The IR6 green card category is the immigrant classification code assigned to the spouse of a U.S. citizen who becomes a lawful permanent resident by adjusting status from inside the United States, after a marriage that has lasted at least two years on the date of approval. Because spouses of citizens are “immediate relatives” under federal immigration law, IR6 applicants avoid the annual caps and priority date backlogs that slow other family-based categories.1OHSS. Immigrant Classes of Admission The code itself appears on your green card and in your USCIS records, and it signals two things at once: how you got residency (adjustment inside the country) and that your residency is unconditional.
IR6 Versus CR6: The Two-Year Marriage Line
Not every citizen’s spouse who adjusts inside the country receives IR6. Federal law splits this group at 24 months of marriage. If your marriage is at least two years old on the day USCIS grants permanent residence, you receive IR6 status and a standard 10-year green card. If the marriage is under two years old on that date, you receive CR6 status instead, and your green card is conditional and valid for only two years.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1186a – Conditional Permanent Resident Status for Certain Alien Spouses and Sons and Daughters
The related codes track how and where you filed. IR1 and CR1 cover spouses who enter from abroad through a U.S. consulate; IR6 and CR6 cover spouses who adjust from inside the United States.1OHSS. Immigrant Classes of Admission The practical difference between IR6 and CR6 is that a CR6 holder must file Form I-751 to remove conditions before the two-year card expires, or lose status entirely. An IR6 holder skips that step.
Who Qualifies for IR6
Three requirements have to line up.
Your spouse must be a U.S. citizen. Spouses of lawful permanent residents fall into a separate preference category with its own waiting times and do not qualify for any of the immediate relative codes.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1151 – Worldwide Level of Immigration
You must be physically present in the United States and adjusting status here. The “6” in IR6 specifically designates an in-country adjustment. A spouse consular processing from abroad receives IR1 instead.1OHSS. Immigrant Classes of Admission
You must have been inspected and admitted, or paroled, on entry. Adjustment of status almost always requires a lawful entry through a port of entry. A narrow exception under Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act reaches people who were beneficiaries of an immigrant petition or labor certification filed on or before April 30, 2001, and it requires an additional $1,000 penalty fee.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Green Card Through INA 245(i) Adjustment For most people applying today, that cutoff makes 245(i) unavailable.
On top of those threshold rules, USCIS has to be satisfied that the marriage is real and that you are not likely to become primarily dependent on government cash assistance.
A Genuine Marriage
Marriage fraud is a federal crime, and USCIS officers are trained to look for it. Expect to document a shared life: joint bank accounts, a shared lease or mortgage, utility bills in both names, insurance policies naming each other, photos over time, and affidavits from people who know you as a couple.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-130, Petition for Alien Relative The paper trail matters as much as the interview.
Public Charge
By statute, officers weigh your age, health, family size, financial resources, and education or job skills when deciding whether you are likely to depend on public benefits. A strong Affidavit of Support from your spouse is the primary way to answer this concern.
The Core Forms for an IR6 Case
The filing package for an IR6 adjustment is substantial, and immediate relatives can file it concurrently, which saves months compared with sequential filing.
Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
Your citizen spouse files this to prove the qualifying relationship. It requires proof of citizenship (a U.S. passport, a birth certificate showing U.S. birth, or a naturalization certificate) and a certified marriage certificate. If either spouse was married before, you also need proof each prior marriage ended.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status
You file this yourself. It is the actual request to become a permanent resident, and it collects addresses and employment history for the past five years, every trip abroad, and details of any prior immigration filings.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-485, Instructions for Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
Form I-864, Affidavit of Support
Your spouse signs this legally binding contract promising financial support so you will not need means-tested benefits. The sponsor must show household income of at least 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, or 100% for active-duty military sponsoring a spouse. For a two-person household in 2026, the 125% threshold is $27,050 per year.7HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines The most recent federal tax return with W-2s must be included, and up to three years of returns plus six months of pay stubs may be added.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-864 Instructions for Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA If the sponsor’s income is short, a joint sponsor can co-sign a separate I-864.
