Adjustment of status fees start at $1,440 for the Form I-485 itself for most adult applicants, but that number is only the beginning. Once you add the underlying petition, a work permit, a travel document, and the required medical exam, a single family-based applicant should plan for somewhere between roughly $3,255 and $4,005 out of pocket. Some vulnerable applicants pay nothing, and a narrow group qualifies for a waiver.
The I-485 Fee by Age
The base filing fee for Form I-485 depends on how old you are when you file:
- Ages 14 through 78: $1,440, which covers the application and biometric services like fingerprinting and photographs.
- Age 79 and older: $1,440. The dollar amount is the same, but USCIS generally does not require biometrics for this age group.
- Under 14, filing at the same time as a parent’s own I-485: $950.
- Under 14, filing alone: $1,440, the full adult rate.
The concurrent-filing discount for young children is the only built-in price break. A child’s application submitted separately from a parent’s costs the same as an adult’s.
Other Forms You’ll Likely File With It
The I-485 rarely travels alone. Most applicants send several forms in one package, and each carries its own fee.
Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
Family-based cases usually require a qualifying relative to file Form I-130 first, or concurrently. It costs $675 on paper or $625 online. Filed together with the I-485, the combined government fee for a single adult starts around $2,065 to $2,115 before anything else.
Form I-765, Employment Authorization
You can request a work permit while your I-485 is pending. This used to be included in the I-485 fee, but under the schedule that took effect in April 2024, Form I-765 filed alongside a pending adjustment application costs $260.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status If your case runs long and you need to renew, each renewal costs the same amount.
Form I-131, Advance Parole
If you need to leave the country while your application is pending, you’ll file Form I-131 for a travel document. Once bundled with the I-485, it now costs $630 on its own. Leaving without an approved advance parole can be treated as abandoning your adjustment application, so budget for it if any international travel is realistic.
The Medical Exam
Every I-485 applicant must submit Form I-693, a medical report completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon. USCIS does not set the price. Costs vary by location, provider, and which vaccinations you need, and the agency recommends calling several civil surgeons to compare rates.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Find a Civil Surgeon
Most applicants pay somewhere between $200 and $500 for the exam itself. Vaccinations can push the total considerably higher. The CDC requires a specific list of immunizations, and if you’re missing several, vaccine costs alone can exceed the exam fee. Some vaccines require multiple doses across weeks, so plan ahead. Most health insurance plans don’t cover the immigration exam, which catches many people off guard.
Who Pays Nothing
Some applicants owe no I-485 filing fee at all. These are true exemptions, not waivers, so no separate request or proof of hardship is required. The fee-exempt categories listed on the USCIS fee schedule include:3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule
- VAWA self-petitioners, including derivative family members.
- T nonimmigrants (trafficking victims) adjusting status.
- U nonimmigrants (victims of qualifying criminal activity) adjusting status.
- Special Immigrant Juveniles.
- Refugees and refugee parolees.
- Certain military members who served honorably on active duty under specific provisions.
- Afghan and Iraqi translators and interpreters who worked for or on behalf of the U.S. government, and their derivatives.
Fee Waivers Are Narrow for the I-485
USCIS offers fee waivers through Form I-912, but I-485 eligibility is limited. You can only request a waiver for adjustment if you’re filing under a category exempt from the public charge ground of inadmissibility, such as the Cuban Adjustment Act, the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, asylum-based adjustment, or adjustment based on continuous U.S. residence since before January 1, 1972.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-912, Request for Fee Waiver
Most family-based and employment-based applicants don’t qualify. This trips people up regularly. The waiver exists, but the eligibility rules for the I-485 are far more restrictive than for other USCIS forms.
If you do qualify, you can demonstrate inability to pay through one of three paths:5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Additional Information on Filing a Fee Waiver
- You or a household member currently receives a means-tested benefit such as Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, SSI, or Section 8.
- Your household income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. For 2026, that’s $23,475 for a single-person household and $48,225 for a family of four in the contiguous United States.
- Financial hardship, such as large medical bills or sudden job loss, makes paying the fee impossible even if your income would otherwise be above the threshold.
Documentation is required for all three paths. Include tax returns, pay stubs, benefit award letters, or medical bills with the I-912.
How USCIS Wants the Money
This is where things changed recently. As of October 28, 2025, USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, business checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for paper-filed forms.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Transition to Electronic Payments – Policy Alert Mail a check today and the entire application package will be rejected. The two accepted methods for mailed applications are:
- Credit or debit card, authorized by including Form G-1450, which requires the cardholder’s name, billing address, and signature. Make sure the card’s daily transaction limit can cover the total of every form in the package.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions
- ACH bank transfer, authorized by including Form G-1650, which lets USCIS debit a U.S. bank account directly at no extra cost. The account doesn’t have to belong to the applicant; any U.S. account holder can complete the form.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions
If you file in person, payment goes through pay.gov by credit card, debit card, or electronic funds transfer. Cash is never accepted. Whichever method you use, USCIS fees are non-refundable whether your case is approved or denied.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 3 – Fees
One warning for ACH users: some bank accounts have debit blocks that prevent outside entities from withdrawing funds. If yours does, contact your bank and provide the USCIS agency location code to whitelist the transaction before filing.
What a Failed Payment Costs You
A rejected payment can effectively erase your filing date. If USCIS determines a payment was unfunded at the time of filing, any receipt notice already issued becomes void and you lose your original filing date.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 3 – Fees
The consequences depend on how you paid. A declined credit card gets no second attempt, and USCIS may reject the entire associated filing. An ACH payment returned for insufficient funds gets one automatic resubmission; a second failure exposes your case to rejection or denial. ACH payments returned for reasons other than insufficient funds are not resubmitted at all.
In the worst case, if a payment becomes unfunded after USCIS has already approved your application, the agency can revoke, rescind, or cancel that approval with notice. Getting payment right the first time protects the status you’re paying for.
Putting the Total Together
A typical family-based adult applicant filing everything at once should expect roughly:
- Form I-485: $1,440
- Form I-130: $625 online, $675 on paper
- Form I-765 for a work permit: $260
- Form I-131 for a travel document: $630
- Medical exam and vaccinations: often $300 to $1,000 or more
That puts the realistic all-in cost for a single applicant somewhere between about $3,255 and $4,005. Multiply for a spouse and children. The USCIS fee calculator at uscis.gov/feecalculator can confirm the exact government fees for your specific situation before you file.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees