Moving to the USA in 2026: Visas, Green Cards, Rules

How does US immigration work?

US immigration law sorts everyone who is not a citizen into two groups:

Nonimmigrants come for a specific purpose and a limited time. Each purpose has its own visa letter: B for visitors, F for students, H-1B for specialty workers, L for company transfers, and so on. You must follow the rules of your category, and most categories expect you to leave when your stay ends.
Immigrants are people with lawful permanent residence, usually called a green card. A green card lets you live and work anywhere in the US with no end date, and after a few years it can lead to citizenship.

Four agencies share the work:

Agency	What it does
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)	Decides petitions and applications filed inside the US, including green cards and citizenship
Department of State (consulates abroad)	Issues visas at US embassies and consulates
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)	Decides whether to admit you at the airport or border
Department of Labor (DOL)	Certifies many employer-sponsored jobs, for example through PERM

A visa is only a travel document that lets you ask to enter. Your status (what you are allowed to do and for how long) is set when CBP admits you, and it is recorded on your I-94 record. For a fuller walk-through, read how US immigration works and temporary vs permanent residency.

What are the main pathways to the USA?

Most people fit one of these families of options. Status labels are as of September 22, 2026.

Pathway	Who it fits	Typical time	Status
Visit: ESTA and B-1/B-2	Tourists, family visits, short business trips	Days (ESTA) to months (visa appointment waits vary)	Restricted for travel ban countries
Study: F-1, M-1, J-1	Students and exchange visitors	Months; plan around the school's admission cycle	Restricted
Temporary work: H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN, E	Professionals with a US employer or treaty nationality	Months; the H-1B lottery runs once a year	Open, H-1B fee in court
Family green card	Spouses, children, parents, and siblings of citizens or green card holders	No quota wait for immediate relatives; years to decades for others	Open, consular interviews frozen
Employment green card: EB-1, EB-2, EB-3	Workers with a sponsor, or high achievers who self-petition	Depends heavily on your country of birth	Open
Investment: EB-5, E-2, Gold Card	Investors and business owners	Varies; E-2 can be faster, EB-5 takes years	Open
Humanitarian: asylum, refugee, TPS, U and T visas	People fleeing persecution or crime victims	Often years	Restricted
Diversity Visa lottery	Nationals of low-immigration countries	Once a year, when open	Paused

"Typical time" is a rough guide only. Real waits depend on USCIS processing, your consulate, and, for green cards with annual limits, your place in the monthly Visa Bulletin. If you are not sure where you fit, try the visa finder.

How do people get a green card?

There are four main doors to permanent residence:

Family. US citizens can sponsor spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents (if the citizen is 21 or older) as "immediate relatives" with no annual cap. Other relatives, and relatives of green card holders, wait in capped categories (F1 to F4). See family immigration.
Employment. Most workers need an employer to sponsor them, often after a PERM labor certification. People with extraordinary ability (EB-1A) or work of national importance (EB-2 NIW) can file for themselves. See US green card options.
Investment. EB-5 investors put $800,000 or $1,050,000 into a US business that creates jobs. The Gold Card uses a $1 million gift and a $15,000 processing fee.
Humanitarian. Refugees and people granted asylum can apply for a green card after one year. Some crime and trafficking victims can too.

Once a petition is approved, you finish the process in one of two ways: adjustment of status inside the US, or consular processing at a US consulate abroad. Both are harder in 2026 (see below).

What changed in 2026?

2026 brought more changes to US immigration than any year in decades. The biggest ones, as of September 22, 2026:

Travel ban. Proclamation 10998 took effect January 1, 2026. It fully suspends visas for nationals of 19 countries. For 20 more it suspends immigrant visas and visitor, student, and exchange visas (B, F, M, and J), with Turkmenistan limited to immigrant visas. It has no end date.
Immigrant visas. A pause on immigrant visas for 75 countries began January 21, 2026; a court vacated it on August 21, and the government appealed. Separately, immigrant visa interviews have been frozen worldwide since August 25, 2026, with no restart date.
Adjustment of status. A May 21, 2026 USCIS memo (PM-602-0199) says people in the US on temporary visas should get green cards inside the US only in "extraordinary circumstances". Talk to a lawyer before relying on adjustment of status.
Diversity lottery. Paused. DV-2027 registration never opened.
H-1B. The lottery is now weighted by wage level. The $100,000 fee was extended to September 2027, but it is not being collected while courts decide.
Students. A rule ending "duration of status" for F-1 students was blocked by a court on September 14, 2026.
Public charge. A new rule took effect September 18, 2026.
Humanitarian programs. TPS was terminated for 11 countries, CHNV parole ended, and the refugee ceiling for fiscal year 2026 is 17,500 (7,500 plus 10,000 places added in May 2026 for Afrikaners).
Investors. The Gold Card is live, and EB-5 grandfathering protection ends September 30, 2026.
Visitors. A visa bond program became permanent on August 3, 2026 for about 50 countries, and a $250 Visa Integrity Fee is being rolled out at visa issuance.

