employer or family member filed your immigrant visa petition with USCIS on your behalf. If you need to obtain a labor certification with your immigrant visa petition, the priority date is the date the Department of Labor accepted the certification for processing.

Immigration law can be confusing, so you may want legal help as you seek to become a permanent legal resident. Speak with an experienced immigration lawyer to get the information you need to ensure that you are correctly filing for adjustment of status.