Get Green Card for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizen || Apply Now

If you are an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen, you can become a lawful permanent resident (get a Green Card) based on your family relationship if you meet certain eligibility requirements.

You are an immediate relative if you are:

• The spouse of a U.S. citizen;
• The unmarried child under 21 years of age of a U.S. citizen; or
• The parent of a U.S. citizen (if the U.S. citizen is 21 years of age or older).
• This page provides specific information for immediate relatives in the United States who want to apply for lawful permanent resident status while in the United States. This is called “adjustment of status.” You should also read the Instructions for Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status before you apply.

If you are a widow or widower of a U.S. citizen, please see Green Card for Widow(er)s for information about how to apply for a Green Card.

If you are currently outside the United States, see Consular Processing for information about how to apply for a Green Card as an immediate relative.

How to Apply

If you are currently in the United States and you meet certain other requirements, you may file Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status to apply for a Green Card without leaving the country.  This is called “adjustment of status.”

As an immediate relative, you may file your Form I-485 together (“concurrently”) with the Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative filed on your behalf, while the Form I-130 is pending, or after the Form I-130 is approved (and remains valid). For more information, see our pages on Concurrent Filing and the Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative.

Immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are unlimited, so the visas are always available.