Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status) is the form you can use to adjust your status from a nonimmigrant to a green card holder. If you are eligible to file Form I-485, you can file the form in order to get your green card and permanent residency status in the US. If you have applied for a green card through family sponsorship or employment sponsorship, for example, you will be eligible to file Form I-485 and get your green card once your application is approved and there’s a green card available for you. If you have married a US citizen, you are generally eligible to file Form I-485 once you have married and have been within the US for certain period of time. There are other situations in which you may be eligible to file Form I-485 as well. There many reasons why you will want to file this form as quickly as possible once you are eligible.
One of the biggest reasons, of course, is that filing USCIS Form I-485 ensures that you will get a green card. A permanent residency in the United States will allow you to live and work freely in the United States for as long as you wish. Getting your green card by adjusting your status will also ensure that you can travel freely to and out of the United States if you wish to. You will enjoy the many benefits of being a permanent president of the United States. In addition, if you eventually wish to become a naturalized citizen of the United States, getting your green card as soon as possible by filing Form I-485 ensures that you can start living in the United States so that you can meet the residency requirements for citizenship. Delaying filing your Form I-485 means that you spend less time in the United States as a lawful permanent resident, and this can mean that it takes you longer to get your US citizenship, if that is your ultimate goal.
The other reason to file Form I-485 when you are eligible is that in some cases you may lose your status unless you adjust your status to a green card holder in a timely fashion. For example, if you have married a US citizen, you are expected to file Form I-485 as soon as you are eligible. Failure to file Form I-485 means that once your current status expires, you many have no status to remain in the United States. This can create quite a few legal problems and can make it difficult for you to remain legally in the United States. Since it takes some time to process Form I-485, therefore, it is best to file for an adjustment of status as soon as you are eligible to do so.