How to get permanent residence in the US in 2026: every route to a green card

11 min read · Published 7 October 2026

US permanent residence is granted not for years lived there but on a ground: family, work, ability, investment from $800,000 or the lottery. Fees run from $325 to $1,440 per person.

Free consultation

Key facts	2026
After how long	no period of living in the US is required: a green card is granted on a ground
Fastest	spouses, children and parents of US citizens: no quota, about a year to process
Language and exam	not needed for a green card; English and a test for citizenship
Income	in family cases the sponsor proves income above the set threshold
Fees	application inside the US $1,440, immigrant visa $325, petition $675-715
Card validity	10 years, or 2 for a conditional card; the status itself is indefinite
To citizenship	5 years with a green card, 3 for spouses of citizens

Data checked: 07.10.2026

Permanent residence in the US is the green card. Unlike in Europe, it is not earned by years of living on a temporary visa: however long you have lived in the country on a work or student visa, that alone gives no right to the card. You need a ground: kinship, an employer, extraordinary achievements, investment, a lottery win or asylum.

So the main question is not after how many years, but in which category and how long its queue is. Below: every route to a green card in one table, who can apply, what documents are needed, what it costs, why applications are refused and how the card differs from citizenship.

We will work out online the investment or income your family needs and what the permit costs for each member.

Calculate online

How many years until permanent residence in the US

Residence ground	Years to permanent residence	Special conditions
Spouse, children under 21 and parents of a US citizen	no waiting period, about a year to process	no quota; if the marriage is under 2 years old, a conditional 2-year card
Other relatives of citizens and families of green card holders	from several years to decades	the quota queue depends on the category and country of birth
Extraordinary ability and national interest	usually 1-3 years	self-petition, no employer needed
Employment through an employer	usually 2-4 years	labour certification and a quota queue
Investment	usually 2-3 years	from $800,000 and 10 jobs; a conditional 2-year card first
Green card lottery	about a year and a half after winning	55,000 visas a year, at least secondary education
Asylum	a year after status is granted	a year of living in the US with the status
Gold card	at the authorities' discretion	a $1,000,000 contribution and a source of funds check

The queue depends not on citizenship but on country of birth: each country gets no more than 7% of visas a year. People born in India, China, Mexico and the Philippines wait longer than others. The timelines in the table are a guide for countries with no backlog; your own date is worked out from the visa bulletin.

A temporary visa does not count, but it helps: an employer can start the green card process while you work on a specialty visa. How to enter and which visas exist is in our guide to residency in the US.

Who can apply for permanent residence in the US

You can apply once a petition has been approved for you and a visa is available in your category. For a relative the petition is filed by a US citizen or permanent resident, for a worker by the employer, while talented specialists and investors petition for themselves.

Three groups most often get a green card:

immediate relatives of US citizens: spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents, if the citizen is at least 21;
specialists: through an employer's petition or a self-petition for extraordinary ability or a project in the national interest;
investors who have put at least $800,000 into a project in a targeted employment area, or at least $1,050,000 into any other, and created 10 jobs.

From there the paths divide. If you are lawfully in the US, status is adjusted inside the country and you get work and travel authorisation while the case is pending. If you are abroad, the immigrant visa is obtained at a consulate after an interview, and the card is mailed after entry.

The principal applicant's spouse and unmarried children under 21 get the card together with them in the same category. More on routes without an employer on the pages about the green card for extraordinary ability and the national interest green card, and on investment on the page about the green card by investment.

How residence time and absences are counted

Before the card no period of residence is counted, but afterwards it is counted strictly. A trip longer than 6 months raises questions at the border and interrupts the period for citizenship. An absence of more than a year without a re-entry permit means the status is treated as abandoned.

Those leaving for a long time for work or family reasons obtain a re-entry permit in advance: it is valid for up to 2 years. The border officer looks not only at dates but at ties to the US: a home, a job, tax returns.

A conditional 2-year card goes to spouses in marriages under 2 years old and to investors. The petition to remove conditions is filed in the last 90 days before it expires: missing the deadline means losing the status.

Documents for permanent residence in the US

an approved petition in your category;
an application to adjust status inside the US or an immigrant visa application;
a passport, a birth certificate, marriage and divorce certificates;
police certificates from the countries where you have lived, for consular processing;
a medical examination by an approved physician, including vaccinations;
the sponsor's affidavit of support and tax returns, in family cases;
evidence of the ground: documents on kinship and life together, a job offer, proof of achievements or of the source of invested funds;
photographs and fee receipts.

Documents not in English are filed with a certified translation. In marriage cases what decides the outcome is evidence of a genuine family life: a joint account, a lease, insurance, photographs, correspondence. Spouses may be interviewed separately.

Language and exams

A green card requires neither an English exam nor a test on the country's history. The exception is the grounds themselves: the degree and experience for employment categories are assessed on documents, and the consular interview can be held with an interpreter.

Language comes at the next step. For citizenship the ability to read, write and speak English is tested, along with an exam on US history and government. More in our guide to US citizenship.

