Green card

Overview

Lawful permanent residence (LPR)

A green card (Form I-551) grants permanent resident status. The path depends on your category: employment-based (EB-1 through EB-5 and PERM), family-based, humanitarian, or the Diversity Visa lottery. Priority dates determine wait times for most categories.

Employment-based green cards are issued to priority workers (EB-1), advanced degree professionals (EB-2, including National Interest Waiver), skilled and other workers (EB-3), certain special immigrants (EB-4), and investors (EB-5). Most EB-2 and EB-3 cases require a PERM labor certification from the Department of Labor before USCIS will accept the I-140 immigrant petition.

The Visa Bulletin, published monthly by the State Department, shows "priority dates" for each EB and family category by country of birth. When your priority date is current, you can proceed to adjustment of status (Form I-485) or consular processing.

Green card holders can live and work permanently in the U.S., sponsor qualifying family members, and eventually apply for naturalization after meeting residency and other requirements.

Activity · daily, last 90 days
3 indexed updates
Jan 19, 2026 → Apr 18, 2026 · 90 days
Policy climate · last 90 days
Tone of coverage
67% neutral33% favorable
Based on 3 indexed updates in the last 90 days

Visa types in this category

Employment-basedEB-1 through EB-5 categories for workers and investors, tied to annual per-country numerical limits.EB-1Priority workers: extraordinary ability (no employer needed), outstanding professors/researchers, multinational execs.EB-2Advanced degree professionals and National Interest Waiver (NIW) self-petitioners.EB-3Skilled workers (2+ years experience), professionals (bachelor's degree), and other workers.EB-5Immigrant investors: minimum investment in a new commercial enterprise or USCIS-designated regional center.PERMDOL labor certification: prerequisite for most EB-2 and EB-3 I-140 filings.Diversity (DV)Annual diversity visa lottery open to nationals of low-admission countries (55,000 visas per year).Family-based GCImmigrant petitions for spouses, children, parents, and siblings of U.S. citizens and LPRs.Humanitarian GCGreen cards through refugee/asylee adjustment, Special Immigrant Visa programs, and other humanitarian pathways.

High-signal items · last 90 days

What to watch

Ranked by impact: rule changes, fee updates, open comment periods, executive actions, and processing shifts. Not just newest: most consequential.

  • Published Fed. Register
    Open for commentsProposed rule
    Improving Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Foreign Nationals in the United States

    The Department of Labor is proposing new rules to strengthen wage protections for foreign workers on EB-2 and EB-3 employment-based green cards and certain temporary work visas obtained through the PERM labor certification process. The changes aim to ensure prevailing wages are…

    Public comments accepted through May 26, 2026.

  • Published State Dept
    Processing
    Annual Limit Reached in the EB-5 Unreserved Category

    The annual visa cap for the EB-5 immigrant investor green card category has been reached, meaning no additional EB-5 petitions can be approved under the unreserved visa allotment for the current fiscal year. Applicants who have not yet received approval should monitor future…

  • Published State Dept
    Lottery / selection
    Update on Diversity Visa (DV) Program 2025: Close to Reaching 7 Percent Cap for Egypt

    The Diversity Visa (DV) program for 2025 is approaching its 7 percent administrative cap for applicants from Egypt. This means visa availability for Egyptian nationals under the DV lottery may soon be exhausted for the current fiscal year.

  • Published State Dept
    Lottery / selection
    Update on Diversity Visa (DV) Program 2026

    USCIS has released an update on the Diversity Visa (DV) Program for 2026, though specific details are not provided in this notice. This typically includes information about application deadlines, selection procedures, or visa availability for the upcoming fiscal year. Interested…

  • Published State Dept
    Annual Limit Reached in the EB-3 and EW Categories

    The EB-3 and EW (Employment-Based Third Preference and Exceptional Worker) green card categories have reached their annual numerical limits for the current fiscal year. This means no additional applicants can be approved under these categories until the next fiscal year begins.…

  • Published State Dept
    Processing
    Changes to Entry Period for 2027 Diversity Visa (DV) Program

    The Department of State has updated the entry period for applicants selected in the 2027 Diversity Visa (DV) program lottery. Selectees must enter the United States within a specified timeframe or forfeit their visa. Check the official DV program website for your specific entry…

  • Published State Dept
    Processing
    Adjudicating Immigrant Visa (IV) Applicants in Their Country of Residence

    USCIS is updating procedures to allow consular officers to adjudicate immigrant visa applications in applicants' countries of residence rather than requiring travel to a specific post. This change streamlines the visa process and reduces travel burdens for green card applicants.…

  • Published State Dept
    Processing
    Diversity Visa Issuance Updated Guidance

    The U.S. Department of State has issued updated guidance on Diversity Visa issuance procedures. This guidance may affect DV lottery winners and their processing timelines. Details on specific changes are not provided in the available information.

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