Family green card
A green card through marriage, with every step laid out
If you are married to a US citizen or a green card holder, your spouse can petition for you. See which path fits you, what each form costs today, and what happens after your first card.
- Who files
- Your spouse, on Form I-130
- Visa wait
- None if spouse is a citizen
- First card
- 2 years if newly married
- Legal fee
- Quoted on request
Two paths
Is your spouse a US citizen or a green card holder?
This one fact decides how long you wait and when you can file.
| Spouse is a US citizen | Spouse is a green card holder | |
|---|---|---|
| Your category | Immediate relative | Family second preference (F2A) |
| Waiting for a visa | No wait. A visa is always available for immediate relatives. | You wait until your priority date is reached in the Visa Bulletin. Your priority date is the day the I-130 was filed. |
| If you are in the US | You can file Form I-485 at the same time as the I-130. | You can file Form I-485 once a visa is available in your category. If your category is current, you can file it with the I-130. You generally must have kept lawful status. |
| If you are outside the US | After the I-130 is approved, your case goes to the State Department for an immigrant visa. | After approval and once a visa is available, your case goes to the State Department. |
| Other option | Your spouse can also file Form I-129F so you can come on a K-3 visa while the I-130 is pending. | No K-3 option. |
Each month, USCIS says which Visa Bulletin chart family applicants in the US must use. For September 2026 it is the Dates for Filing chart. See our Visa Bulletin guide.
What you need
What USCIS will ask for
If you are applying from inside the US, these are the main pieces.
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A legal marriage
Your marriage certificate, plus proof that any earlier marriages ended.
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Proof your marriage is real
USCIS wants to see that you married to build a life together, not to get a green card. Helpful proof includes a joint lease or property, shared bank accounts or bills, birth certificates of your children, and signed statements from people who know you as a couple.
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Your spouse’s petition
Form I-130 and Form I-130A, with proof of your spouse’s US citizenship or green card.
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A lawful entry
To adjust status inside the US, you generally must have been inspected and admitted, or inspected and paroled.
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Your green card application
Form I-485, with your passport, birth certificate, and any police or court records.
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Affidavit of support
Form I-864, signed by your spouse, to show you will be supported.
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Medical exam
Form I-693, completed by a civil surgeon (a doctor USCIS has designated). It must be filed with your I-485 if it is required for you.
A partner-firm attorney checks your entry history and eligibility before anything is filed.
The process
From petition to green card
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Your spouse files Form I-130
This asks USCIS to recognize your marriage for immigration. If your spouse is a citizen and you are in the US, you can file your I-485 in the same package.
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Wait for a visa, if your spouse is a green card holder
Your place in line is your priority date. Spouses of citizens skip this step.
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Apply for the green card
See our consular pageIn the US: Form I-485, with I-864 and I-693. You can also ask for a work permit (I-765) and travel permission (I-131). Outside the US: your case goes to the National Visa Center and a US consulate.
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Biometrics and interview
USCIS may take your fingerprints and photo and may ask you both to come to an interview.
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Receive your green card
If you had been married less than two years on the day you became a resident, you get a 2-year conditional card.
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Remove the conditions
File Form I-751 together in the 90 days before your 2-year card expires.
The 2-year card
Conditional residence and Form I-751
If your marriage was less than two years old on the day you became a permanent resident, your first green card lasts two years. During those two years you have the same rights as any other permanent resident.
You cannot renew this card. Instead, you and your spouse file Form I-751 together, within the 90 days before the card expires. If you file too early, USCIS may reject it.
If you cannot file together, you may be able to ask for a waiver. Waivers exist for divorce, abuse, extreme hardship, or the death of your spouse.
Please do not miss this step. If the conditions are not removed, you lose your permanent resident status and can be removed from the US.
Costs
Government fees, as of September 2026
Paid to USCIS or the State Department, separately from our legal fee. Online filing, where offered, is often $50 less.
| Item | Government fee |
|---|---|
| Form I-130, petition for your spouse | $675 paper, $625 online |
| Form I-485, green card application (in the US) | $1,440 paper, $1,390 online ($950 paper or $900 online for a child under 14 filing with a parent) |
| Form I-765, work permit while I-485 is pending | $260 |
| Form I-131, travel permission while I-485 is pending | $630 paper, $580 online |
| Form I-864, affidavit of support | $0 |
| Form I-693, medical exam | $0 to USCIS. The doctor charges their own fee. |
| If abroad: immigrant visa application fee (State Department) | $325 |
| If abroad: affidavit of support review (State Department) | $120 |
| If abroad: USCIS Immigrant Fee, paid before you travel | $235 |
| Later: Form I-751, remove conditions | $750 paper, $700 online |
| Our legal fee | Quoted on request, flat, before you sign |
USCIS fees from Form G-1055 (edition 09/09/26). State Department fees from 22 CFR 22.1. Fees change, so the attorney confirms the current amounts before filing.
Timing
How long it takes
We will not promise a date. USCIS processing times vary by form and office, and they change. You can check current USCIS processing times.
If your spouse is a green card holder, the biggest factor is the Visa Bulletin. Your priority date must be reached before you can get a green card.
Premium processing is not offered for Form I-130 or Form I-485. A complete, well-organized first filing gives USCIS fewer reasons to ask for more.
How we help
What you get when we handle your case
Your case is handled by licensed attorneys at our independent partner firm. Green Card Guide is not a law firm.
Two attorneys on your case
A senior attorney leads. A second attorney reviews everything before it is filed.
One flat fee, quoted before you sign
No hourly billing and no surprise invoices.
RFE or NOID help included
If USCIS asks for more on a case we filed, the response is part of the fee.
A clear case portal
See every form, deadline and document in one place, with unlimited messages to your case team.
What is paid separately
Government fees, the medical exam, translations and document requests.
FAQ
Common worries
You can ask for a work permit with Form I-765, filed with or after your I-485. The fee is $260 while your I-485 is pending.
Get travel permission first with Form I-131 (advance parole). For most people, leaving the US without it means USCIS treats the I-485 as abandoned. There are limited exceptions. Talk to the attorney before you book.
No. You can apply right away. If you have been married less than two years when you become a resident, you get a 2-year card and file Form I-751 later.
You may still be able to remove conditions with a waiver, for example after a divorce, abuse or extreme hardship. Speak to the attorney as early as you can.
Only when a visa is available in your category. Each month USCIS says which Visa Bulletin chart to use. The attorney checks the current month before filing.
No. No one can promise approval. A partner-firm attorney confirms your eligibility first and builds a complete filing, and a second attorney reviews it.
Sources · checked September 2026
- USCIS: Green Card for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizen
- USCIS: Family of Green Card Holders (Permanent Residents)
- USCIS: Bring your Spouse to Live in the United States
- USCIS: Conditional Permanent Residence
- USCIS: Form I-751
- USCIS: Form I-130
- USCIS: Form I-485
- USCIS: Form I-693
- 8 CFR 245.2(a)(4): effect of departure on a pending I-485
- USCIS: Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin
- USCIS: Form G-1055 Fee Schedule (edition 09/09/26)
- USCIS: Consular Processing
- USCIS: USCIS Immigrant Fee
- 22 CFR 22.1: State Department schedule of fees
- USCIS: Form I-130 Instructions (edition 04/01/24)
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; a partner-firm attorney confirms what applies to you before anything is filed.
