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Form I-485 Supplement J guide: confirming the job offer and 204(j) job changes (Confirmation of Bona Fide Job Offer or Request for Job Portability Under INA Section 204(j))

Wang Law Firm, LLC · David Wang, Managing Attorney · Attorney-reviewed · Updated October 2026

The official title of I-485 Supplement J is Confirmation of Bona Fide Job Offer or Request for Job Portability Under INA Section 204(j). It is often shortened to "I-485J" or "Supplement J" and is handled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It is a supplement to the I-485 adjustment of status application and is used only in employment-based cases that require a job offer. It serves two purposes: first, to confirm to USCIS that the permanent job offer underlying the green card is still bona fide and available; second, when the conditions are met, to request a move to a new employer or new position under section 204(j) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA 204(j), the "portability" provision of the AC21 law) without redoing PERM and the I-140.

In the process, Supplement J sits in the stage "after the I-140 and before the green card is approved." It has no standalone "approval"; it is part of the I-485 review. When deciding the I-485, USCIS uses Supplement J to determine whether you still have a job offer that can support the green card. For background on PERM and the I-140, see PERM labor certification and the I-140 guide.

At a glance

Item	Details
Official title	Form I-485 Supplement J, Confirmation of Bona Fide Job Offer or Request for Job Portability Under INA Section 204(j)
Agency	USCIS
Who files	Filed by the principal employment-based I-485 applicant; the employer offering the permanent job must complete and sign the employer section
When to file	With the application as the I-485 instructions require, or when USCIS asks for it (RFE, interview), or proactively after a 204(j) job change
Online filing	Check the current instructions on the official USCIS form page; it is usually filed with a paper I-485 or in response to an RFE
Fee	Follow the official fee schedule; see the G-1055 fee schedule
Common companion forms	I-485, I-140, I-765, G-28
Official page	uscis.gov/i-485supj

Who needs to file and who does not

Categories that need it

People adjusting status on the basis of an I-140 that requires a job offer, including:

EB-1B outstanding professors and researchers;
EB-1C multinational managers and executives (see the EB-1C guide);
EB-2 advanced degree professionals or persons of exceptional ability (the type that requires PERM labor certification);
EB-3 professionals, skilled workers and other workers.

Categories that usually do not need it

EB-1A extraordinary ability (no employer or job offer required; see the EB-1A guide);
EB-2 national interest waiver (NIW) (the job offer requirement is waived; see the NIW guide);
Non-employment categories such as family-based and investment immigration;
Derivative spouses and children of employment-based applicants (Supplement J is filed by the principal applicant).

EB-1A and NIW applicants do not depend on a particular employer, so there is no "job change" issue in the 204(j) sense, but they still need to show during review that they will continue working in the field of the original petition.

When to file

If you file the I-485 concurrently with the I-140 and you are the principal beneficiary of that I-140: under current USCIS instructions, you do not need to include Supplement J at filing; USCIS will request it through an RFE when needed (for example, late in the review or before an interview).
If the I-140 was filed or approved earlier and you file the I-485 separately afterward: under the official instructions, you must include Supplement J when filing the I-485, or submit it when USCIS issues a request for evidence (RFE) or notice of intent to deny (NOID); in practice it is usually advisable to file it with the I-485. USCIS may also ask for an updated Supplement J before making a decision.
If you change jobs under 204(j): once the conditions are met, you can proactively submit a Supplement J signed by the new employer, or wait until USCIS requests it. In practice, many lawyers advise filing it proactively after the job change, so the officer does not assume the original job no longer exists.

USCIS introduced a new I-485 edition in September 2026, and the requirements for accompanying supplements may change with it. Before filing, check the official Supplement J page and the I-485 instructions for the current requirements and accepted editions.

