How to move to the US in 2026: visas, green cards, costs and first steps

Work visas and talent green cards, TN status for Canadians and the E-3 for Australians, the investor green card from $800,000 and the E-2 visa, family and the lottery, study, the cost of the first 3 months, taxes and citizenship after 5 years.

In detail

Moving to the US in 2026 works through 9 routes: 5 temporary visas for work, business and study and 4 paths to a green card, through talent, an investment from $800,000, family or the lottery. Canadians and Mexicans also have the TN status for professionals and Australians the E-3 visa. The interview takes place at the US embassy or consulate in your country, and US citizenship comes after 5 years with a green card.

Amounts are fees and thresholds under US law in 2026.

Ways to move to the US in 2026: 9 routes

In 2026 people move to the US through an employer, talent, investment, family, the green card lottery or study. A temporary visa lets you live and work on its basis, a green card gives permanent residence and a path to citizenship. Data for 2026, under the rules of US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the State Department.

A temporary status often becomes a step to a permanent one: a specialist or graduate applies for a green card from inside the US. Statuses are compared in how to get residency in the US, and the path to permanent residence in US green card routes.

Citizens of the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia and other Visa Waiver Program countries visit the US for up to 90 days with an ESTA travel authorisation, which is enough to look at cities and meet employers. To live and work in the US you need one of the routes above.

Moving to the US from Canada, the UK, Europe or Australia

• Canada. Canadians need no visa for most statuses. Professionals in occupations listed in the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, such as engineers, accountants, scientists and computer systems analysts, get TN status for up to 3 years with a job offer, renewable without limit, right at the border or at airport preclearance.
• Mexico. Mexican professionals use the same TN status, applying for the visa at a US consulate in Mexico.
• Australia. The E-3 visa is for Australians in occupations that need a degree: up to 10,500 visas a year, 2 years with renewals and the right for a spouse to work.
• The UK, Ireland, Germany and other European countries. Most move through an employer, an intracompany transfer, a talent visa or the E-2 visa for treaty investors, which is open to citizens of the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, Australia and many other countries.
• Green card lottery. Natives of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Germany, Australia and most of Europe can enter.

Not sure which route your passport opens? A manager will check your options for free.

Moving to the US through work: an employer or talent

Through your profession you move to the US in three ways: on a specialty occupation visa with an employer, by transferring to the US office of your company, or on a talent visa or green card.

H-1B: the March lottery and work from 1 October

The specialty occupation visa is for a job that needs a degree in the field. Only the employer files: in March it registers the candidate in the lottery for $215, and each year 65,000 visas are drawn plus 20,000 more for graduates of US master's programmes.

Under the Department of Homeland Security rule of 29 December 2025, selection is weighted: candidates with higher salaries have better chances. Since 24 July 2026 US Citizenship and Immigration Services no longer charges the $100,000 fee for candidates from abroad under the proclamation of 19 September 2025, following a federal court decision.

L-1 intracompany transfer: no lottery and no quota

The transfer suits a manager or an employee with specialised knowledge who has worked in a foreign office for at least 1 continuous year within the last 3 years. The US company must be related to the foreign one: a branch, a subsidiary or a common owner.

A manager later gets a green card without a labour market test, and the spouse works in the US without a separate permit. All visas and fees are on the US visas page.

Talent: a visa and a green card for achievements

The O-1 extraordinary ability visa needs no lottery and no degree: you prove 3 of 8 criteria, such as awards, press about you, high pay or a leading role in well-known organisations. An employer, an agent or your own US company files the petition.

The EB-1A green card for extraordinary ability needs 3 of 10 criteria, and the national interest waiver needs a project important to the US plus a master's degree, a bachelor's with 5 years of experience or exceptional ability. Both petitions you file yourself. Details are on the O-1 talent visa, EB-1A green card and national interest waiver pages.

Are your publications and awards enough? Ask a manager to check your achievements against the criteria before you file.

Moving to the US by investment: a green card from $800,000 and the E-2 visa

The US investor green card starts at $800,000 invested in a project in a rural area, an area of high unemployment or infrastructure. Other projects need $1,050,000 under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022.

The investment creates at least 10 jobs and gives a green card to the investor, the spouse and unmarried children under 21: first a conditional one for 2 years, then a permanent one. The amounts apply to petitions filed by 31 December 2026; from 1 January 2027 they will be adjusted for inflation. Terms and projects are on the investor green card page.

E-2 treaty investor visa, including through a second passport

The treaty investor visa is issued to citizens of countries that have a treaty of commerce and navigation with the US. There is no fixed minimum: the investment must be substantial for your US business. Citizens of countries outside the list get the visa through a second citizenship of a treaty country: Grenada has taken part since 1989 and Turkey since 1990, and both grant citizenship by investment. Under the US defence budget law for 2023, a holder of a passport obtained by investment first lives in that country for 3 continuous years, while a passport by birth or marriage works at once.

The visa fee is $315, the visa allows stays of up to 2 years per entry and is renewed for as long as the business runs. More on the E-2 treaty investor visa page and in US company for non-residents.