Form I-693, Medical Examination
The exam has to be done by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon; a regular doctor will not do, and USCIS will not accept results from any physician who is not currently designated.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-693, Instructions for Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record The civil surgeon returns the completed form in a sealed envelope. Do not open it.
Translations
Any document not in English needs a certified English translation. The translator signs a statement of fluency and accuracy that includes their name, signature, address, and date. A professional translator is not required.
Filing Fees
The I-130 costs $675 for paper filing. The I-485 costs $1,440 for applicants 14 and older, and biometrics is now included in that fee.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule Government filing fees alone come to at least $2,115 before medical exam costs, photos, and any translations.
Timeline and the Interview
The I-485 currently must be filed on paper. The entire package goes to a USCIS lockbox, and the address depends on where you live.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status Within a few weeks of receipt, USCIS sends a Form I-797C receipt notice with a case number you can use to track the application online.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797 – Types and Functions Biometrics follows, and then the interview.
Both spouses appear together at a USCIS field office. The officer reviews the file, asks about your relationship and daily life, and watches for inconsistencies. Bring originals, not just copies, and additional evidence of a shared life. If the officer sees red flags, the couple may be separated and questioned individually. On approval, you typically receive an I-551 stamp in your passport that day, followed by a welcome notice and the physical card in the mail. If the card has not arrived within 30 days of the welcome notice, you can submit an inquiry through the USCIS website.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. After Receiving a Decision
As of early 2026, a family-based I-485 typically takes roughly 6 to 18 months from filing to decision, and times vary by field office.
Working and Traveling While the Case Is Pending
Filing the I-485 does not by itself let you work or travel abroad. Both can be requested at the same time as your adjustment.
Filing Form I-765 alongside the I-485 requests an Employment Authorization Document under eligibility category (c)(9), and there is no extra fee when it is filed with the I-485.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-765, Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization
Leaving the country without Advance Parole is one of the costliest mistakes at this stage. USCIS will generally treat the adjustment application as abandoned if you depart without first obtaining an Advance Parole document through Form I-131.15U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records Even with Advance Parole, admission at the port of entry is not guaranteed. The safest course is to avoid international travel until the green card is approved unless a trip is genuinely urgent.
If the Marriage Ends Before Approval
The IR6 pathway depends on a valid marriage to a U.S. citizen. If a final divorce is entered while the I-130 and I-485 are still pending, USCIS will deny the application because the qualifying relationship no longer exists. If you were subjected to battery or extreme cruelty during the marriage, you may be able to self-petition under the Violence Against Women Act and pursue a green card independently of your former spouse.
If your citizen spouse dies while the I-130 is pending, the case does not automatically fail. The I-130 converts to a widow or widower petition on Form I-360, and you can continue pursuing permanent residence as long as you do not remarry before the green card is approved. This conversion happens regardless of how long the marriage lasted.16U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Approval of Petitions and Applications After the Death of the Qualifying Relative
If You Received CR6 Instead of IR6
A CR6 card expires after two years. To keep your permanent resident status, you must file Form I-751 jointly with your spouse during the 90-day window immediately before the card expires.17U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-751, Instructions for Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence Miss the deadline and you automatically lose permanent resident status on the expiration date and become removable. USCIS may excuse a late filing for extraordinary circumstances beyond your control, but that is not a plan to rely on.
If the marriage has ended by the time you need to file, whether through divorce, abuse, or your spouse’s death, you can request a waiver of the joint filing requirement and file the I-751 on your own. In abuse cases, you can file at any time after receiving conditional status without waiting for the 90-day window.
If the Application Is Denied
There is no formal appeal of an I-485 denial. You can file a motion to reopen (based on new evidence) or a motion to reconsider (based on a legal error) using Form I-290B. Either motion must be filed within 30 days of the denial, or 33 days if the decision was mailed.18U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Motions to Reopen and Reconsider If USCIS refers your case to immigration court, you can renew the adjustment application there, and the judge decides eligibility independently based on the original I-485 filing date. Applicants sometimes succeed in immigration court after a USCIS denial, particularly when the problem was a documentation gap that has since been fixed, but removal proceedings are stressful and expensive, so getting the initial filing right is worth the effort.