Proper filing of application -- (i) Under section 245.
(A) An immigrant visa must be immediately available in order for an alien to properly file an adjustment application under section 245 of the Act See § 245.1(g)(1) to determine whether an immigrant visa is immediately available. (Paragraph (a)(2)(i) revised 7/31/02; 67 FR 49561)
(B) If, at the time of filing, approval of a visa petition filed for classification under section 201(b)(2)(A)(i), section 203(a) or section 203(b)(1), (2) or (3) of the Act would make a visa immediately available to the alien beneficiary, the alien beneficiary's adjustment application will be considered properly filed whether submitted concurrently with or subsequent to the visa petition, provided that it meets the filing requirements contained in parts 103 and 245. For any other classification, the alien beneficiary may file the adjustment application only after the Service has approved the visa petition.
(C) A visa petition and an adjustment application are concurrently filed only if:
(1) The visa petitioner and adjustment applicant each file their respective form at the same time, bundled together within a single mailer or delivery packet, with the proper filing fees on the same day and at the same Service office, or;
(2) the visa petitioner filed the visa petition, for which a visa number has become immediately available, on, before or after July 31, 2002, and the adjustment applicant files the adjustment application, together with the proper filing fee and a copy of the Form I-797, Notice of Action, establishing the receipt and acceptance by the Service of the underlying Form I-140 visa petition, at the same Service office at which the visa petitioner filed the visa petition, or;
(3) The visa petitioner filed the visa petition, for which a visa number has become immediately available, on, before, or after July 31, 2002, and the adjustment applicant files the adjustment application, together with proof of payment of the filing fee with the Service and a copy of the Form I-797 Notice of Action establishing the receipt and acceptance by the Service of the underlying Form I-140 visa petition, with the Immigration Court or the Board of Immigration Appeals when jurisdiction lies under paragraph (a)(1) of this section.
(ii) Under the Act of November 2, 1966. An application for the benefits of section 1 of the Act of November 2, 1966 is not properly filed unless the applicant was inspected and admitted or paroled into the United States subsequent to January 1, 1959. An applicant is ineligible for the benefits of the Act of November 2, 1966 unless he or she has been physically present in the United States for one year (amended from two years by the Refugee Act of 1980).