Legal basis: INA 204(j) and 8 CFR 245.25

INA 204(j) comes from the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 (AC21). It provides that if an employment-based applicant's I-485 has been filed and remained unadjudicated for 180 days, the I-140 remains valid for a new job offer, as long as the new job is in the "same or similar occupational classification" as the job on which the original I-140 was based. The implementing regulation is mainly 8 CFR 245.25. The core conditions can be summarized as:

The I-485 has been pending for 180 days: counted from the date USCIS received the I-485. Leaving the original employer before 180 days means you cannot change jobs under 204(j), so be cautious.
The I-140 has been approved, or is pending and is ultimately approved: under 8 CFR 245.25, if the I-140 is still pending at the time of the job change, it must have been "approvable when filed" and ultimately be approved for 204(j) to apply.
The new job is a bona fide offer of permanent, full-time employment: it cannot be temporary or seasonal, and the new employer must genuinely intend to employ you.
The new job is in the same or similar occupational classification as the original job.

A related rule: once an I-140 has been approved for 180 days, or the I-485 has been pending for 180 days, USCIS generally will not revoke the I-140 solely because the original employer withdraws it or the company goes out of business (except in cases such as fraud or material error). This gives the applicant the chance to keep the green card process moving through a 204(j) job change.

How "same or similar occupational classification" is assessed

USCIS compares the new position with the original position in the PERM / I-140, considering together:

Job duties: whether the main duties of the new job substantially overlap with the original job;
Occupational classification codes (SOC codes): whether the Standard Occupational Classification codes for the two jobs are the same or close; Supplement J asks for the SOC code;
Required skills, experience, education, training and licenses;
Wages: normal raises and differences due to geography or industry are generally acceptable; a large wage gap may raise questions;
Career progression: USCIS policy recognizes normal career progression; for example, an engineer promoted to manager of a team of similar engineers may be found to be in a similar occupation, but you need to explain that the work being managed is of the same kind.

When the conditions are met, USCIS policy also recognizes that self-employment can be a new job offer, but the review is stricter: you need to show that the business is real, the position is permanent, and it is similar to the original occupation. Larger shifts (for example, from software development to marketing) are generally hard to establish as same or similar. Before changing jobs, use the AC21 job change check tool for an initial check, then have a lawyer compare the positions.

Completing the form (by main section)

Check specific item numbers against the current edition you download.

Information about the applicant

Name, date of birth and A-Number must match the I-485;
Enter the I-485 receipt number (for a job change) and the I-140 receipt number;
State the purpose of this filing: confirming the original job offer, or requesting a job change under 204(j).

Job offer information (verified by the employer)

Job title, description of duties, SOC code, work location, wage, and whether the job is full-time and permanent;
The duties description should be specific so it can be compared with the original PERM / I-140 position; do not just give a vague title;
For a job change, the SOC code and duties description are central to the "same or similar" review. Never copy the original position if it does not match the actual job.

Employer information and attestation

Employer name, address, Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN), industry code (NAICS), number of employees, etc.;
Signed by a person authorized to act for the company, confirming that the job offer is bona fide and the company intends to employ the applicant in the permanent position;
The signature must meet USCIS signature requirements; follow the form instructions and do not use a signature method that is not accepted.

Applicant's statement and signature, interpreter and preparer

The applicant signs personally; if an interpreter or preparer was used, complete the corresponding sections.

Evidence and documents to include

A job offer letter signed by the employer stating the position, duties, wage, start date, and that the job is full-time and permanent;
Copies of the original I-140 approval notice (or receipt) and the I-485 receipt;
For a job change: a comparison of the duties of the old and new positions, ideally with the original PERM job description attached and compared item by item;
Basic information on the new employer (such as a company profile and proof of business), and evidence of ability to pay if needed;
For self-employment: company formation documents, business records, and an explanation of the position;
If applicable: recent pay stubs and an employment verification letter.

Non-English documents must include a complete English translation; see Translation and notarization requirements.

How to file and fees

With the I-485: mail it together to the I-485 filing address.
In response to an RFE: follow the instructions on the RFE and return it together with the original RFE.
Proactively after a job change: follow the instructions on the official USCIS page for filing Supplement J on its own, and state the I-485 receipt number in your cover letter.
Fee: follow the official fee schedule, the current G-1055. For how to check fees, see How to check fees and processing times.

