These two forms come up constantly in family-based green card cases and are often confused. Here is a simple, plain English explanation of what each one does and when you need it.
Form I-130 is the first step. It is filed by a U.S. citizen or green card holder (the petitioner) to establish a qualifying family relationship with the person they want to sponsor for a green card. Filing I-130 does not give anyone a green card — it simply gets you into the queue.
Who files it: The U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident sponsor.
Current fee: $675 by paper or $625 online.
Processing time: 6 to 48 months depending on the relationship category and country of birth.
Form I-485 is filed by the person who actually wants the green card. It is the application to officially become a lawful permanent resident of the United States. It can only be filed once a visa number is available and, for most family categories, once the I-130 has been approved.
Who files it: The intending immigrant (the person seeking the green card).
Current fee: $1,440 for most adult applicants.
Processing time: 8 to 48 months depending on case type and field office.
Yes — for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, parents, and unmarried children under 21), both forms can be filed at the same time as a "concurrent filing." This speeds up the overall process significantly since there is no annual cap on immediate relative visas.
For preference categories (F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4), I-485 can only be filed once a visa number becomes current on the Visa Bulletin — which can take years or even decades for some categories and countries.
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