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Pathway

U.S. Green Card through an Immediate Relative

United States Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

This green card route is for the spouse or unmarried child under 21 of a US citizen, or the parent of a US citizen who is at least 21. It requires proof of the relationship, an eligible citizen sponsor, financial sponsorship, and the usual immigration and background checks.

Type
Family residence
Sponsor
People joining a qualifying family member in the United States
Core requirements
Relationship records and the sponsor's status
What to know
The sponsor's status and documents matter a lot
Duration
Leads to U.S. lawful permanent residence.
Renewal / path
Citizenship may follow after residence and presence rules are met.

Summary

Immediate-relative immigration lets a U.S. citizen petition for a spouse, an unmarried child under 21, or a parent when the citizen is at least 21. These categories are not subject to the annual family-preference numerical caps, but the petition, admissibility, financial sponsorship, and application requirements still apply.

The process normally has two parts: Form I-130 establishes the qualifying relationship, and the beneficiary seeks permanent residence through consular processing or, if eligible, adjustment of status in the United States.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

The case generally requires:

Adjustment inside the United States depends on entry, parole, status, unauthorized work, prior proceedings, and category-specific exceptions. “Immediate relative” removes some adjustment bars but does not erase every problem.

What This Route Allows

Approval of the immigrant visa followed by admission, or approval of Form I-485, grants lawful permanent residence. A spouse whose marriage is less than two years old when permanent residence begins normally receives two-year conditional residence and later must jointly file Form I-751 or qualify for a waiver.

After residence begins, the family member may live and work permanently in the United States, subject to maintaining residence and later card-renewal or condition-removal requirements.

What This Route Is Not

I-130 approval is not a visa, status, work permit, or guarantee of a green card. A U.S. citizen cannot use this immediate-relative category for siblings, married children, or adult unmarried children; those relationships may instead fit the family-preference categories.

As of January 1, 2026, Presidential Proclamation 10998 fully or partially suspends immigrant-visa issuance and entry for nationals of numerous countries, with limited exceptions. Earlier categorical exceptions for immediate-relative immigrant visas were removed for covered nationals. People already in the United States should distinguish consular entry restrictions from adjustment rules.

Next Steps

  1. Document citizenship, identity, and the qualifying family relationship.
  2. Decide carefully between adjustment and consular processing before filing; departure can trigger unlawful-presence or removal consequences.
  3. Review admissibility, entry history, prior marriages/petitions, criminal records, fraud issues, and public-charge/financial sponsorship rules.
  4. Prepare the I-864 using current poverty guidelines and domicile requirements.
  5. Check the current proclamation, consular post, and interview-location rules before relying on an overseas timeline.
Compare your options

Other routes in United States.

Sources