US Family Green Card and Citizenship in 2026: Immediate Relatives, Preference Queues and Naturalisation After 5 Years

Family is the largest source of green cards in the US, and naturalisation is the final step on every permanent route. Below are the rules from USCIS, the Visa Bulletin and the BRIDGES green card glossary, checked on 4 November 2026.

Immediate relatives

Immediate relatives of US citizens have no annual quota:

• the spouse of a US citizen;
• an unmarried child under 21 of a US citizen;
• a parent of a US citizen aged 21 or over.

The citizen files Form I-130 ($675 on paper, $625 online). If the relative is lawfully in the US, Form I-485 for adjustment of status costs $1,440. If the marriage is less than 2 years old when the green card is granted, the card is conditional for 2 years, and the couple files Form I-751 in the 90 days before it expires.

Preference categories

Other relatives wait in preference queues:

Category	Who
F1	unmarried sons and daughters 21 or over of US citizens
F2A	spouses and children under 21 of green card holders
F2B	unmarried sons and daughters 21 or over of green card holders
F3	married sons and daughters of US citizens
F4	brothers and sisters of adult US citizens

According to BRIDGES, in the November 2026 bulletin F1, F2B, F3 and F4 for most countries moved forward by about a year, and F2A reached 22 October 2026. The F3 and F4 queues can still run to many years.

Keeping the green card

A green card is for living in the US. According to BRIDGES, an absence of more than 6 months raises questions at the border, and more than a year can be treated as abandoning the status unless you have a re-entry permit. A green card holder is taxed on worldwide income, according to the IRS.

Naturalisation

The general requirements are:

• 5 years as a permanent resident, or 3 years if married to a US citizen and living together;
• continuous residence and physical presence of at least 30 months, or 18 months for the 3-year route;
• 3 months in the state or USCIS district where you file;
• good moral character, English and civics.

Form N-400 costs $760 on paper or $710 online, and you can file up to 90 days before the anniversary. For applications filed from 20 October 2025 the civics test uses a list of 128 questions: the officer asks up to 20, and you must answer 12 correctly.

The passport

According to the BRIDGES Passport Index of 4 October 2026, the US passport ranks 11th of 199 with 179 destinations without a prior visa. Remember that US citizens are taxed on worldwide income wherever they live, and check whether your current country allows dual citizenship.

My honest view

If you have a US citizen spouse or adult child, family sponsorship is the cheapest and most predictable route, and I always check it first. For everyone else, naturalisation is a horizon of at least 5 years after the green card, so plan your absences and taxes from the start. All routes are compared in the complete guide.