Updated November 11, 2026

US immigrant visa: which visas qualify, consular processing steps and how to get your Green Card

A US immigrant visa lets a person outside the United States travel to a US port of entry and ask to be admitted as a lawful permanent resident, also known as a Green Card holder. According to USCIS, you apply through consular processing at a Department of State consulate abroad after an immigrant petition (such as Form I-130, Form I-140, Form I-526 or Form I-360) is approved and a visa number is available. Applicants who are already in the US apply through adjustment of status using Form I-485 instead. Once admitted, you must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online so USCIS will mail your physical Green Card within 90 days of arrival or payment.

What is a US immigrant visa, and how does it differ from adjustment of status?

When you qualify for lawful permanent resident status (a Green Card) and an immigrant visa number is immediately available, US immigration law gives you two pathways depending on where you live. USCIS explains that if you are outside the United States, you apply at a US Department of State consulate abroad for an immigrant visa so you can come to the United States and be admitted as a permanent resident. That pathway is called consular processing.

If you are already inside the United States, you can apply for permanent resident status without returning to your home country to finish processing. USCIS calls that pathway adjustment of status, which uses Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. People living in the United States who prefer to apply for their immigrant visa abroad can also use consular processing.

In most categories, the process starts with an immigrant petition filed on your behalf by a family member or employer, though some categories allow self-petitioning or begin with refugee or asylum status. USCIS notes that an approved petition, such as Form I-130 for a relative, only proves a qualifying relationship and gives you a place in line for visa processing. It does not grant permanent resident status by itself.

Consular processing vs. adjustment of status (USCIS)

Which are immigrant visas? Eligibility categories explained

To apply for an immigrant visa or Green Card, you must fit one of the eligibility categories set by law. USCIS groups permanent resident eligibility into family, employment, special immigrant, refugee or asylee, victim protection, and other statutory categories.

Most family and employment categories require a sponsor to file a petition first: Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) for family cases, Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers) for employment cases, Form I-526 (Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor) for investors, or Form I-360 (Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant) for special immigrants. Most humanitarian programs do not require an underlying immigrant petition, though you must meet category-specific rules before applying.

If a Green Card holder (lawful permanent resident) is filing Form I-130 for a qualifying family member, USCIS requires specific supporting evidence with the petition. The petitioner must submit proof of their permanent resident status, evidence of the qualifying relationship (such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or divorce decree), and proof of any legal name change for either the petitioner or the beneficiary. Special conditions may also apply if the petitioner or a family member serves in the US military.

Green Card and immigrant visa eligibility categories (uscis.gov, as of November 2026)

How to apply for a US immigrant visa: 8 consular processing steps

If you are applying from outside the United States, USCIS and the Department of State (travel.state.gov) handle your case in an eight-step consular processing path, followed by inspection by US Customs and Border Protection (cbp.gov) when you arrive at a US port of entry.

• 1. Determine your basis to immigrate. Check that you fit one of the statutory eligibility categories through a family relationship, an employer, an investment, refugee or asylum status, or a special immigrant provision.
• 2. File the immigrant petition. A US citizen or permanent resident relative files Form I-130 for family cases. A US employer files Form I-140 for employment cases, while investors file Form I-526 for themselves. Special immigrants file Form I-360 for themselves or have someone file it for them.
• 3. Wait for a decision on your petition. USCIS notifies the petitioner of its decision. If denied, the notice gives the reasons and states whether you can appeal. If approved and you live abroad (or choose consular processing), USCIS sends the approved petition to the Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC), where it stays until an immigrant visa number is available.
• 4. Wait for notification from the National Visa Center. The NVC collects visa application fees and supporting documents. It notifies both the petitioner and the beneficiary when it receives the petition, when a visa number is about to become available, and when to submit processing fees (called fee bills) and supporting documents.
• 5. Go to your consular appointment. Once a visa is available or your priority date is current (earlier than the cut-off date in the monthly Visa Bulletin), the consular office schedules your interview, processes your case, and decides if you are eligible for an immigrant visa.
• 6. Notify the NVC of any changes. You do not need to reach out to the NVC unless something changes. Contact the NVC immediately if you change your address, if you were under 21 and have now turned 21, or if you change your marital status, as these changes can affect your eligibility or visa availability.
• 7. Receive your Visa Packet and enter the United States. If the consular officer grants your visa, they hand you a sealed envelope called a Visa Packet. Do not open this packet. Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online before you depart, then hand the sealed Visa Packet to the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at your port of entry. The CBP officer inspects you and decides whether to admit you into the United States as a lawful permanent resident. Once admitted by CBP, you hold lawful permanent resident status and can live and work in the US permanently.
• 8. Receive your Green Card in the mail. After you arrive and your USCIS Immigrant Fee is paid, USCIS mails your Green Card to your US address. If it does not arrive within 90 days of your arrival (or within 90 days of paying the fee), call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 or submit an inquiry through the USCIS e-Request Non-Delivery of Card page.