A US green card through marriage and family: no quota for immediate relatives

The spouse, unmarried children under 21 and parents of a US citizen aged 21 or over get a green card with no annual quota and no waiting line by year. The citizen files a petition for the relative for $675 on paper or $50 less online, and the family immigrant visa fee is $325.

If the marriage is less than 2 years old on the day the green card is issued, the card is conditional for 2 years. A fiancé or fiancée of a citizen comes on a K-1 visa with a $265 fee and marries within 90 days of entry. Siblings of citizens and families of green card holders wait in line under the annual quota. Every family category is in US green card routes.

The green card lottery and study: routes without an employer or capital

The Diversity Visa lottery gives up to 55,000 green cards a year to natives of eligible countries. The requirement is 12 years of school or 2 years of work within the last 5 years in an occupation that needs at least 2 years of training.

Registration is online and costs $1, and since 10 April 2026 the entry form asks for a valid passport and a scan of the page with personal data and signature. The State Department announces registration dates for each draw separately, and a manager will tell you when to apply. A winner pays $330 for the visa and has an interview at the US embassy in their country.

Study: a student visa and up to 3 years of work after graduation

The F-1 student visa is issued after enrolment at a college, university or language school with a certificate of eligibility for international students. The student pays a $350 SEVIS fee and $185 for the visa application and shows funds for the first year. Since 15 September 2026, under a Department of Homeland Security rule, students are admitted for the length of the programme, up to 4 years.

During study you can work on campus up to 20 hours a week. After graduation you work in the US for 1 year, plus 2 more years in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and during that time an employer can file for a specialty occupation visa.

The visa interview and how a green card case works

Since September 2025 applicants for temporary visas are interviewed at the US embassy or consulate in their country of citizenship or residence. Immigrant visa interviews also take place at the embassy that serves your country, and the application fee cannot be moved to another embassy, so you choose the city before paying.

The pause on immigrant visas for 75 countries introduced on 21 January 2026 has not applied since 21 August 2026 following a federal court ruling, as the State Department has clarified. A green card case from abroad goes in 4 steps:

1. Petition to US Citizenship and Immigration Services: with premium processing for $2,965 the answer on an EB-1A petition comes within 15 business days, on a national interest waiver within 45.
2. National Visa Center: fees, the application form and police certificates.
3. Medical exam and interview at the embassy.
4. Entry: the visa is valid for up to 6 months, and the green card is mailed to your US address after the $235 fee is paid.

Timelines depend on the petition queue and the visa queue for your category: a manager will check them for your case and put together your document list for free.

How much does it cost to move to the US?

One person in New York needs $3,600-6,500 a month including rent, a couple $4,800-8,000 and a family with a child from $7,000. A one-bedroom flat in Queens or Brooklyn costs $2,400-3,200 a month.

Without an employer, add health insurance: a plan for a 40-year-old in 2026 costs about $625 a month on average. For the first 3 months one person in New York needs from $13,000 including the rental deposit, in Miami from $11,000. Visa fees by route:

Prices by item are in cost of living in the USA.

Taxes after moving to the US

A US tax resident is a green card holder or someone who has spent at least 31 days in the country in the current year and 183 days over three years, counting a third of last year's days and a sixth of the year before. A resident pays federal tax of 10-37% on worldwide income.

In 2026 the tax is calculated after a standard deduction of $16,100 for a single filer, and state income tax ranges from 0% in 9 states, including Texas and Florida, to 13.3% in California. Tax paid in another country is credited against US tax, and foreign accounts are reported to the Treasury if their total balance went over $10,000 at any time in the year. Rates are on the US taxes page.

Your first weeks in the US

• Social Security number: you get it with a work permit or a green card, and banks, employers and landlords ask for it.
• Bank account: open it in the first days with your passport and visa; moving savings is covered in how to send money to the USA.
• Home: without a US credit history landlords often ask for a larger deposit; buying is covered in buying an apartment in the USA.
• Driving licence: once you are a resident of a state, you get a local licence; the rules are in exchanging a driving licence in the USA.
• A dog: under the rules in force since 1 August 2024, a dog must be at least 6 months old and microchipped, with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt.

US citizenship after 5 years, or 3 years of marriage

US citizenship comes after 5 years with a green card, or after 3 years for the spouse of a US citizen who lives with them in marriage. Half of that time is spent physically in the country, and the application can be filed 90 days before the term ends.

The fee is $710 online or $760 on paper. At the interview you are tested on English and on US history and government: for applications filed since 20 October 2025, the officer asks 20 of 128 questions and you need 12 correct answers. Timelines for each route are on the US citizenship page, and the US allows you to keep your first passport, as explained in US dual citizenship.

How Murblz helps

Murblz handles the move to the US from choosing the route to the green card: we choose the right one of the 9 routes, prepare the petition and documents with translations, prove the source of funds for investors and prepare you for the interview. After the move we help with a company, a bank account and moving your savings, and after 5 years with citizenship. The first step is free: in the chat a manager will look at your situation and suggest a route with timelines. All programmes for the country are on the USA page.

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