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Moving to the United States permanently

Most US green cards come through family or employer sponsorship, and per-country caps create long backlogs for applicants from India, China, Mexico and the Philippines. Policy changed fast in 2025-26, so check official sources before you file.

Last reviewed October 11, 2026 · Official authority: USCIS

N-400 filing fee

$760 paper / $710 online

Source

Naturalization residence

5 years as a green card holder (3 if married to a citizen)

Source

Civics test (filed on/after Oct 20, 2025)

Up to 20 asked, 12 correct to pass

Source

H-1B annual cap

65,000 + 20,000 for US master's holders

Source

I-485 fee (age 14+)

$1,440 paper / $1,390 online

Source

Family preference limit

226,000 visas per year

Source

Diversity visa (DV-2027)

Registration not yet open

Source

EB-5 minimum investment

$800,000 (TEA) / $1,050,000

Source

Common routes to settling in the United States permanently

Most people don't get permanent residence on day one. These are the routes people most often follow, from first visa to citizenship.

Study, work, then a green card

Students who want a US degree first and then a job with an employer willing to sponsor them.

  1. 1

    F-1 student

    Enroll full time at an SEVP-certified school with a Form I-20 and pass the visa interview, including social media vetting.

  2. 2

    OPT and STEM OPT

    Work for up to 12 months after graduating, plus 24 more months with an E-Verify employer if your degree is on the STEM list.

  3. 3

    H-1B

    Your employer registers you in the March lottery, where higher wage levels get more entries, and the job must need a degree.

  4. 4

    Employment green card

    Your employer files PERM and Form I-140, and you file Form I-485 once your priority date is current in the Visa Bulletin.

  5. 5

    Citizenship

    Apply with Form N-400 after 5 years as a green card holder with continuous residence and at least 30 months in the US.

Minimum time to citizenship: At least 5 years after you get the green card. Time on F-1, OPT or H-1B does not count, and you can file up to 90 days early.

Employer-sponsored transfer to a green card

Professionals hired from abroad or transferred by a multinational employer.

  1. 1

    H-1B or L-1

    Enter on an H-1B through the lottery, or on an L-1 after at least one continuous year with a related company abroad.

  2. 2

    PERM or EB-1C

    Most EB-2 and EB-3 cases need PERM labor certification, while multinational managers and executives can use EB-1 without it.

  3. 3

    I-140 and priority date

    After the I-140 petition, you wait until your priority date is current, which can take many years for India and China.

  4. 4

    Adjustment of status

    File Form I-485 in the US, or complete consular processing abroad, to become a permanent resident.

Minimum time to citizenship: At least 5 years as a green card holder, with continuous residence and 30 months of physical presence.

Self-petition: EB-1A or EB-2 NIW

Researchers, founders and other high achievers who want a green card without employer sponsorship.

  1. 1

    Build your evidence

    EB-1A needs sustained acclaim, while the NIW needs an advanced degree or exceptional ability and work that benefits the US.

  2. 2

    File Form I-140

    You petition for yourself with no PERM, paying the I-140 fee plus a $300 Asylum Program Fee as a self-petitioner.

  3. 3

    Green card

    File Form I-485 or go through consular processing once your priority date is current.

  4. 4

    Citizenship

    Apply with Form N-400 after 5 years as a permanent resident and pass the English and civics tests.

Minimum time to citizenship: At least 5 years as a green card holder.

Spouse or fiancé(e) of a US citizen

People married to, or engaged to, a US citizen.

  1. 1

    I-130 or K-1

    Your spouse files Form I-130 with no annual cap, or a fiancé(e) files Form I-129F and you marry within 90 days of entering on a K-1.

  2. 2

    Green card

    File Form I-485 in the US or interview at a US embassy, and the 2026 public charge rule applies to filings from Sept 18, 2026.

  3. 3

    Remove conditions

    If you had been married under 2 years when approved, your card is conditional and you file Form I-751 before it expires.

  4. 4

    Citizenship

    Apply after 3 years as a green card holder if you are still married to and living with the same citizen spouse, with 18 months in the US.

Minimum time to citizenship: At least 3 years as a green card holder while married to and living with the same US citizen spouse (otherwise 5 years).

EB-5 investor green card

Investors who can put $800,000 or more into a US business that creates jobs.

  1. 1

    Invest

    Invest $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project, in a business that creates 10 full-time jobs.

  2. 2

    File Form I-526 or I-526E

    File your investor petition, noting that EB-5 fees rise sharply for filings from Nov 30, 2026.

  3. 3

    Conditional green card

    Adjust status or go through consular processing to get a 2-year conditional green card.

  4. 4

    Remove conditions with I-829

    Show that the investment was sustained and the required jobs were created to get a permanent green card.

Minimum time to citizenship: At least 5 years as a green card holder, counting the conditional period.

Every pathway, by stage

The individual visas and statuses, grouped by where you are in the journey.

