A marriage green card takes the same forms for every couple but not the same road. If your spouse is a U.S. citizen, there is no yearly cap on visas for you, so the wait is mostly USCIS paperwork. If your spouse is a green card holder, you sit in the F2A preference category, and the State Department’s monthly Visa Bulletin decides when a visa number is available.
The good news for 2026: F2A is nearly current. On the Dates for Filing chart it is Current, and the Final Action Date is October 22, 2026 for every country except Mexico (April 22, 2026), per the November 2026 bulletin.
The slow part for both groups is now the I-130 itself. Our USCIS processing-times tool shows the current USCIS range for your form, category and office; I-130 waits differ sharply between citizen and green card holder petitions and between offices. A reported shift of I-130 cases to field offices makes your handling office matter more. We removed the old 9 to 11 month promise from this guide because it does not match the ranges we now track.
This update rebuilds the timeline for 2026: separate stage-by-stage tables for citizen and LPR spouses, a concurrent-filing decision table, the consular (NVC) path for spouses living abroad, the two-year conditional card and the I-751, and current fees from USCIS’s October 2026 fee schedule.
Two form changes matter right now. USCIS accepts only the 09/18/26 edition of Form I-485 and rejects older editions with no grace period. It also moved the Form I-485 mailing location on October 7, 2026, with a grace period for forms postmarked on or before November 9, 2026 that go to the old address.
Use this page to place your case on the map, then go to the checklists linked below for the paperwork. The I-130 document checklist and the marriage-based I-485 documents checklist cover what to attach to each form.
Citizen spouse in the U.S.: file Form I-130 and Form I-485 together. LPR spouse in the U.S.: you can also file together when the F2A Dates for Filing chart is Current and USCIS tells family applicants to use it, which it did for November 2026. Approval still waits for the Final Action Date to reach your priority date.
Step 1: Place your case on the timeline
Start with your spouse’s status on the day you file, because it sets the category, the visa wait and whether you can file everything at once.
| Stage | Spouse of U.S. citizen (immediate relative) | Spouse of green card holder (F2A) |
|---|---|---|
| Visa category | Immediate relative. No annual cap, so a visa number is always available. | F2A preference. Capped each year; priority date = the date USCIS receives the I-130. |
| I-130 petition | Filed by the citizen. Longest USCIS wait for most couples. Check the processing-times tool for your office. | Filed by the permanent resident. Same form, same fee, but the case is also tied to the bulletin. |
| I-485 (inside the U.S.) | Can be filed with the I-130 if you were inspected and admitted or paroled. | Can be filed with the I-130 only if F2A is available on the chart USCIS designates and you are in lawful status. |
| Wait for a visa number | None. | Dates for Filing: Current. Final Action: Oct 22, 2026 (Mexico Apr 22, 2026). Check the November 2026 Visa Bulletin analysis. |
| Work and travel permits | I-765 and I-131 can be filed with the I-485. | Same, once the I-485 is properly pending. |
| Interview | Usually required. Both spouses attend. | Usually required. Both spouses attend. |
| Outside the U.S. | I-130, then NVC, then embassy interview (IR1 or CR1 visa). | I-130, then NVC, then embassy interview once your date is current (F2A visa). |
| Card type | 10-year card, or a 2-year conditional card if married under 2 years at approval. | Same rule. |
Where the totals land is less predictable than it used to be. USCIS median times for family cases now span a wide range by office, so treat any single number, including ours, as a starting point. The processing-times page shows the latest figures we track.
Do not plan travel dates, job offers or lease dates around a guessed approval month. The I-130 stage is the least predictable part of the process.
Step 2: File Form I-130 (the petition)
Form I-130 proves the marriage is real and legal. The petitioner (the citizen or green card holder) files it. USCIS says filing or approval of the petition does not by itself give the beneficiary any immigration status.
What happens after you file, in order: a receipt notice (Form I-797C), a biometrics appointment if USCIS asks for one, possibly a Request for Evidence, and then either an approval or an interview. For an LPR’s spouse, the filing date becomes the priority date that the Visa Bulletin uses.
Attach strong evidence of the marriage up front: joint leases or mortgages, shared bank and insurance accounts, photos across time, travel records and affidavits. The I-130 document checklist lists what to include.
Use the current edition shown on the USCIS form page. For Form I-485, USCIS accepts only the 09/18/26 edition and will reject older ones.
Step 3: Decide whether to file the I-485 with the I-130
Form I-485 is the application that actually asks for permanent residence. USCIS says that in general you may not file it until an immigrant visa is immediately available in your category. For a citizen’s spouse that is always true. For an LPR’s spouse it depends on the chart.
