Last Updated On 5 January 2025, 11:16 AM EST (Toronto Time)

Individuals interested in applying for a United States Green Card through marriage to a U.S. citizen or Green Card holder should become familiar with the application process, income requirements, and timeline for marriage-based Green Card issuance.

This guide offers expert advice for obtaining a marriage-based Green Card and walks you through the entire marriage Green Card journey from beginning to end.

How to Apply for Marriage-Based Green Card

When applying for a marriage-based Green Card, the process largely depends on whether the applicant is located inside or outside the U.S.

When an applicant is located outside the U.S., they must complete the application at an embassy or consulate through consular processing.

When an applicant is located inside the U.S. on a dual intent visa, they are allowed to apply for a Green Card through a process called adjustment of status (AOS).

If you are applying outside the U.S. through consular processing, it is generally a 6-step process that includes:

Filing Form I-130 with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
USCIS issuing an I-797 Receipt Notice via mail
National Visa Center processing
An interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate
Receiving an immigrant visa
Green Card arrival

If you are applying inside the U.S. through AOS, it is usually an 8-step process that includes:

Filing Form I-130 with USCIS
USCIS issuing an I-797 Receipt Notice via mail
Checking F2A visa number availability in the latest Visa Bulletin
Filing Form I-485 with USCIS
Attending a biometrics appointment
Employment Authorization Document issuance (if applicable)
Green Card interview
Green Card arrival

Individuals applying through AOS may also file multiple forms concurrently (at the same time) to streamline the process.

Marriage Green Card Income Requirements

Marriage-based Green Card applicants are required to earn an annual salary of at least $25,550 (USD).

The specific amount required of individuals varies based on the sponsor’s state of residence in the U.S. and the sponsor’s household size.

Use the Marriage Green Card Income Requirements guide to determine the income requirement for your sponsor.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Marriage Green Card?

While it’s difficult to provide an exact timeline for each unique marriage Green Card application, we can estimate how long it will take for the Green Card to be issued.

Based on past application data and current processing times for USCIS forms, the marriage Green Card application process can take anywhere from about 10 months to more than 3 years.

The timeline largely depends on whether you are married to a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident. The table below depicts the basic timeline overview for the marriage Green Card process.

Basic Timeline Overview

If you’re married to a:	And currently live in:	Estimated processing time is:
U.S. Citizen	The U.S.	10-13 months
U.S. Citizen	Another country	11-17 months
Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder)	The U.S.	29-38 months
Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder)	Another country	23-32 months

Satinder Bains

Satinder brings expertise, knowledge, and experience related to internal work flows at IRCC. She worked at Canadian Consulate in Chandigarh before moving to Canada. Her articles on “Chinook – An internal IRCC tool used to bulk process temporary applications” was one of the notable work on our news website