Family
For a spouse who is already in the U.S., the green card runs as adjustment of status: Form I-130 and Form I-485, filed together where the rules allow, so you wait here — usually with a work permit and travel document requested in the same packet.
The forms
The family relationship petition — it proves the qualifying relationship between you and your relative.
The green card application itself — registering permanent residence from inside the U.S.
The work permit application, so you can work legally while your case is pending.
The travel document application — advance parole while a case is pending, or a re-entry permit.
The affidavit of support — the sponsor’s promise that the immigrant will have financial support.
Why this route
The whole case runs while you live your life in the U.S. — no separation, no trip abroad required.
Petition, green card application, work permit, and travel document can all file together on the same day.
The work permit arrives while the case is pending — legal work, a Social Security number, a normal life.
The case ends at your local USCIS office, together, with the record you built.
Requirements
The steps
I-130, I-485, I-765, and I-131 together. The receipt notices arrive within weeks and hold your place.
Fingerprints first; the permit and advance parole follow while the green card is pending.
Both of you, your documents, and questions about your life together.
Approved, the card mails — conditional if the marriage is younger than two years.
How it works
In English, Spanish, or Portuguese. The software puts your answers on the official USCIS forms.
Your evidence is sorted into a numbered exhibit index, and every field, signature, and document is checked for completeness.
Download the assembled packet and file it yourself — or have an independent licensed attorney review and file it for you.
Pricing
Your exact technology fee depends on your petition type and is shown during the free eligibility check, before you pay anything. USCIS filing fees are set by the government and paid by you directly to USCIS.
Questions
If you are married to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, a marriage green card may be your path — inside or outside the U.S. The free check asks about your situation and shows the exact forms, documents, and government fees for your case.
Spouses, parents, children, and siblings each have their own petition paths, and which ones are open depends on whether the petitioner is a citizen or a permanent resident. Pick the relationship in the chooser, or let the free check identify the right petition from your answers.
The K-1 fiancé visa is the path for bringing your fiancé to marry in the U.S. Its page explains the requirements and documents, and the free check confirms whether it fits your situation.
Go deeper
Marriage green card, inside the U.S.