Track every item on the USA Status Now page, and read the latest news.

Where should you start?

Name your goal. Pick the hub that matches it: work, study, family, invest, green card, visit, retire, humanitarian protection, or citizenship.
Check your nationality. Look at the travel ban list, and read the guide for your country if we have one, such as moving from India, the Philippines, or Nigeria.
Check the queue. If your route has an annual limit, look up your category in the Visa Bulletin tracker.
Estimate costs. Family sponsors can check the income test with the I-864 income calculator and the sponsorship cost estimator.
Pick a state. Rules on licenses, tuition, and services differ by state. See California, Texas, Florida, or your state's page.

How much does it cost to move to the USA?

There is no single price. You pay a government fee for each form, and the amounts depend on the category. USCIS lists every fee in its fee schedule (Form G-1055), and the State Department lists visa application fees on its fee page.

A few points help you budget:

Employers pay most work visa fees, and for the H-1B some fees legally cannot be passed to the worker.
Premium processing (a faster decision for some forms) costs $2,965 for most employment petitions since March 1, 2026.
Family sponsors must show enough income on an Affidavit of Support, usually at least 125% of the federal poverty guidelines.
Lawyer fees are separate and vary widely.

When should you get legal help?

Many people complete simple applications, such as an ESTA or a visitor visa, on their own. Get advice from a licensed immigration lawyer, or a Department of Justice accredited representative at a recognized nonprofit, before you act if you have:

a past visa refusal, overstay, deportation, or unlawful presence
any arrest or criminal record
an asylum case or fear of return to your country
a plan to change status or apply for a green card from inside the US in 2026

Only lawyers and accredited representatives can give legal advice. "Notarios" and visa consultants cannot. Read how to verify a lawyer and how to spot notario fraud.

In this section

Overviews

Family in the USAUS citizens can sponsor their spouses, children, parents, and siblings for green cards, and green card holders can sponsor their spouses and unmarried children. Spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of adult citizens are "immediate relatives" with no annual limit; every other family category is capped and can take years or decades. In 2026 the process is slower for families abroad because immigrant visa interviews have been frozen worldwide since August 25, 2026.Green cardA green card makes you a lawful permanent resident of the United States, with the right to live and work anywhere in the country and, usually after 5 years, to apply for citizenship. Most people qualify through a family member, an employer, an investment, or refugee or asylum status, and many categories have annual limits that create long waits shown in the monthly Visa Bulletin. In 2026, getting the final green card is harder: immigrant visa interviews abroad have been frozen since August 25, and a USCIS memo limits adjustment of status inside the US.Humanitarian protectionThe United States offers several forms of humanitarian protection: asylum for people in the US who fear persecution, refugee resettlement for people selected abroad, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of designated countries, and special visas for victims of crimes, trafficking, and abuse. Most of these programs were narrowed in 2025 and 2026: the refugee ceiling for fiscal year 2026 is 17,500 (10,000 of those places are reserved for Afrikaners), TPS has ended for most countries, and decisions for nationals of travel-ban countries have been on hold. Because the stakes are high and the rules change often, talk to a licensed immigration lawyer or an accredited nonprofit before you file anything.Invest in the USAThe US has three main routes for investors: the E-2 treaty investor visa, a renewable temporary visa for people from treaty countries who run a business they invested in; the EB-5 program, a green card for investing $800,000 or $1,050,000 in a business that creates 10 jobs; and the Gold Card, a green card track based on a $1 million gift to the US government. Business owners can also transfer themselves to a new US office on an L-1A. EB-5 grandfathering protection for new filings ends on September 30, 2026.Moving to the USA from your countryCountry-by-country guides to moving to the United States, including visa requirements, travel restrictions and the most common legal pathways.Retire in the USAThe United States has no retirement visa, and having savings or a pension does not by itself let you live there. Retirees usually choose one of three real options: spend part of the year in the US as a visitor (B-2 visa or ESTA), be sponsored for a green card by a US citizen son or daughter aged 21 or older (or a citizen spouse), or qualify through a large investment such as EB-5 or the Gold Card. If you want a country with a true retiree residency, Mexico offers permanent residency to retirees who meet an income or savings test.Study in the USAMost international students in the US hold an F-1 visa for academic study; vocational students use the M-1, and exchange students and scholars use the J-1. All three require acceptance by an approved school or sponsor, proof that you can pay, and an intent to return home, so none leads directly to a green card. After graduation, F-1 students can often work on OPT, which is how many move on to an H-1B and later a green card.US citizenshipYou can become a US citizen by being born in the United States, by being born abroad to a US citizen parent who meets certain requirements, by deriving citizenship as a child when a parent naturalizes, or by naturalizing yourself after holding a green card. Most adults naturalize after 5 years as a permanent resident, or 3 years if married to and living with a US citizen, and must pass English and civics tests. On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court confirmed that children born in the US are citizens regardless of their parents' status.US immigration guidesStep-by-step guides to US immigration processes: adjustment of status, consular processing, OPT, naturalization, the visa bulletin and more.US immigration tools US visasEvery US temporary (nonimmigrant) visa, from visitor and student visas to H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN and E visas, with current status and official sources.USA Status NowThis page tracks the US immigration programs and policies that changed most in 2025 and 2026, such as the travel ban, the immigrant visa pause, the H-1B $100,000 fee, and the paused Diversity Visa lottery. Each item below carries a status label and a Last verified date, and links to a page with the timeline and what to do now. As of September 22, 2026, several major policies are in court or restricted, so check the item that affects you before you file or travel.Visit the USACitizens of about 40 Visa Waiver Program countries can visit the US for up to 90 days with an online ESTA approval, which costs $40. Most other travelers need a B-1/B-2 visitor visa from a US consulate, which usually allows stays of up to 6 months per trip; Canadians generally need neither. In 2026, visitor visas are suspended for nationals of 38 travel-ban countries, and some travelers must post a visa bond of up to $20,000.Work in the USAAlmost every US work visa needs a US employer (or agent) to file a petition for you, and each one is built for a specific group: specialty professionals (H-1B), company transferees (L-1), people with extraordinary ability (O-1), Canadian and Mexican professionals (TN), treaty investors (E-2), and seasonal workers (H-2A, H-2B). Some, like the H-1B and L-1, allow you to seek a green card while you work. In 2026 the H-1B lottery is weighted by wage, and a $100,000 fee on some new H-1B petitions is not being collected while courts decide.

