Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status Applications - Sample Cover Letters and Tips for Filing
A marriage-based application for legal permanent residence in the United States should be well organized and prepared. A simple cover letter can help you organize the file for the adjudicating officer. Accordingly, we are providing you with some important factors to keep in mind below along with free sample cover letters that can be used as a guide.
- You should double (and triple!) check the current filing fees and current form editions that are being accepted by USCIS. The fees and editions change regularly. For example, on October 13, 2021 USCIS will only accept the newest edition form of Form I-485. Any previous version sent after this date will be rejected by the agency.
- If any of your documents are not in English, you need to include certificate English translations with these documents. Otherwise, you will receive a Request for Evidence which can delay the case;
- Keep in mind that the Form I-693, Results of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record must be signed by the Civil Surgeon within 60 days of application submission. The exams expire in 2 years. For this reason, we advise our clients to hold off on submitting the medical exam and instead bring the sealed medical exam to the adjustment of status interview.
- Check that you are sending the application to the correct address. The correct address depends on your location and/or whether you mail the package with USPS or FedEx, UPS or DHL. Check USCIS’s website at https://www.uscis.gov/ to confirm where you should file the application.
- If you studied in the United States, remember to include all copies of your Forms I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student;
- Make sure to include a printout of your I-94, along with a copy of any stamp you received in your passport upon your most recent entry to the United States. Your I-94 can be retrieved from the U.S. Custom and Border Protection’s website at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/
- Double-check that you have signed the forms in the correct places and that the pages are in the correct order. These are common reasons that USCIS rejects applications.
- Tax transcripts can be easier. Obtain them as soon as possible.
Please find some samples of cover letters below. One sample includes a section for a joint sponsor and the other does not. These cover letters include language regarding not including the medical exam. Please note that each case is different so the content of these samples will not apply to every situation.
- Sample Cover Letter (includes a Joint Sponsor)