What happens after filing

USCIS places Supplement J in the I-485 file and usually does not issue a separate approval notice for it;
When adjudicating the I-485, the officer evaluates whether the job offer is bona fide and whether the job change meets 204(j);
If there are questions, USCIS may issue a request for evidence (RFE) or notice of intent to deny (NOID) asking for a further position comparison or employer evidence; for how to respond, see How to respond to an RFE;
Approval of the I-485 means the job offer (or job change) has been accepted.

Check processing times on the USCIS processing times page.

Common RFE and denial reasons

Changing jobs before the I-485 has been pending 180 days: 204(j) does not apply, the original I-140 is not valid for the new job, and the I-485 may be denied;
The old and new positions are too different: duties, SOC codes or skill requirements differ significantly;
The job offer is not bona fide or not permanent: such as a temporary project, part-time work, or an employer with no real operations;
Changing jobs while the I-140 is pending, and the I-140 is ultimately denied: 204(j) cannot apply;
Failing to respond to an RFE on time, or submitting a Supplement J signed by someone not authorized to act for the company;
Problems related to the original employer: for example, a finding that the original I-140 involved fraud or material error affects the entire application.

If the I-485 is denied because of a job offer problem, depending on the situation you may file a motion (see I-290B), or have a new employer start PERM and the I-140 again. In many cases the priority date of an approved I-140 can be retained for use with the new I-140, but this needs a case-specific assessment.

How Supplement J differs from related concepts

Item	I-485 Supplement J (204(j) job change)	H-1B change of employer (another part of AC21)	Redoing PERM + I-140
Problem it solves	The job offer underlying the green card can move to a new employer	Can start working after changing employers in H-1B status	Establishes a new green card basis with a new employer
Prerequisites	I-485 pending 180 days; I-140 approved (or ultimately approved)	The new employer files an H-1B petition	The new employer is willing to sponsor
Is the original I-485 kept?	Yes, and it continues to be adjudicated	No direct relationship to the I-485	The original I-485 may be affected; needs assessment
Requirement for the new job	Same or similar occupational classification	Meets H-1B specialty occupation requirements	Per the new PERM position requirements

Frequently asked questions

I filed my I-485 just two months ago and my company had layoffs. What now?

At this point it has not been 180 days, so you cannot change jobs under 204(j). You need an immediate assessment: whether the original I-140 has been approved, whether you can maintain another status (for example, the H-1B 60-day grace period and a change of employer), whether the original employer will withdraw the I-140, and whether a new employer can start a new PERM. Please consult a lawyer as soon as possible.

Do I need to file Supplement J for a promotion or internal transfer within the same company?

If the new position differs substantively from the original PERM position, you should generally still assess whether it is "same or similar" and consider explaining it to USCIS through Supplement J. A normal raise or minor title change is generally not a problem, but it is still advisable to keep a description of the position.

Do I have to file Supplement J right after changing jobs?

The regulations do not require you to file proactively right after changing jobs, and USCIS may request it when needed. But filing proactively keeps the file accurate and avoids the officer assuming the job offer no longer exists. Decide the timing with your lawyer.

Do EB-1A or NIW applicants need Supplement J?

Generally no, because these two categories do not require a job offer from an employer. However, at an interview you may still be asked whether your current and future work remains in the field of the original petition.

My salary went down after changing jobs. Is that a problem?

Wages are only one factor in the comparison. Reasonable differences due to geography, company size or industry are generally acceptable; if the wage drops sharply, it may be questioned whether the position is at a different level, so it is best to explain the reason in the position comparison.

Can I still use my original priority date after changing jobs?

When you change jobs under 204(j), the I-485 continues to use the original I-140's priority date. Even if a new I-140 is filed later, the priority date of an approved I-140 can in most cases be retained, but this needs a case-specific assessment.