Filing Guide · Updated July 2026
How to assemble your adjustment of status packet
You have filled out the forms and gathered the documents. Here is exactly how to stack, fasten, and mail them so USCIS accepts the packet the first time.
The short answer
Stack the forms top to bottom with payment on top and each form followed by its own evidence. Clip the sections together instead of stapling. Print everything single-sided on letter paper. Keep the medical exam sealed. Then mail the whole thing, as one package per person, to the USCIS lockbox for your state using a trackable service.
At a glance
- •Order: payment, cover letter, I-485, I-130 and I-130A, I-864, I-765, I-131, sealed I-693.
- •Fasten: paper clips or binder clips, never staples or binders.
- •Print: single-sided, 8.5 by 11 inch letter paper.
- •One package per person, shared documents copied into each.
- •Mail trackable to the lockbox for your state, and keep a full copy.
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What USCIS Does With Your Packet
Knowing what happens on the other end makes the rules make sense. When your package arrives at a USCIS lockbox, a clerk opens it, checks that each form has its fee and signature, and then feeds every page through a scanner. Your paper packet becomes a digital file that officers work from later.
That is why the packaging rules exist. Staples and binders slow the scanning and can tear pages. Double-sided printing and oversized documents jam the process. A clean, single-sided, lightly clipped stack in a sensible order gets through intake quickly. It is also why you do not need to over-organize with tabs and dividers: the lockbox takes your clips off and re-sorts everything anyway.
The Order of Documents
There is no single order USCIS forces on you, but the sequence below is the one most filers and preparers use, and it follows USCIS’s own filing tips. The idea is simple: payment on top, then each form followed immediately by the evidence that supports it, with the sealed medical exam last.
Top
- What goes here
- Payment forms (one G-1450 or G-1650 per fee-bearing form)
Next
- What goes here
- Cover letter listing everything in the package (optional)
Next
- What goes here
- Green card application (Form I-485), then its evidence
Next
- What goes here
- Petition (Form I-130) and spouse supplement (Form I-130A), then marriage evidence
Next
- What goes here
- Affidavit of support (Form I-864), then tax and income documents
Next
- What goes here
- Work permit (Form I-765), then its photos and documents
Next
- What goes here
- Travel permit (Form I-131)
Bottom
- What goes here
- Medical exam (Form I-693) in its sealed envelope, unopened
If you are filing the I-130 petition online and mailing the rest, follow the same idea for the mailed forms and include the I-130 receipt notice with your I-485. For the forms named here, see the deep guides on the I-485, I-130, and I-864.
Packaging Rules That Prevent Problems
These are the small mechanical choices that trip people up. None of them is about the substance of your case, but getting them wrong can slow intake or damage your documents.
Staple or clip?
- What USCIS expects
- Clip. Paper clips, binder clips, or a two-prong fastener. No staples.
Binders or folders?
- What USCIS expects
- No binders, spiral bindings, or plastic sheet protectors.
Single or double-sided?
- What USCIS expects
- Single-sided only, on 8.5 by 11 inch letter paper.
Originals or copies?
- What USCIS expects
- Copies, unless a form asks for an original. Bring originals to the interview.
Sealed medical exam?
- What USCIS expects
- Include the I-693 envelope sealed. Never open it.
Handwriting or typed?
- What USCIS expects
- Either is fine, as long as it is legible and signed by hand in ink.
Passport Photos
Include two identical 2 by 2 inch passport-style photos for the applicant, taken within the last 30 days. Any drugstore or shipping store that offers passport photos can take them. Write the applicant’s full name and A-number lightly in pencil on the back of each photo so USCIS can match them if they come loose.
Protect the photos so they arrive flat and undamaged: put the pair in a small envelope, or clip them to a sheet of paper rather than letting them float loose in the package. Check each form’s instructions before you file, since USCIS occasionally changes how many photos a form needs.
The Cover Letter (Optional, but Useful)
A cover letter is not required, and leaving it out will not get your packet rejected. Still, most couples include a one-page letter that lists the forms and the evidence in the package. It works as a table of contents for the officer and as a final checklist for you before you seal the envelope.
Keep it plain: the date, the applicant’s name, a line naming the case (a marriage-based adjustment of status), and a bulleted list of what is enclosed. It does not need to be notarized or signed by an attorney. If you want a ready-made version, the cover letter guide walks through it.
Where and How to Mail It
Marriage green card packets go to a USCIS lockbox, and the exact address depends on the state where you live and on the fact that you are filing the green card application at the same time as the petition. USCIS publishes the routing on its Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-485 page and its family-based lockbox chart. Look up your state and mail the whole package to that one address.