Each month, USCIS announces whether family applicants use the Dates for Filing chart or the Final Action Dates chart from that month’s Visa Bulletin. For November 2026, USCIS says all family-sponsored categories use the Dates for Filing chart, and F2A is Current on that chart. USCIS can switch charts in any month, so check the USCIS adjustment filing charts page before you mail the package.
| Your situation | File together? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse is a U.S. citizen. You are in the U.S. and were inspected and admitted or paroled. | Yes | File the I-130, I-485, I-864, I-693 and, if you want them, I-765 and I-131 in one package. |
| Spouse is a U.S. citizen. You live abroad. | No | Citizen files the I-130. After approval, the case goes to NVC and an embassy interview. |
| Spouse is a green card holder. You are in the U.S. in valid status. F2A on the USCIS-designated chart is Current for your priority date. | Yes | File the I-130 and I-485 together. The I-485 stays pending until the Final Action Date reaches your priority date. |
| Spouse is a green card holder. You are in the U.S. in valid status. USCIS tells family applicants to use Final Action Dates and your priority date is not before the cutoff. | No | File the I-130 alone. File the I-485 later, when your date is current. |
| Spouse is a green card holder. You are in the U.S. but out of status, worked without authorization, or have another bar. | Generally no | The immigration status bars that are forgiven for citizen spouses generally still apply to F2A. Talk to an immigration attorney before filing anything. |
| Spouse is a green card holder. You live abroad. | No | The permanent resident files the I-130. When F2A is current for you, NVC schedules the interview. |
| Your green card holder spouse becomes a citizen while your case is pending. | Case upgrades | Tell USCIS in writing. You move to the immediate relative category and the visa wait ends. |
Current for filing is not the same as current for approval. An applicant with a priority date after October 22, 2026 can file, but USCIS cannot approve the I-485 until the Final Action Date passes that priority date. Our F2A explainer on filing versus approval walks through a worked example.
Filing before a visa is available can get the I-485 rejected. If the chart changes before you file, check the USCIS filing charts page again on the day you mail the package.
Step 4: Adjustment of status (Form I-485), biometrics and interview
Inside the U.S., the I-485 package for a marriage case typically includes the I-485, the Form I-864 Affidavit of Support, Form I-693 medical exam in the civil surgeon’s sealed envelope, copies of identity and entry documents, the marriage certificate and evidence of a genuine marriage.
After filing, expect a receipt notice, a biometrics appointment, possibly an EAD (work permit) and advance parole document if you applied for them, and then an interview at a local field office. Both spouses attend. The officer asks about how you met, your daily life and your shared finances. Interview scheduling times vary a lot by office, and our interview question guide covers what to prepare.
USCIS revised the Form I-485 on September 18, 2026 to align with its public charge final rule. See our public-charge summary for what officers can now weigh. The I-864 and your finances matter more than they did in 2025.
- Form I-485 (09/18/26 edition) and the filing fee
- Form I-864 with the sponsor’s tax transcripts and proof of income
- Form I-693 in the civil surgeon’s sealed envelope
- Passport, I-94, visa and birth certificate copies
- Marriage certificate and proof any prior marriages ended
- Evidence of a genuine marriage (joint accounts, lease, photos, affidavits)
- Optional: Form I-765 (work permit) and Form I-131 (advance parole)
The full list, with page-level guidance, is in our marriage-based I-485 documents checklist.
Do not leave the U.S. while the I-485 is pending unless you hold approved advance parole or another valid travel basis. See our guide to traveling during a pending case.
Step 5: Spouses abroad: NVC and consular processing
If your spouse lives outside the U.S., or you prefer not to adjust status, the case goes through the National Visa Center (NVC) and a U.S. embassy or consulate after the I-130 is approved. The immigrant visa you receive is IR1 or CR1 for a citizen’s spouse and F2A for an LPR’s spouse.
- USCIS approves the I-130 and sends the case to NVC
- NVC assigns a case number; you pay State Department fees and submit Form DS-260, the I-864 and civil documents
- Wait for an interview slot (F2A cases wait until the priority date is current on the Final Action chart)
- Medical exam with an approved panel physician, then the embassy interview
- Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee of $235 after visa approval
- Enter the U.S. with the visa packet; the green card arrives by mail
The NVC stage is where timing differs the most between countries. Our NVC timeline guide breaks down how long that stage can add.
State Department fees for immigrant visa processing are posted on travel.state.gov. Check that page before paying at NVC, because amounts and what is included change.
