How to Get a Green Card: Pathways, Steps, and Costs

To get a Green Card, you qualify under one of four pathways — family sponsorship, employment, the Diversity Visa Lottery, or a humanitarian category — file the petition and application forms with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or a U.S. consulate, pass a medical exam and background check, attend an interview, and pay the fees. The central application form, Form I-485, carries a filing fee of $1,440 in 2026 for applicants over 14.¹ Most cases take months or years from start to finish, and the specific steps depend on which category you fit and whether you apply from inside or outside the United States.

Which Pathway Fits Your Situation

Every Green Card starts with an eligibility category. Pick the wrong one and the case fails on the first form.

Family Sponsorship

A U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident files Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, to establish a qualifying relationship.² The evidence includes marriage certificates, birth certificates, or adoption records, and for spouses, proof the marriage is genuine — joint financial records, a shared lease, affidavits from people who know the couple.

Federal law splits family cases into two tiers. “Immediate relatives” of U.S. citizens — spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents (the citizen must be at least 21 for a parent petition) — face no annual cap and no waiting line.³ Everyone else lands in a preference system with numerical limits and real backlogs:

F1: Unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.
F2A: Spouses and minor children of permanent residents.
F2B: Unmarried adult sons and daughters (21+) of permanent residents.
F3: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.
F4: Siblings of U.S. citizens (citizen must be 21+).

The waits are not theoretical. As of the March 2026 Visa Bulletin, F1 applicants from most countries had been waiting since roughly 2017, and F4 applicants since roughly 2009. Mexican F4 priority dates reached back to 2001.⁴ F2A was essentially current in early 2026, so spouses and children of permanent residents were the exception, not the rule.

Every family sponsor also files Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, promising the immigrant will not depend on government assistance. Household income must be at least 125% of the federal poverty guidelines — for 2026, that means a minimum of $24,650 for a two-person household in the 48 contiguous states, plus $6,425 for each additional household member.⁵ Active-duty military sponsors petitioning for a spouse or child only need to meet 100%. The affidavit is a legally binding contract; if the immigrant later receives certain public benefits, the government can seek reimbursement from the sponsor.

Employment

Employment-based Green Cards break into five preferences. EB-1 covers people at the top of their fields: individuals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics; outstanding professors and researchers with at least three years of experience; and multinational executives or managers. Extraordinary-ability applicants can self-petition without a job offer or labor certification.⁶

EB-2 covers professionals with an advanced degree (or a bachelor’s plus five years of progressive experience) and people with exceptional ability. Most EB-2 applicants need an approved PERM labor certification from the Department of Labor — the employer must show no qualified U.S. worker is available. PERM applications took an average of about 503 calendar days to process in early 2026.⁷ The National Interest Waiver lets some EB-2 applicants skip both the job offer and the PERM process if their work significantly benefits the United States.⁸ Researchers, entrepreneurs, and STEM and healthcare professionals often use it.

EB-3 covers skilled workers with at least two years of training or experience, professionals with a bachelor’s degree, and “other workers” in positions requiring less than two years of training. All EB-3 applicants need PERM and a job offer. EB-4 is a statutory catch-all for specific groups including religious workers, certain broadcasters, and Iraqi and Afghan translators who worked with the U.S. military.⁸

EB-5 is for foreign investors who put capital into a U.S. business that creates at least 10 full-time jobs.⁹ Under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, the standard minimum investment is $1,050,000, dropping to $800,000 in a targeted employment area (a rural area or a zone with high unemployment). EB-5 investors receive conditional residence for two years and later file Form I-829 to prove the investment was sustained and the jobs were created.

The Diversity Visa Lottery

The DV Lottery makes approximately 55,000 Green Cards available each year through a random drawing for people from countries with historically low immigration to the United States. Entrants must be a native of an eligible country and have either a high school diploma (or equivalent) or at least two years of qualifying work experience within the past five years.¹⁰ Registration typically opens in October and closes in November. Entry is free, but winners pay standard visa processing fees.

The program’s future is unsettled in 2026. The Trump administration has directed the Department of Homeland Security to pause the DV Lottery, though the State Department (which administers it) had not issued formal guidance canceling any specific cycle at the time of this writing. If you are a DV-2026 winner or plan to enter, check the State Department’s visa lottery page before acting.

Humanitarian Categories

Refugees admitted to the U.S. are required by law to apply for permanent residence after one year of physical presence, using Form I-485.¹¹ Asylees become eligible one year after being granted asylum.¹²

T-1 trafficking victims can apply after three years of continuous physical presence, or after the trafficking investigation or prosecution is complete, whichever is shorter.¹³ U-1 crime victims can apply after three years of continuous physical presence following admission.¹⁴ Both require cooperation with law enforcement.

The Violence Against Women Act allows victims of abuse by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident family member to self-petition on Form I-360. The abuser does not need to know about the petition, and USCIS keeps the information confidential by law.¹⁵ Eligible petitioners include abused spouses (current or former), children, and parents.

