How to Apply for a Marriage Green Card: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

To get a green card through marriage, the U.S. citizen or green card holder files Form I-130 to prove the marriage. The immigrant spouse then takes one of two paths. They can adjust status from inside the United States by filing Form I-485 along with the I-864, the I-693, and the optional I-765 and I-131. Or they can go through consular processing and interview at a U.S. embassy abroad. Spouses of U.S. citizens can file everything at once. Spouses of green card holders must wait for a visa number first. Budget $2,375 in USCIS fees for a typical adjustment case, or about $1,355 in government fees for consular processing.

Everything below was checked against USCIS and State Department pages on September 11, 2026. Two recent changes affect every adjustment case. The I-693 medical exam must now be filed with the I-485. From September 18, 2026, USCIS accepts only the 09/18/26 edition of Form I-485.

Who qualifies for a marriage green card?

A marriage-based case rests on three things:

• A legally valid marriage. The marriage must be legally recognized where it took place. Any earlier marriage of either spouse must have legally ended (by divorce, annulment, or death) before this one began.
• A bona fide relationship. USCIS approves real marriages, not marriages entered into for immigration benefits. You prove this with evidence like joint finances, shared housing, photos across time, and affidavits from people who know you as a couple. Our marriage green card document list covers the specifics.
• An admissible applicant. Certain criminal history, immigration violations, prior removal orders, or misrepresentation can make someone inadmissible or require a waiver. If any of these might apply, talk to a licensed immigration attorney before filing.

The sponsoring spouse also signs Form I-864, Affidavit of Support. It is a legally binding promise to support the immigrant spouse financially. The sponsor generally needs household income of at least 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The guidelines below took effect March 1, 2026:

The household includes at least the sponsor and the immigrant spouse, so a couple on their own counts as 2. The thresholds are higher in Alaska ($33,813 for 2) and Hawaii ($31,113 for 2). An active-duty member of the U.S. armed forces sponsoring their spouse needs only 100 percent. A sponsor who falls short can add a joint sponsor, who files their own I-864.

Does it matter whether your spouse is a U.S. citizen or a green card holder?

Yes, and it is the biggest single factor in your timeline.

USCIS confirms that concurrent filing is always allowed for immediate relatives because their category has no numeric limits. See our I-130 and I-485 concurrent filing guide for how that works.

The status rule comes from the adjustment requirements in the USCIS Policy Manual. Immediate relatives are exempt from the bars for failing to maintain status, working without authorization, and violating visa terms. This is why a spouse of a U.S. citizen who was lawfully admitted and later overstayed can usually still adjust. Spouses of green card holders get no such exemption: they must have kept lawful status since arriving.

Should you adjust status or go through consular processing?

Where the immigrant spouse lives decides it:

Our cost guide breaks down every fee in both columns.

Two situations call for a lawyer before you file anything:

• Preconceived intent. Entering on a visitor or other nonimmigrant visa while already planning to marry and stay can raise misrepresentation concerns. The risk is highest when the wedding and filing come soon after entry.
• Out of status. Under USCIS policy memo PM-602-0187 (February 28, 2025), USCIS issues a Notice to Appear when it denies a benefit request from someone who is not lawfully present. A Notice to Appear starts removal proceedings. For a spouse who has overstayed, a denied application can lead to deportation proceedings, not just a lost fee.

What are the steps to adjust status?

1. Confirm eligibility using the sections above, and check that the sponsor meets the I-864 income level or has a joint sponsor lined up.
2. Book the medical exam with a USCIS civil surgeon. The sealed I-693 must be filed with the I-485, and USCIS may reject the package without it.
3. Gather documents for both spouses: civil records, proof of lawful entry, the sponsor's tax returns, and relationship evidence. Documents in another language need certified English translations.
4. Fill in the forms using current editions downloaded from uscis.gov. For the I-485, a package postmarked on or after September 18, 2026 must use the 09/18/26 edition. Our I-485 checklist lists every form and document.
5. Pay the fees with Form G-1450 (card) or Form G-1650 (ACH), one per form. Paying by check requires an approved exemption on Form G-1651.
6. Mail the package to the lockbox listed in the I-485 filing instructions. Use tracked delivery, and keep a full copy.
7. Receive receipt notices (Form I-797C) for each form, usually within a few weeks.
8. Attend biometrics for fingerprints and a photo at a USCIS application support center.
9. Receive the work permit and advance parole, if you applied for them, usually months later.
10. Attend the interview together at your local USCIS field office. Our interview guide covers what officers ask.
11. Get the decision. If approved, the green card arrives by mail.

Timelines vary widely by field office. Our I-485 timeline guide breaks down each stage, and the USCIS processing times tool shows current estimates for your office.

What are the steps for consular processing?

The State Department runs this path through the National Visa Center (NVC):

1. The sponsor files the I-130 with USCIS, online or on paper.
2. USCIS approves it and sends the case to the NVC, which creates a case and emails a Welcome Letter with your case number.
3. Pay the State Department fees online in CEAC: the $325 immigrant visa application fee and the $120 Affidavit of Support fee.
4. Submit the DS-260, the online immigrant visa application.
5. Submit the I-864 and financial evidence, and collect civil documents such as birth and marriage certificates and police certificates from the official issuing authorities.
6. Upload scans to the NVC. Do not mail originals to the NVC; bring them to the interview instead.
7. Complete the medical exam with an embassy-approved panel physician once the interview is scheduled.
8. Attend the interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate.
9. Pay the $235 USCIS Immigrant Fee after the visa is issued. USCIS recommends paying before you travel, and it will not send the green card until the fee is paid.
10. Enter the United States on the immigrant visa. That day the spouse becomes a permanent resident, and the card is mailed to the U.S. address you gave.

Will you get a two-year or a ten-year green card?

It depends on how long you have been married on the day the immigrant spouse becomes a permanent resident:

• Married less than two years: a two-year conditional green card. To keep permanent residence, the couple files Form I-751 together during the 90 days immediately before the card expires. The fee is $750 on paper or $700 online.
• Married two years or more: a ten-year green card, with no conditions to remove.

Spouses of U.S. citizens can usually apply for citizenship after three years as a permanent resident. See what changed for the N-400 in 2026.

What gets a marriage green card case rejected or denied?

• An outdated form edition, especially the I-485 on or after September 18, 2026
• An adjustment package without the sealed I-693
• Wrong fee amounts or a declined card payment
• Answers that do not match across forms
• Leaving the U.S. while the I-485 is pending without advance parole, which usually abandons the application
• Missing required evidence. Under the USCIS Policy Manual, officers can deny a case for lack of initial evidence without first sending a Request for Evidence, and fees are not refunded.

Do you need a lawyer for this?

Not necessarily. Many couples complete the process themselves when the case is straightforward: a lawful entry, the spouse still in status or married to a U.S. citizen, no criminal or immigration history, a genuine and well-documented marriage, and a sponsor who meets the income requirement. The process is demanding but well defined. The hard parts are knowing which forms and documents your case needs, answering hundreds of form questions consistently, and not missing anything that gets the package rejected or denied.

Hire a licensed immigration attorney if the immigrant spouse entered without inspection, is out of status and married to a green card holder, has any arrest or prior removal, or might face a preconceived intent question.

For everyone else, that is the gap ezgreen fills. It interviews you in plain language, fills the official forms from your answers, builds your personalized document checklist, and assembles a print-ready package, while all of your data stays on your own device. For a deeper comparison of your options, read DIY green card vs hiring a lawyer.