A person may obtain permanent residence status primarily through:

  • a family member
  • employment
  • investment
  • the diversity lottery
  • refugee or asylum status

However, annual numerical limitations are imposed on the number of immigrants applying for a green card through a family member (except that the limitations do not apply to immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, such as spouses, parents, or unmarried children under the age of 21), through employment and through the diversity lottery. When visa demand exceeds the allocated number of visas in a given year in a given category, approved immigrants have to wait until a visa becomes available. Visas are issued to approved immigrants in the order in which a petition has been filed

Immigrants who are subject to numerical limitations have to go through a three-step lengthy process to get permanent residency. The first step is to get the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approve the immigrant petition. Then, immigrants must obtain a visa number through the National Visa Center (NVC), for which there may be a long wait due to numerical limitations. Finally, once immigrants obtain a visa number, they must either adjust their current status to permanent resident status with the USCIS (if the immigrant is the U.S.) or apply with the Department of State (DOS) for an immigrant visa. See Visas and Consular Processing. The entire process may take several years.

Immigrants who are not subject to numerical limitations can immediate adjust their status to permanent resident status after the USCIS approves the immigrant petition if they are located in the United States or apply for an immigrant visa with the DOS if they are outside of the U.S.