Two Routes: Adjusting Status vs. Consular Processing

Once your category is settled, the second question is where you apply from. If you are already inside the United States on a valid visa, you file Form I-485 with USCIS to “adjust status.” If you are abroad, you go through “consular processing” at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Both routes lead to the same Green Card. The forms, wait times, and procedures differ.

Adjusting status lets you remain in the U.S. while the case is pending, and you can usually get work authorization and a travel permit during the wait. Consular processing ends with an interview at a U.S. embassy and an immigrant visa stamped in your passport before you enter the country. Whichever route applies, the qualifying petition — I-130, I-140, or another — is the first step.

The Steps Everyone Goes Through

File the Petition

Family cases start with I-130; most employment cases start with I-140; humanitarian and special categories use their own forms (I-360 for VAWA and certain special immigrants, for example). The petition proves the underlying relationship or qualification. Nothing else moves until it is approved.

File the Green Card Application

If you are adjusting status, that means Form I-485. The form asks for detailed personal information including your immigration history, employment background, and any criminal record. The 2026 filing fee is $1,440 for applicants over 14, and $950 for children under 14 filing at the same time as a parent.¹ Since April 2024, the biometrics fee is bundled into the main filing fee for most applications, so the old separate $85 charge no longer applies.¹⁶ Applicants going through consular processing abroad file different forms through the State Department, but many of the supporting documents overlap. Any document not in English needs a certified translation.

Attend the Biometrics Appointment

After you file, USCIS schedules a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center to collect fingerprints, a photo, and a signature for identity verification and background checks.¹⁷ Missing the appointment without rescheduling can derail the case.

Complete the Medical Exam

Every adjustment-of-status applicant needs an immigration medical exam from a USCIS-designated “civil surgeon.” You cannot use your own doctor. Results go on Form I-693, submitted in a sealed envelope. The exam screens four areas: communicable diseases of public health significance (tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhea testing), vaccination history, physical or mental disorders with associated harmful behavior, and drug use.

Required vaccinations include measles, mumps, rubella, polio, hepatitis A and B, varicella, and several others. COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required as of January 2025.¹⁸ Missing shots need to be administered before the civil surgeon completes the form, which adds cost.

A signed I-693 is only valid while the application it was submitted with is pending. If your I-485 is denied or withdrawn, that exam becomes invalid for any future filing.¹⁹ Civil surgeons set their own prices; expect roughly $250 to $650 for the exam, with extra charges for missing vaccinations or follow-up tests.

Attend the Interview

Most applicants are called for an in-person interview at a USCIS field office (adjustment) or a U.S. consulate (consular processing). The officer reviews the application, asks about your background, and verifies what you submitted. Family-based applicants should be ready to discuss the details of their relationship; employment-based applicants may be asked about job duties and qualifications.

If you do not speak English fluently, you can bring an interpreter. The interpreter must show a valid government-issued ID, take an oath, and translate word for word without commentary. USCIS prefers a disinterested party, though officers may allow a friend or relative at their discretion and may disqualify any interpreter who compromises the integrity of the interview.²⁰

Honesty matters more than polish. Inconsistencies between the paperwork and your spoken answers raise flags, and misrepresentation carries a lifetime bar. If you cannot remember a date, say so rather than guess.

What It Really Costs

The $1,440 I-485 fee is only part of it. Plan for the full total from the start; an incomplete filing gets denied, and running out of money mid-process does not pause your case.

Medical exam (Form I-693): roughly $250 to $650 depending on your location and the civil surgeon. Missing vaccinations, chest X-rays, and follow-up tests can add $50 to $500.
Certified translations: typically $20 to $40 per page, depending on the language.
Immigration attorney fees: consultations run about $150 to $400; full representation for a Green Card case runs into the thousands, more for waivers or removal defense.
PERM labor certification (employment cases): the employer typically covers the legal fees, but the process adds over a year of waiting.
Affidavit of Support documentation: no filing fee, but gathering tax returns, employment letters, and financial evidence takes time, and a joint sponsor is sometimes needed if the petitioner’s income falls short.

What Can Disqualify You

Even if you fit a category, “grounds of inadmissibility” can block the Green Card.

Criminal History

A conviction for a crime involving moral turpitude — a broad category covering fraud, theft, assault with intent to harm, forgery, and similar offenses — can bar admission. A controlled substance conviction is also a ground of inadmissibility. Two or more convictions of any kind with combined sentences totaling five years or more make you inadmissible regardless of whether moral turpitude was involved.²¹ Drug trafficking, human trafficking, and money laundering each carry separate grounds.

Fraud and Misrepresentation

False information on an immigration application, or fraudulent documents, triggers a lifetime bar from all immigration benefits unless you qualify for and receive a waiver. This applies even if the fraud did not succeed.²² Disclosing a problem is almost always better than concealing it.

Health

The medical exam screens for health-related grounds. Untreated communicable diseases of public health significance, missing required vaccinations, or a physical or mental disorder with associated harmful behavior can each result in an inadmissibility finding. Most are correctable: get vaccinated, complete treatment, or document that a condition is under control.

