Adjustment of Status vs Consular Processing
Two routes to a green card: staying in the US with Form I-485, or interviewing at a consulate abroad. How they differ on timing, travel, and work.
Both paths end with a green card, but they suit very different situations. The deciding factor is usually where you are right now and your eligibility, not which one is "better."
Adjustment of status
If you are already in the US in a qualifying situation, you file Form I-485 and stay in the country the whole time. The early-2026 I-485 median runs about 8 to 13 months. A big advantage: you can file Form I-765 for a work permit and Form I-131 for travel at the same time, so you can keep working and, with advance parole, travel while you wait.
Consular processing
If you are outside the US, you go through a US embassy or consulate. After USCIS approves the petition, your case moves to the State Department and the National Visa Center, then you attend a consular interview and enter as a permanent resident. The USCIS processing tool only covers the petition step here, so the full wait includes a separate State Department stage.
How to choose
You usually do not pick freely. Your location and category point you to one path. Someone in the US on a valid status often adjusts. Someone abroad goes consular. Pull the petition times from https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times and remember consular cases add a State Department timeline on top. These are typical estimates, not legal advice, and times change month to month.