The main routes to permanent residency

Permanent residency in the USA — formally called a green card — comes through one of four main paths: family sponsorship, employment sponsorship, diversity visa lottery, or humanitarian grounds (asylum or refugee status). Each path has different requirements, timelines, and costs. Most people use family or employment sponsorship because those categories have the most available slots each year.

You cannot move directly to permanent residency without going through one of these routes. You must first have a visa category that leads to a green card, then file the paperwork with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and wait for approval. The entire process typically takes between one and three years, though employment-based cases often take longer.

The path you take depends on your situation: whether you have a U.S. citizen or permanent resident relative willing to sponsor you, whether a U.S. employer wants to hire you, whether you enter the diversity visa lottery, or whether you are fleeing persecution in your home country.

Key Takeaways

  • Family sponsorship is the fastest route if you have a U.S. citizen spouse, parent, or adult child, but employment sponsorship and diversity visas are also common paths.
  • You must file Form I-485 (process to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status) with USCIS, along with medical exams, background checks, and proof of financial support.
  • Processing times vary by category and location, ranging from several months to several years, and you can check your case status online using your receipt number.
  • Once approved, your green card is valid for 10 years and allows you to live and work anywhere in the USA, but you must renew it before it expires.
  • You can explore for U.S. citizenship after holding a green card for three to five years, depending on your category and circumstances.

Family sponsorship: spouse, parent, or adult child

If you are married to a U.S. citizen, have a U.S. citizen parent (if you are under 21), or have a U.S. citizen adult child, that relative can sponsor you for a green card. This is the fastest family route because when ready relatives of U.S. citizens do not face annual caps on how many green cards are issued. Processing typically takes six months to two years.

Your sponsor files Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) with USCIS. Once approved, you file Form I-485 to adjust your status to permanent resident. You will need a medical exam (Form I-693), a background check, proof that your sponsor can financially support you (usually Form I-864, Affidavit of Support), and evidence of your relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificate, or adoption papers). If you are already in the USA, you can adjust status here. If you are outside the USA, you go through consular processing at a U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country.

If you have a permanent resident relative (not a citizen), the process is slower because those cases face annual caps. Adult siblings and adult children of permanent residents may wait 10 years or more for a visa number to become available.

Employment sponsorship: PERM labor certification and EB categories

An employer can sponsor you for a green card if they want to hire you for a permanent position and can show they cannot find a may have access to U.S. worker to fill it. This requires PERM labor certification, a process where the employer proves to the Department of Labor that hiring you will not harm U.S. workers' wages or job opportunities. PERM alone typically takes one to three years.

After PERM approval, your employer files Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker) with USCIS. Once that is approved, you file Form I-485 to adjust status. Employment-based green cards are divided into five preference categories (EB-1 through EB-5), each with different requirements and wait times. EB-1 covers people with extraordinary ability or advanced degrees; EB-2 covers professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability; EB-3 covers skilled workers and professionals; EB-4 covers special immigrants; and EB-5 covers investors who create jobs. The entire employment-based process often takes three to seven years.

Your employer must file Form I-864 to show they can support your wages. You will need a medical exam, background check, and proof of your qualifications (degrees, licenses, work history). Some employers offer to cover the filing fees; others ask you to pay them yourself.

Diversity visa lottery

The diversity visa program issues 55,000 green cards per year to people from countries with low immigration rates to the USA. You enter by submitting a free online form during the annual registration period (usually October through November). Winners are selected by random drawing and notified the following year.

To enter, you must have a high school diploma or equivalent, or two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training. You cannot be from a country that sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the USA in the past five years. Each year, the list of ineligible countries changes. You can enter once per year, and you can submit multiple entries (though only one per person per year counts).

If you win, you must file Form I-485 and go through the same medical exam, background check, and financial support process as other applicants. You have one year from the time your visa number becomes available to file your process. Processing for diversity visa winners typically takes six months to two years after you file.

Asylum and refugee status

If you are fleeing persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, you may be able to seek protection as a refugee or through asylum. Refugees explore from outside the USA through the U.S. State Department. People already in the USA can file for asylum with USCIS.