Step 6: What it costs in 2026
Fees below come from USCIS Form G-1055 (edition 10/26/26). Filing online often saves $50 on a form. Totals are for one couple filing the I-130, I-485, a work permit and a travel document while the I-485 is pending.
| Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative | $675 |
| Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status (applicant 14 or older) | $1,440 |
| Form I-765, work permit (reduced fee with a pending I-485) | $260 |
| Form I-131, advance parole (with a pending I-485) | $630 |
| Total, all four forms | $3,005 |
| Form I-864 Affidavit of Support | $0 |
| USCIS Immigrant Fee (consular route only, after visa approval) | $235 |
Online filing totals $2,855 for the same four forms ($625 + $1,390 + $260 + $580). The I-485 fee covers biometrics, so there is no separate biometrics fee. The civil surgeon charges separately for the Form I-693 exam.
| Form I-751, paper filing | $750 |
| Form I-751, online filing | $700 |
The old guide listed a separate $85 biometrics fee and a $805 work and travel permit line. Those figures are out of date. Always compare against the USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055) on the day you file.
Step 7: The two-year conditional card and Form I-751
If you are married less than two years on the day you become a permanent resident, you receive a conditional green card valid for two years. This applies whether your spouse is a citizen or a green card holder.
File Form I-751 together with your spouse during the 90-day period immediately before the conditional card expires. USCIS may reject a petition filed before that window opens. Include fresh evidence of the marriage covering the two years. Our I-751 guide has the full evidence list.
If the marriage ended or your spouse will not sign, you may be able to request a waiver of the joint filing requirement. That is a different filing strategy, so get legal advice first.
Common mistakes to avoid
F2A is Current for filing and close to current for approval in November 2026. If you waited because of old advice, check the current bulletin analysis now.
USCIS rejects older editions of Form I-485 filed on or after September 18, 2026. Download forms on the day you file.
If you are the spouse of a green card holder and fell out of status, the I-485 can be denied and put you at risk. Check first.
USCIS changed the Form I-485 filing location on October 7, 2026. Check the USCIS direct filing addresses page for your reason for filing.
Officers look for shared life, not just photos. Show finances, housing and time together.
The petition must be filed in the 90 days before the conditional card expires. Put the dates in your calendar on approval day.
What to do next
Pick your row in the decision table, then work from the checklists. Citizen spouses in the U.S. should assemble one combined I-130 and I-485 package. LPR spouses should confirm the chart USCIS designates this month, check the Visa Bulletin analysis for the F2A dates and decide whether to file together or in two stages.
Keep copies of everything, answer Requests for Evidence before the deadline on the notice, and report address changes to USCIS on Form AR-11. If your case is outside normal processing times, use the USCIS case inquiry tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a marriage green card take in 2026?
There is no single number. USCIS publishes I-130 and I-485 ranges by form category and office, and they differ sharply between citizen and green card holder petitions, so check the USCIS processing times page or our processing-times tool for your case.
Can the spouse of a green card holder file the I-130 and I-485 together?
Yes, when F2A is available on the chart USCIS designates. For November 2026, USCIS says family applicants use the Dates for Filing chart, where F2A is Current. The I-485 then waits for the Final Action Date to reach the priority date.
What is the F2A Final Action Date in November 2026?
The November 2026 Visa Bulletin sets F2A at October 22, 2026 for all countries except Mexico, and April 22, 2026 for Mexico. The Dates for Filing chart lists F2A as Current for every country.
Does the spouse of a U.S. citizen have to wait for a visa number?
No. Spouses of U.S. citizens are immediate relatives, so there is no annual cap and no priority date wait. The wait is USCIS processing of the I-130 and I-485, or NVC and the embassy interview if the spouse lives abroad.
How much does a marriage green card cost with USCIS?
On paper, the I-130 is $675, the I-485 is $1,440, the work permit with a pending I-485 is $260 and advance parole is $630, for $3,005. Online filing totals $2,855. Fees come from USCIS Form G-1055, edition 10/26/26.
Do I need an interview for a marriage green card?
Most marriage cases are interviewed. Both spouses attend and answer questions about the relationship and shared life. Bring original documents and updated evidence of your joint finances and living arrangements.
When do I file Form I-751 to remove conditions?
File during the 90-day period right before your two-year conditional green card expires. USCIS may reject a petition sent before that window opens. The fee is $750 on paper or $700 online.
What happens if my green card holder spouse becomes a citizen while my case is pending?
Your case can move to the immediate relative category, which has no visa cap. Notify USCIS in writing and include proof of citizenship, such as a naturalization certificate, so officers update your classification.
