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The green card application process will differ depending on if you are applying from within or outside the United States.

There are two main green card application forms:

Green card application (from within the US): Form I-485 (Application to Adjust Status). This form is used by those who are already in the U.S. on a nonimmigrant visa, have been selected for a diversity visa, or are eligible through family or employment.

Green card application (from outside the US): Form DS-260 (Immigrant Visa Electronic Application). This form is used by those who are seeking an immigrant visa from abroad, either through family, employer sponsorship or through the diversity visa program.

Not sure which visa is right for you? Take our free assessment to get a customized plan.

The processing time for a permanent resident card is anywhere from a few months to many years, depending on the type of green card you’re applying for and where you’re applying from.

Applying from within the United States

For spouses and immediate relatives (parents and minor children) of U.S. citizens applying from within the United States through adjustment of status, the wait is currently 12.5-22.5 months. For spouses of U.S. green card holders, other relatives of U.S. citizens, and employment-based green cards, the wait can be much longer, typically two years or more.

Applying from outside the united states

For spouses and immediate relatives (parents and minor children) of U.S. citizens applying from outside the United States via consular processing, the wait is currently 13.5-15.5 months. All other green card categories are subject to country caps, and wait times vary dramatically.

For spouses of U.S. green card holders applying from outside the United States, the wait is currently – months.

For other green card categories, check the USCIS website for the cost of your particular form.

The government filing fees for a green card could increase significantly in 2023 if a proposal by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is approved. Earlier this year, the agency announced plans to raise the application costs for most visa application types, including forms I-130 and I-485. In addition, those adjusting their status to a marriage green card will have to pay fees on those applications as well. All told, the cost Adjustment of Status process (with work and travel) could increase by 90% this year, while the spousal visa process will be less impacted. The proposed fees are not yet in effect.

Check out our USCIS fees guide for a full breakdown of the expected costs as well as updates on the government’s proposal.

Types of Green Cards

There are many categories of green cards. The most common types are:

How to Get a Green Card

The process for getting a green card depends on which type you are applying for. Each of these is covered in detail below, starting with how to get a family-based green card.

IMPORTANT UPDATE (March 24, 2023):

The April 2023 Visa Bulletin saw a notable shift in the F-2A family-based category (Spouses and Unmarried Children (Under Age 21) of U.S. Green Card Holders). The “Final Action Dates” for these applications have stopped being “current” due to an increase in backlogs in the category. “Final Action Dates” refer to applications whose priority dates have reached the front of the line and can now be processed. However, these cases will NOT be adjudicated until the priority date is current. For Mexican applicants, the “Final Action Date” (or priority date) has retrogressed to November 1, 2018 and for all other applicants, the “Final Action Date” has retrogressed to September 8, 2020. This development is likely to lead to longer wait times for green cards under the F-2A category. Boundless will be paying close attention — check out our monthly Visa Bulletin report for future updates.

Close relatives of U.S. citizens and current green card holders may apply for family-based green cards of their own. Eligible family members include spouses, children, parents, and siblings (as well as the spouses and children of those spouses, adult children, and siblings).

Also included in this category are widows and widowers who were married to a U.S. citizen at the time the citizen died. Like spouses of living U.S. citizens and current green card holders who apply for a marriage-based green card, widows and widowers must prove that their marriage was authentic in order to receive a green card.

Many extended family members — cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents — do not qualify. They may apply for a permanent resident card only if they, too, have a closer relative who is a U.S. citizen or current green card holder (or qualify for one of the other types of green cards below).

Within the employment-based green card category, multiple subcategories of workers can apply for a permanent resident card. In some cases, their spouses and children may qualify for a green card, as well.

*Extraordinary ability is demonstrated “through sustained national or international acclaim. Your achievements must be recognized in your field through extensive documentation,” according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
**Exceptional ability refers to “a degree of expertise significantly above that ordinarily encountered” in your field.

For refugees and asylees

People who fear, or have experienced, persecution in their home country — because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group — can seek protection in the United States by applying for a visa from abroad (to come as refugees) or from within the United States (to remain as asylees).

Once they have physically lived in the United States for at least one year since receiving refugee status or asylum, they may apply for a permanent resident card. Children and spouses (and in some cases, other family members) of refugees and asylees may also seek protection in the United States under these programs and eventually apply for a green card.

For human-trafficking victims

Victims of human trafficking who are living in the United States — whether lawfully or unlawfully (in other words, “undocumented”) — may apply for a T visa to stay in the United States for up to four years. As a condition of the T visa, however, they must help to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of human trafficking (unless the victim is under age 18, in which case they need not help with such efforts).

• Three years since receiving a T visa
• The duration of an investigation or prosecution of human trafficking

They must also meet other eligibility requirements. These include, for instance, demonstrating “good moral character” (meaning they have not committed certain crimes, such as fraud, prostitution, or murder) from the time they received a T visa until they’re approved for a green card. As another example, they must demonstrate to the U.S. government that they would suffer extreme hardship involving severe harm if they were required to leave the United States. (USCIS provides the full list of eligibility criteria.)

Certain family members will also be eligible to apply for their own green cards as long as both those relatives and the victim satisfy all requirements.

For crime victims

Victims of “substantial physical or mental abuse” who are living in the United States — whether lawfully or unlawfully (in other words, “undocumented”) — may seek protection by applying for a U visa. To obtain a U visa, the victim’s application must be certified by a law enforcement agency. Like recipients of T visas (see above), an applicant for a U visa must also agree to help investigate and prosecute people who commit certain crimes, such as kidnapping, sexual assault, and torture.