The Public Charge Rule

Federal law bars people likely to become primarily dependent on government assistance. How broadly that is applied changes with each administration. The Biden administration codified a relatively narrow interpretation in 2022, focused on cash assistance and long-term institutionalization. In late 2025, the Trump administration published a Federal Register notice proposing to remove those 2022 regulations, signaling a return to a broader reading.²³ The standard applied in 2026 may depend on when your case is adjudicated and which guidance officers are following. Legal advice is worth the cost here.

Conditional Green Cards: The Two-Year Follow-Up

Not every Green Card is permanent from day one. Two groups receive “conditional” residence lasting only two years: people who got the Green Card through a marriage less than two years old at approval, and EB-5 investors.

Marriage-based conditional residents file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, jointly with the spouse during the 90-day window immediately before the Green Card expires. Miss the window and conditional status automatically terminates; USCIS will begin removal proceedings.²⁴ If the marriage ended in divorce, the spouse died, or you were a victim of abuse, you can file the I-751 alone, but the evidentiary bar is higher.

EB-5 investors file Form I-829 within 90 days before the two-year anniversary of conditional residence, showing the investment was sustained and at least 10 full-time jobs were created (or can reasonably be expected within a reasonable time). Payroll records, tax documents, and economic analyses are typical evidence.²⁵

If You Are Denied

Denial notices spell out the reason. Common causes include incomplete applications, insufficient evidence of the qualifying relationship, criminal inadmissibility, and problems in the medical exam or background check.

You generally have 30 calendar days from the date of denial (33 if the decision was mailed) to file Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion.²⁶ A motion to reopen presents new facts or evidence; a motion to reconsider argues USCIS misapplied the law to the existing record. Late appeals are generally rejected.²⁷ Sometimes fixing the problem and filing a new application is smarter than appealing a weak case.

Keeping the Green Card After You Get It

Permanent residence has ongoing obligations. Ignore them and you can lose the status.

Travel

Leave the U.S. for more than a year and USCIS may find you abandoned residence. Shorter trips can also trigger an abandonment finding if the circumstances suggest the U.S. is not your primary home.²⁸ If you know you will be gone longer than a year, apply for a reentry permit (Form I-131) before you leave. Reentry permits are generally valid for two years, dropping to one year if you have spent more than four of the last five years outside the country.²⁹ An absence of a year or more also generally breaks the continuous residence requirement for naturalization.

Address and Card Renewal

Report any address change to USCIS within 10 days of moving.³⁰ A standard Green Card is valid for 10 years. File Form I-90 to renew within six months of expiration.³¹ An expired card does not end your status, but it makes proving work and travel authorization harder.

Taxes

The IRS treats permanent residents like U.S. citizens. You must report worldwide income, including income earned outside the United States.³² If your foreign financial accounts total more than $10,000 at any point during the year, you must file an FBAR (Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts) with the Treasury, even if the accounts produce no taxable income.³³ Penalties for missing an FBAR are severe, and many new permanent residents do not know the rule exists.

Selective Service

Male permanent residents between 18 and 25 must register with the Selective Service System within 30 days of entering the United States or within 30 days of turning 18, whichever comes later.³⁴ Failing to register can hurt your eligibility for naturalization down the road.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1153 – Allocation of Immigrant Visas
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. When to File Your Adjustment of Status Application for Family-Sponsored or Employment-Based Preference
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-864P, HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment-Based Immigration: First Preference EB-1
7
U.S. Department of Labor. Processing Times
8
Department of State. Employment-Based Immigrant Visas
9
eCFR. 8 CFR 204.6 – Petitions for Employment Creation Immigrants
10
Department of Justice. Pub. L. 101-649 Immigration Act of 1990
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Green Card for Refugees
12
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Green Card for Asylees
13
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Green Card for a Victim of Trafficking (T Nonimmigrant)
14
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Green Card for a Victim of a Crime (U Nonimmigrant)
15
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Green Card for VAWA Self-Petitioner
16
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Frequently Asked Questions on the USCIS Fee Rule
17
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Preparing for Your Biometric Services Appointment
18
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 9 – Vaccination Requirement
19
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Changes Validity Period for Any Form I-693 Signed on or after Nov. 1, 2023
20
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 5 – Interview Guidelines
21
Department of State. Ineligibility Based on Criminal Activity, Criminal Convictions and Related Activities – INA 212(a)(2)
22
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Overview of Fraud and Willful Misrepresentation
23
Federal Register. Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility
24
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Removing Conditions on Permanent Residence Based on Marriage
25
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 7 – Removal of Conditions
26
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion
27
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Motions to Reopen and Reconsider
28
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. International Travel as a Permanent Resident
29
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
30
USCIS. Alien’s Change of Address Card
31
USCIS. Form I-90, Instructions for Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card
32
Internal Revenue Service. U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad
33
Internal Revenue Service. Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)
34
Selective Service System. Who Needs to Register