To become a US permanent resident, you need a qualifying basis under federal immigration law — a family relationship, a job or investment, humanitarian protection, or selection in the diversity lottery — and then you have to clear a petition, an application, a background check, a medical exam, and usually an interview without tripping any of the grounds that make a person inadmissible. The path is the same in outline for everyone, but the timeline, forms, and evidence differ sharply depending on which pathway you use.
Do You Qualify
Federal law recognizes four main routes to a green card.
Family. A US citizen can petition for a spouse, an unmarried child under 21, or a parent (if the citizen is at least 21). These “immediate relatives” are not subject to annual visa caps, so their cases move without the multi-year queues that affect other family categories.1Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 503.1 Numerical Limitations Overview Citizens can also petition for siblings and married adult children, and permanent residents can petition for spouses and unmarried children, but those categories have yearly numerical limits and long waits.
Employment. Workers qualify through preference tiers. The top tier (EB-1) covers people with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational executives; extraordinary-ability applicants do not need a job offer. EB-2 covers advanced-degree professionals and people of exceptional ability. EB-3 covers skilled workers, professionals, and some other workers. EB-5 covers immigrant investors who put at least $1,050,000 into a new US commercial enterprise, or $800,000 if the enterprise is in a targeted employment area or qualifying infrastructure project, and create at least ten full-time jobs for US workers. Most employment cases require a labor certification and an employer-filed petition.2U.S. Department of State. Employment-Based Immigrant Visas
Humanitarian. Refugees and asylees can apply for a green card after being physically present in the United States for at least one year. For refugees, the clock starts on the date of admission; for asylees, on the date asylum was granted.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1159 – Adjustment of Status of Refugees Both must still meet the refugee definition, which centers on a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
Diversity lottery. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program makes up to 55,000 visas available each year to people from countries with historically low immigration rates to the United States.4U.S. Department of State. Update on Diversity Visa (DV) Program 2025 Selection is random and comes with education or work-experience requirements; being selected does not guarantee a visa.
How Long the Line Is
Qualifying and filing are not the same as getting a green card. Every category except immediate relatives of US citizens is capped, and demand almost always exceeds supply. The Department of State publishes a monthly Visa Bulletin with two charts, “Dates for Filing” and “Final Action Dates.” Your priority date — usually the day your petition was filed — has to be earlier than the date shown on the applicable chart for your category and country of birth before your case can move. For applicants born in India, China, Mexico, or the Philippines, some categories back up by years. Check the Bulletin monthly; that is the only reliable read on where you stand.
What Can Disqualify You
Even a strong pathway does not help if you are “inadmissible.” Federal law lists several categories that block a green card:5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 US Code 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens
- Health: a communicable disease of public health significance, missing required vaccinations, or a substance abuse disorder.
- Criminal history: convictions or admissions involving crimes of moral turpitude, drug offenses, multiple convictions, and other serious offenses.
- Security: involvement in espionage, terrorism, or activities that threaten US foreign policy.
- Public charge: a finding that you are likely to become primarily dependent on government assistance.
- Prior immigration violations: previous deportations, visa fraud, or unlawful presence.
The unlawful-presence bars catch many applicants off guard. More than 180 days of unlawful presence followed by departure triggers a three-year bar on reentry; more than a year triggers a ten-year bar. Waivers exist for some grounds but are discretionary and hard to win. If any of these might apply, get an immigration attorney’s read before you file.
The Forms and Documents You Will File
Every applicant needs a valid passport and a certified copy of their birth certificate. Any document not in English needs a certified English translation, with the translator’s signed statement that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate between the two languages.
The Petition Comes First
Before you file for the green card itself, someone usually files a petition establishing your eligibility. Family cases use Form I-130, filed by the US citizen or permanent resident relative. Employment cases use Form I-140, filed by the employer.6U.S. Department of State. Submit a Petition – Immigrant Visa Process EB-5 investors file their own Form I-526. Approval of the petition confirms the basis; it does not grant residency.
Adjustment of Status or Consular Processing
If you are already in the United States on a valid visa, you generally apply on Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.7USAGov. Adjustment of Status: Get a Green Card if You Are in the United States It asks for a full personal history: addresses, jobs, travel, and any law-enforcement contact. If you are abroad, your case runs through consular processing, and you file Form DS-260 through the Department of State’s Consular Electronic Application Center, then interview at a US consulate.8U.S. Department of State. Step 6: Complete Online Visa Application (DS-260)
Category-Specific Evidence
Marriage-based applicants must prove the marriage is genuine: marriage certificate, joint accounts, shared leases, photographs. Employment-based applicants need a formal job offer letter and proof of qualifications, including degrees, licenses, and letters from previous employers describing relevant experience.