How much permanent residence in the US costs and how long it takes

Item	Cost
Petition for a relative	$675
Employment or ability petition	$715 plus a $300-600 fee
Green card application inside the US	$1,440
Immigrant visa at a consulate	$325
Card production fee after entry	$235
Removal of conditions on a marriage-based card	$750
Citizenship application	$760
Our support	a manager will calculate it in the chat

The family route through a consulate costs $675 for the petition, $325 for the visa and $235 for the card per family member. Inside the US, instead of the visa you pay $1,440 for the adjustment application. In employment categories the petition is usually paid by the employer.

Timelines depend on the category. For spouses and parents of citizens processing takes about a year. An ability petition with premium processing is decided in 15 working days, but then you wait for a visa in the queue.

The medical examination, translations and certificates are paid separately.

For a family of three, the whole route costs from $2,400. We will calculate the exact amount for your family in the chat.

A green card is lost not at the interview but on a form filled in years ago

The law does not stop you applying for a green card on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fees: the wrong category with a queue of years, a discrepancy between the application and past visas that will be treated as false statements, a weak sponsor's undertaking and a missed deadline to remove conditions. We match the category to your documents and country of birth, check applications against your visa history, prepare the evidence and see the case through to the card.

The support fee depends on your ground and family size; a manager will calculate it in the chat.

Find out the support fee

Why permanent residence is refused in the US

the service finds the applicant likely to become a public charge: age, health, income, education and the sponsor's undertaking are assessed;
false statements in the application or on past visas;
a status violation or unauthorised work in the US;
past unlawful presence, which brings a 3- or 10-year bar on entry;
a criminal record or security concerns;
a marriage entered into for the card;
the sponsor's income below the threshold with no joint sponsor.

A refusal for false statements closes entry for good, so we check applications and past visas before filing: a discrepancy in employment dates or addresses is the most common cause of long checks.

What permanent residence in the US gives and how it differs from citizenship

Question	Permanent residence	Citizenship
Length	a 10-year card, indefinite status	for life
Work and business	any job except some government positions	no restrictions
Absences	more than a year risks losing the status	no restrictions
Passport and travel	your own country's passport	a US passport
Elections	no vote	votes
Taxes	on worldwide income	on worldwide income, even when living abroad
Removal	possible for serious violations of the law	no

A green card gives almost all the rights of a resident: to work, run a business, buy a home and bring in a spouse and children. But with it comes the duty to pay US tax on worldwide income, and the status is lost through long residence abroad.

You can apply for citizenship 5 years after the green card, or 3 years if you have been married to and living with a US citizen all that time. The US does not prohibit a second citizenship.

Restrictions for specific nationalities

Quotas are counted by country of birth: people born in India, China, Mexico and the Philippines wait years longer in employment and family categories. Natives of countries with high immigration to the US cannot enter the lottery; natives of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan can.

Immigrant visas for citizens of Russia and Belarus are issued by the US embassy in Warsaw. From 21 January 2026 the State Department paused immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Russia; on 21 August 2026 a court lifted the pause, but the ruling is under appeal. Citizens of some countries in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean are subject to a full or partial entry ban. We check what applies to your passport before filing.

This topic in other countries

Permanent residence in other countries:

About this country:

FAQ

After how many years can you get permanent residence in the US?

There is no period of living in the country: a green card is granted on a ground. Spouses, children and parents of citizens get it in about a year, ability and employment cases usually in 1-4 years, other relatives from several years.

How do I get a green card in 2026?

Through a relative who is a US citizen or permanent resident, an employer, a self-petition for achievements or a project in the national interest, investment from $800,000, the lottery or asylum.

How much does a green card cost?

A petition for a relative is $675, the application inside the US $1,440, an immigrant visa at a consulate $325 plus $235 for the card. In employment categories the petition costs $715 plus a $300-600 fee.

Can I get a green card by buying property?

No. Buying a home gives no status. The investor green card requires at least $800,000 invested in a project that creates 10 jobs.

Do I need English for a green card?

No, there is no exam for a green card. English and a test on US history and government are required for citizenship.

How long can I live outside the US with a green card?

A trip longer than 6 months raises questions and interrupts the period for citizenship. An absence of more than a year without a re-entry permit leads to loss of status.

What is a conditional green card?

A 2-year card for spouses whose marriage is under 2 years old and for investors. In the last 90 days before it expires you file to remove the conditions.

How long after a green card do you get US citizenship?

After 5 years, or 3 years for spouses of US citizens. You need continuous residence, English and the exam.

Don’t want to figure this out alone?

We handle the whole process end to end: we check your documents, match a program to your situation and give you honest timelines and costs. Ask your question in the chat: the free consultation starts right here. Legal representation before authorities and courts is handled by Murblz specialists together with locally licensed partners.

The Murblz consultant replies straight away in the chat on this page. Describe your situation and we will work it out together.

Free consultation

Or message us on Telegram →

FreeConfidentialInstant reply