Priority dates, medical exams, Affidavit of Support and aging out

Four cross-cutting rules govern how long you wait for an immigrant visa and what you must prove before a consular officer or USCIS can approve your residence.

Visa availability and priority dates. In some categories, visas are always available, while preference categories have a limited annual supply. Your priority date, such as the date a Form I-130 is properly filed, marks your place in line. Your priority date must be earlier than the cut-off date in the Department of State's monthly Visa Bulletin before the consulate will schedule your interview.

Affidavit of Support and public charge. Most immigrants must show that they will not become a public charge. For required categories, your sponsor files an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864) on your behalf to show you have the financial means to live in the United States without needing government welfare or financial benefits.

Immigration medical examinations and Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). Most Green Card and immigrant visa applications require a medical examination following specific forms and procedures. If a child turns 21 while waiting for a visa (known as aging out), the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) allows certain children who turned 21 after the immigrant petition was filed to remain eligible for a Green Card through their parents.

Transfer of underlying basis, work authorization, and travel documents. For applicants who are adjusting status inside the United States rather than interviewing at a consulate abroad, USCIS provides additional procedures while an application is pending. USCIS also provides rules for applying for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to work in the United States and for obtaining travel documents such as advance parole, a Refugee Travel Document, or a re-entry permit before leaving the country.

How to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee and track your Green Card

The USCIS Immigrant Fee is separate from the visa application fees collected by the Department of State. USCIS uses it to process your immigrant visa packet and produce your physical Permanent Resident Card. USCIS strongly encourages you to pay the fee online after you pick up your immigrant visa from the embassy or consulate and before you travel to the United States, though you can also pay after you arrive. If you wait until after you arrive in the United States, USCIS will send you a notice requesting payment with instructions.

What you need to pay. At the embassy or consulate, you receive your sealed immigrant visa packet, an Immigrant Data Summary, and payment instructions. You also get two identifiers required for online payment: your Alien Number (A-Number), which is the letter A followed by 8 or 9 digits, and your Department of State (DOS) Case ID. For most applicants, the DOS Case ID has 3 letters followed by 9 or 10 digits. For Diversity Visa immigrants, the DOS Case ID has 4 digits followed by 2 letters and 5 digits, such as 0000AB01234. A family member, friend, employer, attorney, or accredited representative can also pay on your behalf using your A-Number and DOS Case ID. You can pay for yourself and immigrating family members who will live with you in a single online transaction using a credit card, debit card, a single pre-paid debit card (such as a Visa gift card) with enough funds for everyone, or a US bank checking account and routing number through an Automated Clearing House (ACH) payment.

Who is exempt. Five groups do not pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee: children entering under the orphan or Hague adoption programs, Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants, other Afghan nationals (through Sept. 30, 2024), returning lawful permanent residents (SB-1s), and K nonimmigrants.

What happens if you do not pay, or if you move. Failing to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee does not affect your status as a lawful permanent resident, but USCIS will not mail your physical Green Card until you pay. Without the card, your only proof of permanent resident status is the temporary I-551 stamp that CBP places in your passport at admission, which is valid for 1 year from your admission date. USCIS mails your card to the most recent US mailing address on file, which is the address you gave the Department of State at your interview or gave the CBP officer at entry. If your address changes before or right after arrival, tell the CBP officer at the port of entry and update your address through your USCIS online account (after completing the identity verification quiz) and with the US Postal Service. You can track the delivery status of your card on the USCIS Case Status Online page, and submit an online help form if you have payment questions or accidentally paid twice.

Practice example

Who petitioned for your immigrant visa, how is your sponsor supporting you, and has your marital status or address changed since the petition was filed?

Give a clear, direct answer that names your petitioner, states your exact relationship, and confirms whether your personal details still match the records sent to the National Visa Center. Start by identifying who filed Form I-130 or Form I-140 for you and which category you fall under, such as an unmarried son or daughter of a permanent resident or a spouse of a US citizen. Next, state your sponsor's occupation and confirm that they filed the Form I-864 Affidavit of Support to show you have the financial means to live in the United States without needing government welfare benefits. Finally, tell the officer plainly whether your marital status, age category, or mailing address has changed since your priority date was established. Have your original birth certificate, marriage or divorce records, any legal name change documents, and your sponsor's financial evidence organized in your folder so you can hand them over immediately if the officer asks.

The consular officer is checking three statutory requirements at once: that your qualifying relationship under Form I-130 or I-140 is genuine, that a life change like marriage or turning 21 has not altered your family preference category, and that your sponsor's Affidavit of Support overcomes the public charge rule.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.