Green Card

Learn what Form I-485 is, how to fill it out, and what fees to pay in 2026. Step-by-step guide for green card applicants in the USA.

Learn how the PERM labor certification process works for an employment-based green card. Step-by-step guide for 2026, fees, timelines, and expert tips.

A new federal rule scheduled to take effect on September 18, 2026 could make it harder to get a green card if you use food stamps, Medicaid, or housing assistance. The Department of Homeland Security issued the final rule on July 16, replacing a narrow list of countable benefits with a broad "totality of circumstances" standard. Advocates warn that up to 950,000 people may drop essential benefits out of fear — even if they don't need to.

You applied for a green card and used SNAP benefits or a housing voucher to get by — now the US government may use that against you. A newly expanded "public charge" rule could make those programs a reason to deny your application for lawful permanent residency. At the same time, ICE is still arresting people at New York City immigration courts, even after a judge ordered it to stop.

DHS has rescinded its 2022 public charge rule and replaced it with a final rule that gives immigration officers far wider discretion to decide whether you could become a financial burden on the government. That decision can block your green card application or your entry into the US. If you receive — or have received — government benefits, this change affects you directly.

A rule that limited what USCIS could hold against you is gone. DHS has finalized a regulation rolling back the 2022 Biden-era public charge standard, giving immigration officers wider power to scrutinize your finances and benefit history when you apply for a green card. If you are in the middle of a green card application — or planning to file one — the rules just shifted under your feet.

EB-5 investors putting up $800,000 for a U.S. green card can wait 2–3 years for a decision — sometimes longer than unauthorized border crossers. Immigration attorney Ilya Fishkin explains why the system fails its highest-stakes applicants.

Immigration attorney Ilya Fishkin explains what documents to gather for your marriage-based green card interview and why you should start collecting them early.

Two people received a combined 32 years in federal prison for trafficking a 16-year-old orphan across three states. USCIS — the same agency that processes your green card or work permit — helped investigators crack the case by pulling immigration records and reviewing jail calls. The verdict shows how immigration databases feed directly into federal criminal prosecutions.

They married on Christmas Eve, filed the paperwork, and got a green card — but they never lived together, not even for a single day. A Korean national and a woman from Guam kept up the lie for over 14 years before federal investigators caught up with them. Now one of them faces possible deportation, and the case is a warning for anyone tempted to use a fake marriage to get a green card.

You invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into a US business, expecting a green card in return. But the EB-5 program comes with rules that go far beyond immigration — and breaking them can cost you everything. Here is what every investor needs to understand before filing in 2026.

A self-confessed MS-13 gang member walked into a USCIS office on Long Island to apply for a green card — and walked out in handcuffs. USCIS had already flagged him as a threat and alerted ICE before he arrived. His arrest raises urgent questions for thousands of immigrants with pending SIJ applications.

Millions of immigrants living in the US on temporary visas have long been able to apply for a green card without leaving the country. On May 22, 2026, USCIS changed that. A new policy memo tells officers to treat inside-the-US green card applications as rare exceptions — not the norm.

Immigration attorney Ilya Fishkin explains how discretion works in green card cases and why even minor arrests can lead to a denial.

Green card application costs range from $1,440 to over $3,000+ depending on your category, with extra fees for medical exams, documents, and attorneys. Here's a full breakdown of what to budget before you file.