Use a trackable service, such as USPS Priority Mail, UPS, or FedEx, so you have delivery confirmation. Write the applicant’s name on the outside as the return address matches the case. Before you seal it, make a complete copy of the entire package for your records. If USCIS later asks a question, you will want to see exactly what you sent.
After delivery, USCIS charges the payments, mails receipt notices for each form, and later schedules a fingerprint appointment. If anything is wrong at intake, the packet comes back instead of being accepted. The guide on what to do if USCIS rejects a packet covers that case.
Frequently asked questions
What order do the forms go in for a marriage green card packet?
From top to bottom: the payment forms (one per fee-bearing form), an optional cover letter, then the green card application (I-485) with its evidence, the petition (I-130) with the I-130A supplement and marriage evidence, the affidavit of support (I-864) with financial documents, the work permit (I-765), the travel permit (I-131), and the sealed medical exam (I-693) last. Each form is followed by the evidence that belongs to it.
Should I staple my USCIS forms together?
No. USCIS scans every page and needs to take the packet apart easily. Use paper clips or binder clips to group each form with its evidence, or a two-prong fastener. Avoid staples, binders, spiral bindings, and plastic sheet protectors. USCIS will remove clips at intake anyway, so keep the fastening light.
Do USCIS forms need to be single-sided?
Yes. Print all forms and supporting documents single-sided on standard 8.5 by 11 inch letter paper. If a civil document is a different size, photocopy it down to letter size. Double-sided pages and oversized documents slow the scanning USCIS does at intake and can cause problems.
Do I need a cover letter for my adjustment of status packet?
It is optional, but many couples include one. A cover letter that lists the forms and evidence in the package works as a table of contents for the officer and a checklist for you. Keep it to one page. It does not replace any form and does not need to be notarized.
How many passport photos do I need and how do I label them?
Include two identical 2 by 2 inch passport-style photos for the applicant. Write the applicant's full name and A-number lightly in pencil on the back of each photo, and place the pair in a small envelope or clip them so they are not damaged. Check each form's instructions, since photo counts can change.
Do I file one package or separate packages when filing concurrently?
For one immigrant spouse, the petition (I-130), green card application (I-485), and the other forms travel together as a single package. If you are filing for more than one person, such as a spouse and a child, each person gets their own complete package, with shared documents like the marriage certificate copied into each. You can mail the packages in one envelope or separately.
Where do I mail my marriage green card packet?
To a USCIS lockbox, and the exact address depends on the state where you live. USCIS publishes the routing on its Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-485 page and its family-based lockbox chart. Mail the whole package to a single address, using a trackable service, and keep a complete copy of everything you send.
Where does the sealed medical exam go in the packet?
The medical exam (Form I-693) goes in its sealed envelope, and you place that envelope in the package without opening it. If you open the envelope, USCIS will not accept the exam. Many filers put the sealed envelope at the back of the packet with a note on the cover letter that it is included and sealed.
Should I send originals or copies with my application?
Send copies, not originals, unless a form's instructions specifically ask for an original. USCIS generally does not return documents you send, and it may keep or destroy them. Bring your originals to the interview instead. The medical exam is the main exception, since it is submitted sealed by the doctor.
Key takeaways
- ✓
Stack the packet in order: payment forms on top, optional cover letter, then I-485, I-130 with I-130A, I-864, I-765, I-131, and the sealed I-693 last. Each form is followed by its own evidence.
- ✓
Clip, do not staple. Use paper clips, binder clips, or a two-prong fastener. Skip binders, spiral bindings, and sheet protectors.
- ✓
Print single-sided on 8.5 by 11 inch letter paper, and photocopy oversized documents down to letter size.
- ✓
File one complete package per person. For a spouse and a child, build two packages and copy shared documents into each.
- ✓
Include two 2 by 2 inch photos for the applicant, labeled on the back in pencil with name and A-number.
- ✓
Keep the medical exam (I-693) envelope sealed. Opening it means USCIS will not accept it.
- ✓
Mail to the USCIS lockbox for your state using a trackable service, and keep a full copy of everything you send.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Green Card Genius is self-help immigration software, not a law firm, and does not provide legal representation. USCIS filing procedures change. Guidance here is current as of July 2026; verify filing addresses and form instructions on uscis.gov before you file.
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Continue reading
- 01How to Pay USCIS Fees for a Marriage Green Card (2026)
- 02What Happens After You Mail Your Marriage Green Card Application (2026)
- 03USCIS Rejected (Not Denied) Your Green Card Packet (2026)
- 04Marriage Green Card Document Checklist (2026)
- 05What to Include in Your Marriage Green Card Cover Letter (AOS and CP)
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