There are many supporting documents you need to file for a green card. There are different ways to qualify for a green card. Each way has its own list of required documents.

Two ways you can file for a green card include employment and having a family member who is a US citizen. Below you'll find the documents you need to file for each. Make sure to read the instructions for each form you need to complete. Make sure you provide all necessary documents and information.

Green card for employment-based immigrants 

Green cards are available to certain types of workers with special skills, training, and experience. Apply using Form I-485, which is for a person in the US to request lawful permanent resident status. The list below summarizes the forms and documents you need for your application. For each form, there are instructions that tell you how to complete and file the form.

• Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
• Copy of the Form I-797, Approval or Receipt Notice, for the Form I-140 filed on your behalf. This is unless you are filing your Form I-485 together with the Form I-140,
• Form I-485 Supplement J, to confirm that the job offered to you in Form I-140 remains a bona fide job offer that you intend to accept once your Form I-485 is approved
• Two passport-style photographs
• Copy of your government-issued identity document with photograph
• Copy of your birth certificate
• Copy of your passport page with nonimmigrant visa (if applicable)
• Copy of your passport page with admission or parole stamp (issued by a US immigration officer) (if applicable)
• Copy of Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, or copy of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) admission or parole stamp on the travel document (if applicable) (If CBP provided you with an electronic Form, you can print out a paper version of the Form I-94 from the CBP website)
• Proof that you have maintained a lawful status since arriving in the US (or that you are exempt under INA 245(k))
• A signed statement confirming you intend to work in the occupational field specified in the Form I-140 if you are a self-petitioner
• Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record (you may submit this form together with Form I-485 or later, such as by mail when requested or in person at your interview, if any)
• Certified police and court records of all criminal charges, arrests, or convictions regardless of final disposition (if applicable) 
• A check or money order for the filing fee payable to the US Department of Homeland Security

Depending on your situation, you may also need the following forms.

• Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility (if applicable)
• Form I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After Deportation or Removal (if applicable)
• Documentation of past or present J-1 or J-2 nonimmigrant status (if applicable) including proof of compliance with or a waiver of the 2-year foreign residence requirement under INA 212(e) (for more information, see Form I-612, Application for Waiver of the Foreign Residence Requirement)
• If you currently hold A, G, or E nonimmigrant status, include Form I-508, Request for Waiver of Rights, Privileges, Exemptions and Immunities
• Form I-566, Interagency Record of Request – A, G or NATO Dependent Employment Authorization or Change/Adjustment to/from A, G or NATO Status (only if you have A, G, or NATO nonimmigrant status)
• Form I-485 Supplement A, Adjustment of Status Under Section 245(i) (if applicable)

Green card for immediate relatives of US citizens

You may qualify for a green card if you are:

• Married to a US citizen,
• The unmarried child of a US citizen under age 21, or
• The parent of a US citizen and your child is over 21.

Apply using Form I-485, which is for a person in the US to request lawful permanent resident status. The list below summarizes the forms and documents you need to for your application. For each form, there are instructions that tell you how to complete and file the form.

• Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
• Either (1) a copy of the Form I-797, Approval or Receipt Notice, for the Form I-130 petition filed on your behalf by your US citizen family member or (2) the Form I-130 completed by your US citizen family member if you are filing the Form I-130 at the same time as your Form I-485. If you are filing both forms at the same time, include all of the supporting documents for both forms together. 
• Two passport-style photographs
• Copy of your government-issued identity document with photograph
• Copy of your birth certificate
• Copy of your passport page with non-immigrant visa (if applicable)
• Copy of your passport page with your admission or parole stamp (if applicable)
• Copy of Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record or copy of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) admission or parole stamp on the travel document (if applicable) (If CBP gave you an electronic Form I-94, you can print out a paper version of the Form I-94 from the CBP website
• Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA, or Form I-864EZ, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the Act
• Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record (you may submit this form together with Form I-485 or later. You can submit it by mail when requested or in person at your interview, if any)
• Certified police and court records of all criminal charges, arrests, or convictions regardless of final disposition (if applicable)
• For applying based on marriage, a copy of the marriage certificate and any documents showing any previous marriages have legally ended
• A check or money order for the filing fee payable to the US Department of Homeland Security

Depending on your situation, you may also need the following forms.

• Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility (if applicable)
• Form I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After Deportation or Removal (if applicable)
• Documentation of past or present J-1 or J-2 nonimmigrant status (if applicable). This includes proof of compliance with or without a waiver of the 2-year foreign residence requirement under INA 212(e) (for more information, see Form I-612, Application for Waiver of the Foreign Residence Requirement)
• If you currently hold A, G, or E nonimmigrant status, include Form I-508, Request for Waiver of Rights, Privileges, Exemptions and Immunities
• Form I-566, Interagency Record of Request – A, G or NATO Dependent Employment Authorization or Change/Adjustment to/from A, G or NATO Status (only if you have A, G, or NATO non-immigrant status)
• Form I-485 Supplement A, Adjustment of Status Under Section 245(i) (if applicable)

If you are applying based on a marriage to a US citizen spouse, you should also prepare as much evidence as possible to prove that your marriage is legitimate for your interview. You do not need to include every item on the list, but more is better.

• The spouses' driver’s licenses with matching addresses
• Most recent bank statement with both spouses' names
• Property registered in the spouses' names
• Lease or mortgage with both spouses' signatures
• Utility bills with both spouses' names and matching address
• Insurance policies with both spouses' names
• Receipts for expensive items purchased together
• Affidavits from friends, family, and colleagues that can confirm that you are married
• Letters from family regarding knowledge of marriage
• Photographs of the spouses together during the relationship, including wedding photographs