• They must have physically lived in the United States for at least three years since receiving a U visa.
• They must not have left the United States from the time they applied for a green card until USCIS has approved (or denied) their application.
• They must not have refused to help investigate or prosecute certain crimes from the time they received a U visa until USCIS approves (or denies) their green card application.

The victim’s children, parents, siblings, and spouse will also be eligible to apply for their own green cards as long as both those relatives and the victim satisfy all requirements.

For abuse victims

Victims of domestic violence (battery or extreme cruelty) may apply for a green card that would allow them to seek relief through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Although this law was created to benefit women, it applies to both women and men, and both parents and children, who are victims of abuse.

An abuse victim may apply for a permanent resident card on their own — without the knowledge or permission of their abusive relative, who can include:

• A current or former spouse who is a U.S. citizen or green card holder
• A parent who is a U.S. citizen or green card holder
• A child who is a U.S. citizen

USCIS will not notify the abusive relative of the application in order to keep the victim safe. (Full eligibility requirements are detailed on the USCIS website.)

IMPORTANT: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse now, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline right away at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). You’ll be able to talk with someone about available resources, such as shelters, mental health care, and legal assistance. The hotline also provides information about green cards through VAWA.

Most lottery applicants live in their home countries at the time they cast their entries, but some already live in the United States under a different type of immigration status.

Individuals who have physically lived in the United States — lawfully or unlawfully (meaning you were “undocumented”) — since January 1, 1972 may apply for a permanent resident card through a special process called “registry.”

• They entered the United States before January 1, 1972, which they would need to prove by providing an I-94 travel record (officially called the “Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record”).
• They have not left the United States since arriving.
• They have “good moral character,” meaning they have not committed certain types of crimes, such as fraud, prostitution, or murder (see more info on “Good Moral Character“).
• They’re eligible for U.S. citizenship through naturalization.
• They have not committed crimes that would make them “deportable” (able to be sent back to their home country). Examples of such violations include drug abuse, smuggling, and marriage fraud (marrying a U.S. citizen or green card holder to obtain a marriage-based green card).
• They have not committed crimes that would make them “inadmissible” (meaning they cannot receive a green card). Examples of such violations include entering the United States unlawfully and staying more than six months in the United States with an expired visa.

The U.S. government issues many other types of green cards besides the ones discussed above. Some of these include permanent resident cards for “special immigrants,” including media professionals, religious workers, Afghanistan and Iraq nationals who have served the U.S. government under certain capacities, and other types of workers who have served in an international organization. Others include green cards for Cuban citizens and American Indians born in Canada.

USCIS provides a list of these other green card types and their eligibility requirements.

Boundless helps you build a tailored visa plan for every step of the green card process, from forms to your immigration interview. Get started today!

What is a permanent resident?

A permanent resident is a citizen of another country who is permitted to live and work lawfully in the United States.

Who can apply for a green card?

There are many different types of green cards, all with different eligibility requirements. For instance, relatives of U.S. citizens and green card holders can apply for a family-based green card.

How much does a green card cost?

The cost to obtain a green card depends on the type of green card you’re applying for. For example, the government filing fee for a family-based green card is $1760 for an applicant applying from within the United States, and $1200 for an applicant living outside the United States. However, the cost for most visa applications could go up in 2023. Boundless compiled a list of the expected fee increases, including updates on the government’s proposal.

After obtaining a green card, how long until I can apply for citizenship?

You may apply for U.S. citizenship if you have had a green card for five years (or three years for a marriage green card).

A green card seems pretty straightforward when you first look at it. That is, until you flip the card over and see 3 lines of 90 letters, numbers, and a whole slew of “less than” symbols on the back. Located within this string of characters is a lot of important information, including your green card number, which is unique to each green card holder.

In this guide:

The green card number — also known as the receipt number or the permanent resident number — is located on the bottom of the back of the card, in the first line of a long string of 90 characters. The less than symbols are there simply as space holders.

Boundless prints out all your forms and documents, assembled precisely how the government prefers. We mail the whole package to your doorstep, ready for you to sign and send to the correct government address. Ready to start?

And then, finally, the green card number starts. This series begins with 3 letters, which indicate the service center which received the case for residency status:

CSC – California Service Center

EAC – Eastern Adjudication Center (now known as Vermont Service Center)

IOE – ELIS (efile)

LIN – Lincoln Service Center (now known as Nebraska Service Center)

MSC – Missouri Service Center (now known as National Benefits Center)

NBC – National Benefits Center

NSC – Nebraska Service Center

SRC – Southern Regional Center (now known as Texas Service Center)

TSC – Texas Service Center

VSC – Vermont Service Center

WAC – Western Adjudication Center (now known as California Service Center)

YSC – Potomac Service Center

After the service center code are two digits that represent the fiscal year the case was received. This might not match what your calendar says, because the U.S. government’s fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30. As an example, this means a case received October 15, 2019 would have a fiscal year two digit code of 20.

The last 5 is your unique immigrant case number — the number of the approved case that resulted in a green card being granted to you.

Together this string is the format of the green card number. If the case number for the example above was 51423, the full green card number would read: NBC2004551423.

Looking at the sample card in the image, for the woman named Test V. Specimen, her green card number reads: SRC0000000001.

If you’re wondering about the rest of the numbers, the second line includes your birth date in year-month-date (YY/MM/DD) format, gender, expiration date of the card (YY/MM/DD), a country of birth and some space holders. The third line will contain your last name, first name, father’s first initial, mother’s first initial, and more space holders if needed.