How to Get a Green Card: Every US Path Explained

Maybe your spouse is American. Maybe your employer wants to keep you long term, or you've just heard about the lottery. Whatever brought you here, working out how to get a green card starts with one question: which path actually fits you?

There's no single "green card application." There are several separate routes, each with its own forms, queue and price tag. A green card makes you a lawful permanent resident, so you can live and work anywhere in the US and, after a qualifying period, apply to naturalize.

Here's every main route, how the process fits together and what it costs as of September 2026.

How to get a green card: the main paths compared

Most people qualify through one of five doors.

Family-based green cards

Family is the most familiar route. US citizens can petition for spouses, children, parents and siblings, and permanent residents can petition for spouses and unmarried children. If you're married to a US citizen, our marriage green card guide walks through that route.

The big dividing line is whether you're an "immediate relative." Federal law exempts that group from the direct numerical limits, so their wait is mostly processing time. Everyone else joins a preference queue that can stretch for years.

Employment-based green cards

Most work routes need a US employer and, often, a Department of Labor certification first. A few let you self-petition, including EB-1A for extraordinary ability, the EB-2 National Interest Waiver and EB-5 for investors. Our guide to EB-1 through EB-5 employment-based green cards covers criteria, PERM and backlogs in depth.

The Diversity Visa lottery

Each year the State Department runs a random draw for natives of countries with lower immigration to the US. The rules changed in 2026, including a new passport requirement for entries, and parts of the program have been paused and then challenged in court. Our Diversity Visa lottery guide explains eligibility, dates and scams.

Humanitarian and special categories

USCIS lists green card routes for asylees and refugees who have been in that status for at least a year, T visa holders (trafficking survivors) and U visa holders (crime victims). Special immigrant categories include religious workers, Special Immigrant Juveniles and certain Afghan and Iraqi nationals who worked for the US government.

How does the green card process work, step by step?

The details vary, but most cases follow the same broad sequence.

1. Confirm your category. Make sure you, and anyone petitioning for you, qualify.
2. File the petition. Family cases use Form I-130, most employment cases use Form I-140, investors use Form I-526 or I-526E, and many special immigrants use Form I-360. This filing usually sets your priority date, your place in line.
3. Wait for a visa number. In capped categories, you move forward only when your priority date is current in the Visa Bulletin.
4. Choose the final step. Either adjust status inside the US with Form I-485 or go through consular processing at a US embassy or consulate.
5. Complete checks. Expect biometrics, a medical exam, security vetting and often an interview. Family cases usually need an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864).
6. Get your card. If you adjusted status, USCIS mails the card. If you immigrated from abroad, you pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee, enter the US, and the card follows by mail.

Adjustment of status or consular processing: which applies to you?

Adjustment of status means you stay in the US while USCIS decides your Form I-485. It generally suits people who entered lawfully and are eligible to adjust.

Consular processing is for people abroad, or people in the US who can't adjust. USCIS sends the approved petition to the State Department's National Visa Center, which collects fees and documents before scheduling your interview.

The choice isn't always yours. Past overstays, unauthorized work or certain entries can rule out adjustment. On the other hand, leaving the US to interview abroad can trigger re-entry bars for some people. If either of those applies to you, speak to a licensed immigration attorney before you file.

What is the Visa Bulletin, and how long will you wait?

The Visa Bulletin is a monthly State Department chart that shows which priority dates can move forward in each capped category.

Your country of chargeability, usually your country of birth, matters too. Federal law generally limits any single country to 7 percent of the family and employment preference visas available in a year. That's why applicants born in high-demand countries often wait much longer in the same category.

Each bulletin has two charts: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing. For September 2026, USCIS told family-sponsored applicants in the US to use the Dates for Filing chart, and employment-based applicants to use the Final Action Dates chart. USCIS can change this every month, so always check its filing charts page.

How much does a green card cost in 2026?

Government fees depend on your route. These are common fees as of September 2026, taken from the USCIS fee schedule (edition 09/09/26) and the State Department's consular fee schedule. Confirm them on the official pages before paying, because they change.

Also budget for the medical exam, translations and travel to interviews. Legal fees vary widely by case and city, so ask several attorneys for a written fee quote.

Hire a licensed immigration attorney if you have any immigration violations, a criminal record, a previous denial, or an employment or investor case. Avoid "notarios" and unlicensed consultants, who can't legally represent you.

Plan for life after approval too. Most newcomers arrive with no US credit history, so read our guide to building US credit as a new immigrant before you need an apartment or a car loan. Line up health insurance from your first day, since a single uninsured hospital visit can wreck a relocation budget.

Common green card mistakes to avoid

• Falling out of status while you wait. A lapse can cost you the option to adjust inside the US.
• Using the wrong Visa Bulletin chart. A filing rejected for being early costs you time.
• Ignoring a Request for Evidence deadline. Missing one can lead to a denial.
• Leaving the US without advance permission while your I-485 is pending, which can be treated as abandoning the application.
• Paying scammers. Government forms are free to download from USCIS, and the State Department never emails lottery "winners." Our guide to job and visa scams targeting migrants shows the warning signs.

Here's how that plays out. Say you're a nurse from Manila married to a US citizen and living in Texas on a valid visa. You'd likely file Form I-130 and Form I-485 together as an immediate relative. Travel abroad before approval without advance parole, though, and you could put the whole case at risk.

Your next steps

Name your category using the table above, then read the matching USCIS page line by line.

If you're in a capped category, look up this month's Visa Bulletin and the USCIS chart instructions so you know roughly where you stand. Next, price the full journey, including attorney quotes and your first months in the US.

Finally, check USCIS and State Department news for holds or new restrictions that affect your country or category. If anything in your history is complicated, book a consultation with a licensed immigration attorney before you file.