Form I-485 is the green card application form that foreign nationals file to USCIS when applying for Adjustment of Status within the United States. The I-485 is only filed when applying for permanent resident status inside the U.S. When a foreign national applies for a green card outside of the U.S., a different process and government application forms are involved.
Sometimes form I-485 is filed at the same time as an underlying petition or sometimes after an underlying petition or application is pending or approved. The I-485 application may be based on family relationships such as marriage to a U.S. citizen, employment-based categories, those who have been granted asylum, and other eligible categories within the United States.