Form I-485 Instructions 08/28/24 Page 7 of 42
6. Alternate and/or Safe Address. If you are ling an adjustment of status application based on VAWA or as a special
immigrant juvenile, human tracking victim (T nonimmigrant), or crime victim (U nonimmigrant) and you do not
feel safe receiving mail about this application at your home address, provide an alternative, safe mailing address in
Part 1., Item Numbers 13.a. - 13.f. This address may be a post oce box, the address of a friend, your attorney, a
community-based organization that is helping you, or any other address where you can safely and timely receive mail.
If you do not provide an alternate, safe address in Part 1., Item Numbers 13.a. - 13.f., USCIS may use the address
of the preparer you listed on your Form I-485. If you do not use a preparer and do not provide a safe address, then
USCIS will use the U.S. Mailing Address you provide in Part 1., Item Numbers 12.a. - 12.f.
7. Questions regarding Social Security Number (SSN). Part 1., Item Number 14. asks if the Social Security
Administration (SSA) has ever ocially issued you a Social Security Card. If the SSA ever issued a Social Security
card to you in your name or a previously used name such as your maiden name, then you must enter the SSN from
your card in Item Number 15.
If your application is approved, the SSA may assign you an SSN and issue you a Social Security card, or issue you
a replacement card. If you want the SSA to assign you a Social Security number and issue you a Social Security
card, or issue you a new or replacement Social Security card, then answer “Yes” to both Item Number 16. and
Item Number 17.
You are not required to request an SSN using this application. Completing Item Numbers 14. - 17. is optional.
However, you must have an SSN properly assigned in your name to work in the United States.
If your employer uses E-Verify to conrm new employees’ eligibility to legally work in the United States, the
information you provide on Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verication, will be compared to data in SSA and
DHS databases. Employees must have an SSN in order for E-Verify to conrm their eligibility to legally work in the
United States.
NOTE: Based on existing condentiality provisions (see 8 U.S.C. 1255a(c)(5) and Section (c)(5) of Pub. L. 106-
553), USCIS will not share information with SSA if an applicant les Form I-485 based on the legalization program
in Section 245A of the INA or the LIFE Act (Pub. L. 106-553), as amended by the LIFE Act Amendments (Pub. L.
106-544). Applicants covered by these condentiality provisions may not waive them and should contact SSA after
the approval of their Form I-485.
8. Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. If U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or USCIS issued you a Form
I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, provide your Form I-94 number and date that your authorized period of stay expires
or expired (as shown on Form I-94). The Form I-94 number also is known as the Departure Number on some versions
of Form I-94.
NOTE: If CBP admitted you into the United States at an airport or seaport after April 30, 2013, they may have issued
you an electronic Form I-94 instead of a paper Form I-94. You may visit the CBP website at www.cbp.gov/i94 to
obtain a paper version of your electronic Form I-94. CBP does not charge a fee for this service. Some travelers may
also be able to obtain a replacement Form I-94 from the CBP website for free if they were admitted to the United
States at a land border, airport, or seaport after April 30, 2013, with a passport or travel document and received a
paper Form I-94 from CBP. If you cannot obtain your Form I-94 from the CBP website, you may obtain it by ling
Form I-102, Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Record, with USCIS. USCIS does
charge a fee for Form I-102. See Form G-1055, available at www.uscis.gov/forms, for specic information about the
fees applicable to this form.
Passport and Travel Document Numbers. If you used a passport or travel document to travel to the United States,
enter either the passport or travel document information in the appropriate space on the application, even if the
passport or travel document is currently expired.
9. Biographic Information. Provide the biographic information requested in Part 7., Item Numbers 1. - 6. Providing
this information as part of your application may reduce the time you spend at your USCIS ASC appointment as
described in the Biometric Services Appointment section of these Instructions.
A. Ethnicity and Race. Select the boxes that best describe your ethnicity and race.