Visit

B-1/B-2 visitor visa

For short business trips, tourism or medical treatment. Most applicants now need an in-person interview, and some nationalities may be asked to post a visa bond.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Study

F-1 student visa

For full-time study at an SEVP-certified school with a Form I-20. Applicants must set their social media profiles to public for vetting.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

OPT and STEM OPT

F-1 graduates can work for up to 12 months on OPT. Graduates with an eligible STEM degree can add a 24-month extension with an E-Verify employer.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

J-1 exchange visitor

For State Department exchange programs such as research scholars, interns, trainees and au pairs. Some participants must spend two years in their home country before they can switch to certain US visas.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Work

H-1B specialty occupation

For degree-level jobs with a US employer. Cap-subject petitions go through an annual lottery, which since FY2027 gives more entries to higher wage levels.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

L-1 intracompany transferee

For managers, executives (L-1A) and specialized-knowledge staff (L-1B) who have worked for a related company abroad for at least one year.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

O-1 extraordinary ability

For people with sustained national or international acclaim in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics. There is no annual cap.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

TN USMCA professional

For Canadian and Mexican citizens in listed professions. It is granted for up to 3 years at a time and can be renewed without a set limit.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

E-2 treaty investor

For nationals of treaty countries who invest a substantial amount in a real, operating US business. It is renewable for as long as the business qualifies.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Family

Spouse and immediate relatives of US citizens

Spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents of adult citizens have no annual cap. The process starts with Form I-130, followed by adjustment of status or consular processing.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

K-1 fiancé(e) visa

Lets a US citizen bring a foreign fiancé(e) to the US to marry within 90 days. After the wedding, the spouse applies for a green card.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Family preference categories (F1-F4)

Adult children and siblings of citizens, and relatives of permanent residents, are subject to annual caps. Waits can run from a few years to more than two decades.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Permanent residence

Employment-based green cards (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3)

Permanent residence through a job offer or exceptional credentials. Most EB-2 and EB-3 cases need PERM labor certification, and per-country caps create long backlogs for India and China.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

EB-2 National Interest Waiver

Lets advanced-degree or exceptional-ability applicants petition for themselves, with no employer or PERM, if their work benefits the US.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

EB-5 immigrant investor

A green card for investing $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a targeted employment area, in a US business that creates 10 full-time jobs.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Diversity Visa lottery

Offers up to 55,000 green cards a year to nationals of low-admission countries. DV-2027 registration has not opened, and entrants must now provide a valid passport.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Citizenship

Naturalization (Form N-400)

Green card holders can apply for citizenship after 5 years if they meet the continuous residence and physical presence rules. Applicants then pass the English and civics tests.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Citizenship through marriage (3-year rule)

Green card holders married to and living with a US citizen can apply after 3 years instead of 5, with 18 months of physical presence.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Humanitarian

Asylum

For people in the US who fear persecution at home. File Form I-589, generally within 1 year of arrival, and pay the new H.R. 1 asylum fees.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

Temporary protection and work permits for nationals of designated countries. Most designations were terminated in 2025-26, so check your country's current status.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Latest US immigration news

All US news →

Recent changes

All US changes →
  1. Proposed

    DHS proposes $70,000 and $30,000 fees for OPT

    A proposed rule would charge $70,000 for initial Optional Practical Training and $30,000 for a second year of practical training. It is not in effect; comments close November 9, 2026.

    News report Guide Official source ↗
  2. In effect

    October 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 and EB-3 retrogress

    The first bulletin of FY2027 moves worldwide EB-2 Final Action Dates back to January 1, 2025 and EB-3 to May 15, 2024. USCIS says to use the Dates for Filing chart for family and employment-based I-485s in October 2026.

    News report Guide Official source ↗
  3. Announced

    FY2027 inflation increase to H.R. 1 immigration fees

    From October 16, 2026, the annual asylum fee rises to $105 and the initial EAD fee for asylum seekers, parolees and TPS applicants rises to $570. Filings postmarked on or after that date without the new fee will be rejected.

    News report Guide Official source ↗
  4. Announced

    EB-5 investor fees rise from November 30, 2026

    A final rule sets Form I-526E at $7,850, Form I-526 at $7,615 and Form I-829 at $5,000 for filings postmarked on or after November 30, 2026. The EB-5 Integrity Fund fee for each I-526E investor rises from $1,000 to $1,100.

    News report Guide Official source ↗
  5. In effect

    New public charge rule takes effect

    The 2022 public charge regulation is replaced with a case-by-case "totality of circumstances" test for green card applications filed on or after September 18, 2026. A new edition of Form I-485 is now mandatory.

    News report Guide Official source ↗
  6. Blocked in court

    H-1B $100,000 payment extended to 2027, then blocked

    A new proclamation extended the $100,000 payment on certain new H-1B petitions through September 21, 2027. Federal courts have vacated the implementing policies, and USCIS is not collecting the payment while appeals continue.

    News report Guide Official source ↗

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Latest US guides

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Quick answers

What are the main ways to move to the United States permanently?
The most common routes are: study, work, then a green card; employer-sponsored transfer to a green card; self-petition: eb-1a or eb-2 niw; spouse or fiancé(e) of a us citizen; eb-5 investor green card. Each starts with a temporary visa or direct application and leads to permanent residence, then citizenship.
How long does it take to become a citizen of the United States?
At least 5 years after you get the green card. Time on F-1, OPT or H-1B does not count, and you can file up to 90 days early. Processing times add to this legal minimum.
Who handles immigration applications in the United States?
USCIS (https://www.uscis.gov) is the official authority. Always confirm fees and requirements on its website before applying.
What changed recently in United States immigration?
Recent changes include: DHS proposes $70,000 and $30,000 fees for OPT (2026-10-08, proposed); October 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 and EB-3 retrogress (2026-10-01, in effect); FY2027 inflation increase to H.R. 1 immigration fees (2026-10-01, announced). See the full tracker at https://studyimmigration.com/updates/.

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