Green card pathway explorer
Browse the six official pathway families. Search by family name or description, or narrow the list to a single family. Legacy aliases resolve to their canonical family.
How to use this explorer
Start with the family that sounds closest to why the person may qualify. If you are still sorting out process stage versus legal basis, use the process guides before jumping into checklist support.
8 pathwaysFamily-based green cardFor spouses, parents, and children of U.S. citizens, and for certain relatives of lawful permanent residents. The largest category of green cards issued each year.Open family →7 pathwaysEmployment-based green cardFor workers with extraordinary ability, advanced degrees, or job offers from U.S. employers. Divided into preference categories (EB-1 through EB-5), most of which are quota-controlled.Open family →5 pathwaysOther green card categoriesAdditional pathways to permanent residence that do not fit into the major families above, including registry, persons born to foreign diplomats in the U.S., American Indians born in Canada, and the INA 245(i) filing overlay.Open family →12 pathwaysHumanitarian green cardFor those who have been granted protection in the United States, including refugees, asylees, Cuban/Haitian parolees, and other humanitarian beneficiaries, who are eligible to adjust to permanent residence.Open family →14 pathwaysSpecial immigrant green cardCongressional special categories including Afghan and Iraqi employees of the U.S. government (SIV), special immigrant juveniles (SIJ), religious workers, NATO employees, broadcasters, and others. Most use adjustment of status.Open family →2 pathwaysConditional residence and removal of conditionsIf you received a conditional green card, either through marriage to a U.S. citizen or as an EB-5 investor, you must file to remove the conditions before your 2-year conditional residence expires.Open family →