Pathways
Six routes to a US green card. Pick the one that matches your situation — each card shows the steps and where to read more.
Work → green card
The employer-sponsored route and its faster alternatives.
- Get a job offer from a US employer, or qualify for EB-1A / NIW on your own record.
- Employer route: prevailing wage → recruitment → PERM → I-140 → bulletin wait → green card.
- NIW and EB-1A skip PERM entirely.
Family sponsorship
A US citizen or permanent resident petitions for you.
- Petitioner files Form I-130; that filing date becomes your priority date.
- Immediate relatives (spouse, minor children, parents of adult citizens) have no wait.
- Preference categories (F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4) wait in the Visa Bulletin lines.
Study → work → green card
The classic international-student route.
- Study on F-1, then work on OPT after graduation.
- An employer sponsors H-1B (annual lottery) for longer-term work.
- The same employer starts the PERM green-card chain while you work.
Investment
A green card through capital and job creation.
- Invest $800,000 in a targeted employment area or $1,050,000 elsewhere.
- File the investor petition, get a conditional green card, then remove conditions after two years.
Humanitarian protection
For people facing persecution, disaster, or crime.
- Asylum for persecution on protected grounds; TPS for designated countries.
- U and T visas for crime and trafficking victims; refugee resettlement from abroad.
Diversity lottery
The free annual lottery with no sponsor required.
- Enter free each fall if your country qualifies and you meet the education or work rule.
- Winners file DS-260 and interview at a consulate before the fiscal year ends.
General information only — not legal advice. Most people fit more than one route; an immigration attorney can compare them for your facts.