Medical Exam
Every applicant completes a medical exam documented on Form I-693 by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon. The exam covers a physical assessment, medical history, and required vaccinations, including measles, mumps, polio, hepatitis B, and others recommended by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices. The surgeon seals the results and you submit the sealed envelope. Costs typically run $200 to $600 depending on location and any lab work or vaccines needed. Do not schedule too early; results have a limited validity window.
The Financial Sponsor
Most family-based applicants, and some employment-based applicants, need a financial sponsor who signs Form I-864, the Affidavit of Support. This is a legally enforceable contract. The sponsor promises to support the immigrant if needed, and the government can sue to recover the cost of any means-tested public benefits the immigrant receives.9U.S. Department of State. Affidavit of Support
The sponsor must show annual income of at least 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for their household size, counting themselves, their dependents, and the immigrant. For 2026, that is $27,050 for a household of two and $41,250 for a household of four in the 48 contiguous states; Alaska and Hawaii are higher.10U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines: 48 Contiguous States Backing evidence includes federal tax returns, W-2s, and recent pay stubs.
If the primary sponsor’s income is too low, a joint sponsor can be added. A joint sponsor must be a US citizen or permanent resident who independently meets 125% for their own household plus the immigrant. The obligation lasts until the immigrant naturalizes or is credited with about 40 qualifying quarters of work under Social Security, roughly ten years.9U.S. Department of State. Affidavit of Support
Filing Through Interview
Filing
For adjustment applicants, the I-485 packet — form, supporting documents, medical results, and payment — goes to a USCIS Lockbox. The filing fee is $1,440 for adults, with a reduced fee for children under 14.7USAGov. Adjustment of Status: Get a Green Card if You Are in the United States USCIS mails a Form I-797C receipt with a 13-character case number you can use to check status online.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. e-Request – Non-Delivery of Notice
Biometrics
USCIS schedules an appointment at a local Application Support Center for fingerprints, a photograph, and a digital signature. The FBI uses this data for background and immigration checks. Missing the appointment without rescheduling can lead to denial. Treat the date as fixed.
Interview
Most applicants sit for an in-person interview with a USCIS officer. The officer reviews documents, asks about your background, and probes eligibility; marriage cases get detailed relationship questions. Bring originals of everything you submitted. The officer may approve on the spot, request more evidence, or deny. If approved, the card arrives by mail within a few weeks.
How Long It Takes
There is no single answer. USCIS data for fiscal year 2025 put the median I-485 processing time at about 7 months for employment-based cases and closer to 12 months for less common categories, with family-based cases around 7 to 8 months.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Historical Processing Times These numbers do not include the wait for a visa number, which for backlogged preference categories can add years.
Working and Traveling While You Wait
Filing Form I-485 does not by itself let you work or leave the country. To work before approval, file Form I-765 for an Employment Authorization Document. You can file it with the I-485, and if you filed I-485 on or after July 30, 2007, there is no separate fee.
Travel is the sharper trap. Leaving the United States while your I-485 is pending will generally cause USCIS to treat the application as abandoned unless you first get an Advance Parole document by filing Form I-131. File for Advance Parole before you book anything, and do not leave until it is in hand.
If Your Green Card Is Conditional
Two groups receive a green card that expires after two years unless they act. Missing the filing window is one of the costliest mistakes in the whole process.
Marriage Under Two Years
If your green card is based on a marriage less than two years old at approval, the card is conditional for two years. In the 90-day window immediately before it expires, you and your spouse jointly file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence File early and USCIS rejects it; do not file at all and your status expires and you become removable. If the marriage has ended in divorce, or you experienced abuse during it, you can request a waiver of the joint filing requirement and file I-751 alone. Those waivers need substantial supporting evidence.
EB-5 Investors
EB-5 investors also get a two-year conditional card. To remove the conditions, file Form I-829 within the 90-day window before the two-year anniversary of conditional residency, with evidence that you invested (or were actively investing) the required capital, kept it invested throughout the period, and that the enterprise created, or can be expected to create, at least ten full-time jobs.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 7 – Removal of Conditions
Keeping the Card After You Get It
A green card is not a lifetime guarantee if you act as though you have abandoned the United States as your home. Absences over 180 consecutive days can prompt questions at the border about your intent to live here. Absences over one year generally create a presumption of abandonment, and without a reentry permit obtained before departure, you can be barred from returning. If you expect a long trip, file Form I-131 for a reentry permit before you go; it is typically valid for two years and cannot be extended.
You also have to notify USCIS of any address change within 10 days of moving, online or on Form AR-11. Keep the confirmation. And your obligations widen once you have the card: the IRS treats permanent residents as resident aliens, taxing worldwide income,15Internal Revenue Service. U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad foreign accounts over certain thresholds trigger FBAR and FATCA reporting,16Internal Revenue Service. Comparison of Form 8938 and FBAR Requirements and male permanent residents 18 to 25 must register with Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday or 30 days of entering the country, whichever is later.17Selective Service System. Who Needs to Register Failing to register can later block naturalization.