Visa Guide
The Green Card Breakdown
What is a Green Card?
A green card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued by the U.S. government that grants the holder permanent resident status. This status allows the individual to live and work in the U.S. indefinitely and provides a pathway to U.S. citizenship after a specified period (typically 3-5 years). The two most common pathways to gaining permanent residency is through employment-based sponsorship and family-based sponsorship. A Green Card can also be received through humanitarian programs, through individual filing, or by winning the diversity visa lottery. As a US permanent resident, you are eligible to pursue citizenship.
Is a green card the same thing as a visa?
No, a visa and a green card are two different things. A visa is temporary permission, typically a stamp or endorsement in your passport, to travel to a U.S. port of entry for a specific purpose. A green card is evidence of permanent resident status once you’re here. If you’re applying from outside the U.S., an immigrant visa is actually the mechanism that lets you enter and become a permanent resident. The green card itself is issued and mailed afterward.
Who Is Eligible for a Green Card?
You can get a green card through the following avenues:
Employment-Based Green Card
You’re eligible for an employment-based green card if:
Your employer is willing to sponsor you
You have an extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics
You’re a professor, researcher, manager, or executive,
You have an advanced degree, or;
You’re a skilled professional.
Heads up: the State Department’s monthly Visa Bulletin determines when a visa number actually becomes available for your category and country, and availability shifts month to month. Some employment-based categories for high-demand countries (including India) are currently experiencing delays or temporary unavailability. Check the current Visa Bulletin at travel.state.gov before assuming a category is moving on schedule.
Family-Based Green Card
You’re eligible for a family-based green card if:
You’re a spouse, unmarried child under 21 years, parent, widow, or widower of a US citizen, or;
You’re a child or sibling of a US citizen, or you’re a spouse, child or sibling of a US lawful permanent resident
Humanitarian-Base Green Card
You’re eligible for a humanitarian-based green card if you’re:
An asylee, refugee, human trafficking victim, crime victim, victim of abuse, or;
An individual who qualifies under a specific humanitarian program or category e.g. Cuban Adjustment Act, American Indian Born in Canada
Diversity Lottery Green Card
You must meet certain criteria to enter the Diversity Green Card Lottery:
You must register within a specific time window, typically September-October each year.
DV-2027 registration already closed in late 2025; selectees have been notified since May 2026 via the official Entrant Status Check, and are eligible to receive visas between October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2027.
However, the State Department indefinitely paused the issuance of all diversity visas on December 19, 2025, following a security review, and as of this writing no resumption date has been announced — DV applicants can still submit paperwork and attend interviews, but visas are not currently being issued.
Registration dates for the next cycle (DV-2028) haven’t been officially announced yet, though registration has historically opened in early October and closed in early November. Watch the official dvprogram.state.gov and travel.state.gov pages for the announcement. A new rule adding anti-fraud and vetting steps to the DV program also took effect April 10, 2026.
Registering for the DV lottery is free, but if you win there will be an application fee when you apply for a Green Card. Also, beware of scams and fraudulent sites. The only legitimate place you can register for the lottery is on the official US Department of State (DOS) registration site.
Individual Filing
You’re eligible for a Green Card under the following miscellaneous categories:
Special immigrants, e.g. religious workers, international broadcasters.
Important note on recent travel and visa restrictions
Since late 2025, green card processing has been affected by two major, and legally contested, restrictions:
A December 2025 proclamation (effective January 1, 2026) restricts entry for nationals of 39 countries, and USCIS temporarily paused adjudicating immigration benefits, including green card applications, for people from those countries. A federal court ruled that pause unlawful and vacated it in June 2026.
Separately, the State Department suspended immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries starting in late January 2026. A federal judge struck down that suspension on August 21, 2026, and visa processing has resumed - though as with any recent ruling, it’s worth a quick check on whether the government has since appealed.
The Diversity Visa program remains paused separately: as of this writing, the State Department has not issued any diversity visas since December 19, 2025, and no resumption date has been announced. DV applicants can still submit paperwork and attend interviews, but visas are not currently being issued.
If you or a family member is a national of a country affected by either restriction, get current, case-specific guidance before making assumptions about your timeline.
The Green Card Application
There are two different applications process for a green card: one for applications from within the U.S., and one for applications outside the U.S.
Green card application (from within the US): You need to complete Form I-485 (Application to Adjust Status). This is the form used by those who are inside the U.S. on a nonimmigrant visa already, are eligible through family or employment, or have been selected for a diversity visa.
Green card application (from outside the US): You need to complete Form DS-260 (Immigrant Visa Electronic Application). The form is used by those looking to get an immigrant visa from outside the US, either through employer sponsorship, family, or the diversity visa program.
The Application Process
The specific steps will vary based on your individual situation. However, most Green Card applicants will follow this general process:
Petition Filing: Someone must usually file an immigrant petition for you (often referred to as sponsoring or petitioning for you). In some cases, you may be eligible to file for yourself.
Application Submission: Once your petition is approved by USCIS, and a visa is available in your category, you file either a Green Card application with USCIS or a visa application with the U.S. Department of State.
Biometrics Appointment: You go to a biometrics appointment to provide fingerprints, photos, and a signature.
Interview: Attend an interview with immigration officials. USCIS significantly narrowed its interview-waiver policy in early 2026, so plan on an interview even for categories that used to often skip it (including many employment-based and fiancé-based cases), unless USCIS specifically tells you otherwise.
Decision: You receive a decision on your application
Depending on the type of Green Card you’re applying for and where you are applying from, this process can take anywhere from a few months to several years — and current wait times are running longer than in recent years due to the interview-policy change above and overall demand. Below are some estimates, but always check the official tools linked further down for numbers specific to your case.
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, recent USCIS data shows a median around 6-7.5 months for straightforward cases, though real-world estimates commonly run 8-14 months or longer given the reinstated interview requirement. Check USCIS’s official processing times tool for current figures.
Applying from outside the United States
For spouses and immediate relatives (parents and minor children) of U.S. citizens applying via Consular Processing outside the United States, total wait times vary widely by consulate, commonly 6 months to over a year at high-volume posts, with some individual posts reporting 14-20 months for interview scheduling alone. Check the State Department’s Immigrant Visa Scheduling Status Tool for current wait times at your specific consulate.
How Much Does a Green Card Cost?
The combined USCIS filing fees for a family-based green card (Form I-130 + Form I-485) are approximately $2,065-$2,115 USD for an applicant applying from within the United States, and approximately $1,305-$1,355 USD (State Department + USCIS fees, via Form DS-260, including the USCIS Immigrant Fee charged after visa issuance) for an applicant applying from outside the United States. This does not include the medical exam, attorney fees, or the Affidavit of Support review fee. Fees change periodically so always confirm current amounts at uscis.gov and travel.state.gov before filing.
Separately, a 2025 federal law (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) introduced a number of new, non-waivable immigration fees, but these mainly affect asylum applications, humanitarian work permits, Temporary Protected Status, and parole, plus a $1,500 surcharge that only applies to green card applications filed in immigration court (not the standard process most family- or employment-based applicants use). It does not add a general new fee to an ordinary I-130/I-485 filing.
More Information
For more information on applying for a Green Card see USCIS - How to Apply For a Green Card
Last reviewed: August 24, 2026.
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration and visa rules, especially around travel restrictions, the Diversity Visa program, and processing timelines, have changed unusually rapidly over the past year and remain subject to ongoing litigation. Consult a licensed immigration attorney or the official USCIS and Department of State websites for guidance on your specific situation.