Green Card - Starting the process

The process we will be following through the next posts is how to apply for a Green Card through marriage - immediate relative visa - from inside of the country (once in the United States of America). Nevertheless, if you are applying from another country there are resemblances and it may be beneficial for you to keep reading. Even if you are doing the fiancé visa there will be some similarities, so you are welcome to read.
To know other options you can look at this post.

Once inside as a tourist, the process starts. 

NOTE: If you are inside of the US with a Visa you may need to double check there are no conditions to your visa, conditions from your home country or conditions from the US. In such a case you would need to waive first your conditions before apply to this whole process.

PAPERWORK
You will need to fill a form called I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status - you can get it here together with the instructions and supplemental information. You will also need the I-130, Petition for Alien Relative - you can get it here together with the instructions. It helps to fill the form G-1145 (found in both previous links) which would allow you to know when your application gets accepted. 

You usually send all the files together like we did in 2011 but in the website (here) can be read:"You still have the option to file your I-485 application any time after your petitioner files a Form I-130, for you, as long as it has not been denied. Generally, you will need to submit a copy of Form I-797, Notice of Action, with your Form I-485, that shows the Form I-130 petition is either pending or approved." Thus, you are to send the form I-130 first, and as you receive the form I-797 (receipt confirmation) you may send a copy of it, with the I-485. I think its easier just to submit everything together though.

INFORMATION
The I-485 part of the paperwork requires a bunch of personal information and financial information that shows financial support from a family member (or more). In a nutshell,  the financial documentation verifies you are not going to rely on the government once you are legal. And as part of the required information, you need an immigration doctor (learn more here) to fill in some more papers after your physical exam. You may want to start looking for a doctor now so you can get his filled papers by the time you are ready to send all this so you do not have to wait.

DOCUMENTS
You will need to send a birth certificate in English (NOTE For Spaniards: the "multilingual" birth certificate is not accepted as a translation. You will need to provide the original language birth certificate together with an official translation, which you may do for about $60 here in the US as of prices in 2011).

FEES
Each document has a correspondent fee to pay (make checks or money orders payable to Department of Homeland Security):
-With the I-130, the fee is $535.
-With the I-485, the fee varies, filing through marriage it will most likely be $1,140.
-For the Biometric, sent with the I-485, there is an $85 fee.

NOTE: Keep an extra copy of every document that is requested because they may ask them at the interview. Thus I recommend to make two copies, send one and keep one of each for later. Try to keep them all together. Always keep the originals. 

Updated January 2017