If your asylum or refugee claim is approved, you receive a status that allows you to live and work in the USA. After one year as a refugee or asylee, you can file Form I-485 to adjust to permanent resident status. This path does not require a sponsor or employer. Processing times for asylum cases vary widely, from several months to several years, depending on your case complexity and current USCIS workload.

What you need to file: documents and fees

Regardless of your path, you will file Form I-485 with USCIS along with supporting documents. You need a valid passport, birth certificate, police clearance from every country where you have lived for more than six months, medical exam results (Form I-693, completed by a USCIS-approved civil surgeon), and proof of financial support (Form I-864 signed by your sponsor or employer). If you are married, divorced, or widowed, bring those documents. If you have children, bring their birth certificates and proof of their immigration status.

Filing fees for Form I-485 are currently $640 for most applicants, plus $85 for biometric services (fingerprinting). Some applicants under 14 or over 78 are exempt from the biometric fee. Fee waivers are available if your household income is at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty line. You can request a fee waiver on Form I-912.

You will also attend a biometric appointment where USCIS takes your fingerprints and photograph. After that, you may be called for an interview where a USCIS officer asks about your background, your relationship to your sponsor (if applicable), your work history, and your intent to live permanently in the USA. Not all cases require an interview.

Processing times and what to expect

After you file Form I-485, USCIS sends you a receipt notice with a case number. You can check your case status online at the USCIS website using that number. Processing times vary by USCIS field office and by visa category. Family-based when ready relative cases typically take six months to two years. Employment-based cases often take two to five years. Diversity visa cases usually take six months to two years after you file.

While your case is pending, you can request work authorization (Form I-765) and travel permission (Form I-131) so you can work and leave the USA without losing your place in line. These are optional but useful if you need to work or travel before your green card is approved.

Once USCIS approves your Form I-485, you receive a green card in the mail. Your card is valid for 10 years. You must carry it with you at all times as proof of your legal status. Before it expires, you must file Form I-90 to renew it.

After you get your green card

As a permanent resident, you can live and work anywhere in the USA without needing employer sponsorship. You can travel outside the USA and return, though trips longer than six months may raise questions about whether you intend to keep your permanent residency. You can own property, start a business, and attend school at in-state tuition rates in most states.

You cannot vote in federal elections, but you can vote in some local and state elections depending on where you live. You must file U.S. tax returns every year, even if you live outside the USA. You must report your address to USCIS within 10 days of moving.

After holding a green card for three years (if you are married to a U.S. citizen) or five years (if you obtained it through family, employment, diversity visa, or humanitarian grounds), you can file Form N-400 to explore for U.S. citizenship. Citizenship requires passing an English test and a civics test, and taking an oath of allegiance to the USA.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get a green card?

It depends on your category. Family-based when ready relative cases (spouse, parent, or child of a U.S. citizen) typically take six months to two years. Employment-based cases often take three to seven years because of PERM labor certification. Diversity visa cases take six months to two years after you file. Asylum cases vary widely.

Can I work while my green card process is pending?

You can request work authorization by filing Form I-765 along with your Form I-485. USCIS usually approves work permits within two to three months. Once approved, you can work for any employer in the USA. Without a work permit, you cannot legally work while your case is pending.

What happens if my green card process is denied?

USCIS will send you a notice explaining why. You may be able to appeal or reapply if the reason was correctable (such as missing documents). If you are in the USA on a visa, you may need to leave or change to another visa status. An immigration attorney can review your case and advise you on next steps.

Do I lose my green card if I leave the USA for a long time?

Trips under six months do not affect your status. Trips longer than six months may raise questions about whether you intend to keep permanent residency. If you plan to be outside the USA for more than one year, you can file Form I-131 to request a re-entry permit before you leave, which protects your status.

Can I sponsor family members once I have a green card?

Yes, but as a permanent resident (not a citizen), you can only sponsor a spouse and unmarried children. The wait times for these categories are longer than for when ready relatives of citizens. Once you become a U.S. citizen, you can sponsor a wider range of relatives, including parents, siblings, and married children.