Guides

How US immigration worksThe US immigration system has two tracks: nonimmigrant (temporary) status for a specific purpose, such as a visit, study, or a job, and immigrant status, meaning a green card for permanent residence. Most people need a sponsor, such as a family member or employer, who files a petition, and many green card categories have yearly limits that create waiting lines published in the monthly Visa Bulletin. A visa only lets you travel to the US and ask to enter; your status and how long you may stay are decided at the border and recorded on your I-94.

Places

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest way to immigrate to the USA?

There is no easy route for most people. The fastest green card path is usually as an immediate relative (spouse, unmarried child under 21, or parent) of a US citizen, because there is no annual cap. Without family, most people need an employer sponsor or exceptional credentials.

Can I move to the USA without a job offer?

Yes, in a few ways: through a family sponsor, as an investor (EB-5, E-2, or the Gold Card), as an international student, or by self-petitioning under EB-1A or EB-2 NIW if you have outstanding credentials. Most work visas do need a US employer.

Is the US green card lottery open in 2026?

No. Diversity Visa issuance stopped on December 23, 2025, and DV-2027 registration never opened. A court order allowed some DV-2026 visas to be issued again from August 28 until September 30, 2026.

Can I apply for a green card from inside the US?

Some people can, through adjustment of status on Form I-485. However, a USCIS memo from May 21, 2026 says people on temporary visas should expect to use this route only in extraordinary circumstances. Speak with a licensed immigration lawyer before filing.

Does the 2026 travel ban affect me?

It applies to nationals of 39 countries under Proclamation 10998. Nationals of 19 countries face a full suspension. For the other 20, immigrant visas and visitor, student, and exchange visas are suspended, but most work visas are not. Check the list and exceptions on our travel ban page.

How long does it take to get US citizenship?

Most green card holders can apply after 5 years of permanent residence, or 3 years if married to and living with a US citizen. You must meet physical presence, good moral character, English, and civics requirements.

Official sources

USCIS: Green Carduscis.gov
US Department of State: US Visastravel.state.gov
USCIS: Fee Schedule (G-1055)uscis.gov
Congressional Research Service: 2026 travel bancongress.gov
US Department of State: Visa Bulletintravel.state.gov

General information, not legal advice. NorthAmericans.com is independent and not affiliated with any government.