The marriage green card is the most common path to a green card. U.S. citizens can petition for spouses, children, parents, and siblings; green card holders, for spouses and unmarried children. Here’s the whole green card through marriage guide, in plain English.
Annual visa cap for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. No waiting line for spouses, parents, and children under 21.
Petition starts it all: Form I-130, filed with proof the relationship is real.
Ways to finish: adjust status inside the U.S., or process at a consulate abroad.
Five things make or break a marriage green card case. These marriage green card requirements shape every US green card through marriage, and most families have more options than they think.
spouse, child, parent, or sibling of a U.S. citizen, or spouse or unmarried child of a green card holder.
especially for marriages, this means a shared life, shared finances, and real evidence. This is the heart of the case.
someone who meets the income threshold on Form I-864, the Affidavit of Support.
the immigrant must be admissible, or eligible for a waiver of any bars that apply.
spouses, parents, and unmarried children under 21 of citizens have no annual cap. Everyone else waits for a visa number on the monthly Visa Bulletin.
finish inside the United States, with no consulate trip, no separation, and typically a work permit while the case is pending.
Form I-485
finish at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad through the National Visa Center, with a green card on entry.
Form I-485
the sponsor files Form I-130, the Petition for Alien Relative, with evidence the relationship is genuine.
preference categories wait for their priority date to become current on the Visa Bulletin. Immediate relatives skip this wait entirely.
complete adjustment of status (I-485) inside the U.S., or consular processing (DS-260) abroad, with the I-864 Affidavit of Support.
fingerprints, the medical exam (Form I-693 or the panel-physician equivalent), and an interview.
the green card is issued. If the marriage is under two years old at approval it is conditional, with conditions removed later via Form I-751.
Petition for Alien Relative. Starts every family case.
Adjustment of Status, the green card application inside the U.S.
Immigrant visa application for consular processing abroad.
Affidavit of Support, the sponsor's financial commitment.
Medical examination report by a civil surgeon.
Removes conditions on a marriage-based green card after 2 years.
The green card comes with conditions: a two-year card, with Form I-751 filed jointly before it expires to make it permanent. Plan for it from day one.
These official tools are always current: USCIS Processing Times (I-130, I-485), the USCIS Fee Schedule, and the Visa Bulletin.
USCIS Processing Times (I-130, I-485)
USCIS Fee Schedule
Visa Bulletin
Family cases are priced in stages, and the total depends on where the case finishes. Every case begins with the I-130 petition. Finishing inside the United States means one large USCIS fee; finishing abroad splits the cost between the National Visa Center and a final card fee after entry. One piece of good news: the new $250 visa integrity fee applies to nonimmigrant visas such as tourist visas, and family green card cases are not charged it.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Family petition (Form I-130) | $675 paper / $625 online | Filed by the sponsor; starts every family case |
| Green card in the U.S. (Form I-485) | $1,440 per applicant | Biometrics included; children under 14 filing with a parent pay $950 |
| Immigrant visa abroad (Form DS-260) | $325 per applicant | Paid to the National Visa Center, plus a $120 affidavit of support review fee per case |
| USCIS immigrant fee | $235 per person | Consular path only; paid after visa issuance so the physical card is produced |
| Removing conditions (Form I-751) | $750 | For marriages under two years old at approval; filed before the two-year card expires |
Often yes. Spouses, parents, and unmarried children under 21 of U.S. citizens are forgiven an overstay or unauthorized work when they adjust status inside the United States. Other relatives are not, and for them an overstay can force a consular case and a waiver. The right move depends on the exact history, so map it out before filing anything.
The Affidavit of Support has fallback options: a joint sponsor who meets the threshold on their own, household income combined with certain family members, or assets counted in place of income. Most sponsorship failures we see are paperwork problems, not income problems.
Visiting on a valid visitor visa is legal, and a pending I-130 does not cancel it. But every entry is a judgment call by the border officer, and long or frequent stays look like moving in early. Short, honest visits with clear ties abroad usually go fine.
No. Approval only locks in a place in line. It grants no status, no work permission, and no protection from removal. Those rights arrive at the very end of the process, with the green card itself.
Usually file now. The priority date locks in the day USCIS receives the petition, and if you naturalize later, most cases convert to a faster category automatically. A few situations convert to a slower line instead, so we check the categories before recommending it.
It depends on the category. Immediate relative cases move as fast as the agencies process them, commonly a year or more end to end. Preference categories add the Visa Bulletin wait, which runs from a few years to decades for siblings from the highest demand countries. The live links above show the current numbers for each step.
An immigration legal consultant reviews your submission and reaches out within hours. If your case qualifies for our legal services for immigrants, we start immediately with your strategy, flat-fee quote, and document checklist so you never wonder what happens next.
Every family is different. Tell us your story. The evaluation is free, and we’ll tell you exactly which path fits.
