Most “immigration software” lists mix up four different products: case-management suites for law firms, done-for-you application services, case trackers, and PDF editors. Only some of them put text into a USCIS PDF for you. If you are filing for yourself or for a handful of people, that distinction is the whole decision.
If you are filing for yourself and want the PDF filled in automatically, Filly AI is the closest fit — you enter your details once and it fills them into every USCIS form you upload, including scanned ones. Docketwise is the standard for immigration law firms and is priced per seat. SimpleCitizen is a done-for-you application service with a flat fee per application. Lawfully tracks your case status — it does not fill forms. Adobe Acrobat opens the PDF and lets you type it yourself.
The five options at a glance
| Tool | What it actually is | Fills the USCIS PDF for you | Handles scanned / flat PDFs | Typical cost | Free tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filly AI | AI form filler with reusable profiles | Yes — from details you enter once | Yes (OCR) | Free, or from $19/month | 10 fills/month, no card |
| Docketwise | Case-management suite for immigration law firms | Yes — from a client questionnaire | Built around its own form library | $69–$119 per user, per month | Free trial only |
| SimpleCitizen | Done-for-you application preparation service | It prepares the package for you | — | $119–$1,299 per application | No |
| Lawfully | Case tracker, predictions, consultations | No — it does not fill forms | — | Free features plus paid tiers | Yes |
| Adobe Acrobat | PDF editor | No — you type every field | Can make a scan fillable; you still type | Subscription | Limited web tools |
Are you filing, or running a practice?
This is the fork that decides everything else. Docketwise is excellent at what it does — case tracking, client portals, trust accounting, e-filing — and it is sold per user per month to firms that need all of it. If you are one person filing an I-765 and an I-864, you would be paying for a practice-management system to use one feature of it.
The reverse is also true: if you run an immigration practice with staff, deadlines and trust accounting, a form filler is not a substitute for case management. Use the suite.
“Done for you” is a different purchase entirely
SimpleCitizen is not software you operate — it is a service that prepares your application, with optional attorney review, at a flat fee per application ranging from about $119 for a DACA renewal to $1,299 for a marriage-based green card with professional support. Government filing fees are separate and paid directly to USCIS. That can be money well spent on a once-in-a-lifetime filing. It is a poor fit for someone completing routine forms repeatedly, because you pay again for each application.
A case tracker is not a form filler
Lawfully gets recommended in immigration tool round-ups often enough to be worth naming explicitly: it tracks your case across USCIS, NVC, DOL and EOIR, predicts timelines from historical data, and connects you to consultations. Useful — but it will not put your A-number into an I-765. If a list recommends it for “filling forms,” the list is wrong.
Where an AI filler earns its place
The case for a filler is repetition within one filing, not just across many. A family petition asks for the same name, date of birth, country of birth, A-number and address history on form after form, and every retype is a chance to introduce an inconsistency — the kind that produces a Request for Evidence. Entering the details once and reusing them is as much an accuracy argument as a speed one.
Filly reads the form with AI, works out which field wants which detail, and fills from the profile you have already built. Forms that arrive as flat scans — a photographed page, a printout someone re-scanned — go through OCR so values are placed on the page even when the PDF has no fillable fields at all. Bundled USCIS forms include I-765, I-864, I-131, I-9, AR-11, G-28 and G-1145, and you can upload any other USCIS PDF yourself.
How should you choose?
- You run an immigration law firm: Docketwise, or another practice-management suite.
- You want someone else to prepare one application: SimpleCitizen.
- You have already filed and want to know where it is: Lawfully.
- You only need to open and type one short form: Adobe Acrobat Reader — USCIS itself recommends the latest Acrobat Reader for its PDFs.
- You are filling USCIS forms yourself, more than once: Filly AI — the free plan covers 10 fills a month with no card, so you can test it on your worst form first.
Frequently asked questions
Can any of these fill a scanned USCIS form that has no fillable fields?
Filly AI reads scans with OCR and places values onto the page automatically. Adobe Acrobat can convert a scan into a fillable form, but you still type every answer yourself. This matters more than it sounds — older forms and re-scanned printouts frequently arrive with no form layer at all.
Is there a free way to fill USCIS forms?
Yes. The official blank PDFs are free from USCIS, and Adobe Acrobat Reader opens them at no cost — you do the typing. Filly's free plan includes 10 fills a month without a credit card. None of these cover the USCIS filing fees, which are paid to the government separately whichever tool you use.
Do these tools file the forms with USCIS?
Filly prepares and exports the completed PDF; you file it. Docketwise offers e-filing for certain forms on its higher plans. SimpleCitizen prepares the package as part of its service. Always check the current filing rules on uscis.gov, since which forms can be filed online changes.
Is it safe to put immigration details into an online tool?
Ask where the data is stored, who can read it, and whether it is used to train models. Filly is operated from the EU with data processing agreements in place; see the security page and privacy policy. Apply the same question to every tool on this list before entering an A-number or a Social Security number.
What if I need a lawyer?
None of these tools give legal advice, and immigration filings carry real consequences. If your case has any complication — prior denials, criminal history, unlawful presence, deadlines you are unsure about — talk to an accredited representative or an immigration attorney. A form filler saves typing; it does not decide what you should file.