The total green card cost runs roughly $1,500 to $2,900 in government filing fees and third-party charges, before any attorney help. What you actually pay depends on whether you’re adjusting status inside the United States or going through a U.S. consulate abroad, whether you want a work permit and travel document while you wait, and how much your medical exam and document translations end up costing.
Cost of Adjusting Status Inside the U.S.
If you’re already in the United States, the main filing is Form I-485. The fee is $1,440 for anyone age 14 or older, and $950 for a child under 14 filing at the same time as a parent.1USCIS. G-1055 Fee Schedule Since April 2024, biometrics (fingerprints, photos, and signature capture for background checks) are included in that fee rather than billed separately.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Frequently Asked Questions on the USCIS Fee Rule Older sources referencing an $85 biometrics charge on I-485 filings are out of date.
The $1,440 is nonrefundable. USCIS keeps it whether your case is approved, denied, or withdrawn.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees
Work Permit and Travel Document
Work and travel authorization used to come free with the I-485. Not anymore. For I-485s filed on or after April 1, 2024, each requires its own fee.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Frequently Asked Questions on the USCIS Fee Rule
- Work permit (Form I-765): $260, whether filed online or on paper, when tied to a pending I-485.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Frequently Asked Questions on the USCIS Fee Rule
- Advance parole (Form I-131): $630 on paper or $580 online with a pending I-485.1USCIS. G-1055 Fee Schedule
Most applicants want both, which adds $840 to $890 on top of the I-485 fee.
Cost of Consular Processing From Abroad
If you’re applying from outside the country, the U.S.-based sponsor starts by filing Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) with USCIS. That’s $675 on paper or $625 online.1USCIS. G-1055 Fee Schedule Once USCIS approves the petition and forwards it to the National Visa Center, you pay a $325 immigrant visa processing fee to the Department of State to move forward with the DS-260 application.
After the consular interview and visa approval, one charge remains: the $235 USCIS Immigrant Fee, which covers producing and mailing the physical green card. Pay it online through the USCIS portal after you receive your visa packet and before you travel. You’ll need your Alien Registration Number and Department of State Case ID.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Pay With a Credit Card by Mail
Medical Exam, Translations, and Photos
Government fees are only part of the bill. A few third-party costs apply no matter which path you’re on, and USCIS can’t waive them.
Immigration Medical Exam
Form I-693 has to be completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon. Results from any other doctor won’t be accepted.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-693, Instructions for Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record USCIS doesn’t regulate what civil surgeons charge, so prices vary by location, your vaccination history, and whether you need chest X-rays or blood work. Plan on $200 to $500 for a straightforward exam, higher in major cities or if you need multiple vaccines. You pay the civil surgeon directly, and most health insurance won’t cover it.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record
Certified Translations and Documents
Every foreign-language document needs a certified English translation. The translator must state in writing that they’re competent in both languages and that the translation is accurate.7U.S. Department of State. Information about Translating Foreign Documents Professional services typically charge $30 to $75 per page for standard records like birth or marriage certificates, more for rare languages or rush work.
You’ll also need official copies of foreign birth records (costs depend on the issuing country) and passport-style photographs. Photo shops and shipping stores run about $15 to $17; big-box retailers and phone apps are cheaper.
Who Qualifies for a Fee Waiver
Form I-912 lets you ask USCIS to waive filing fees. You need to qualify under just one of three grounds.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-912, Instructions for Request for Fee Waiver
- You or a household member currently receives a means-tested benefit such as Medicaid, SNAP, or Supplemental Security Income.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-912, Request for Fee Waiver
- Your household income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. For 2026, that’s $23,940 for a single-person household and $49,500 for a family of four. Household size drives the threshold, so count carefully.10HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines: 48 Contiguous States
- You can document specific financial hardship, such as large medical debts or sudden unemployment, even if your income sits above the 150% line.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-912, Instructions for Request for Fee Waiver
T-visa holders, U-visa holders, and VAWA self-petitioners can request waivers for any filing tied to their immigration status.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-912, Instructions for Request for Fee Waiver A waiver doesn’t cover third-party costs like the civil surgeon or translations. Those come out of pocket either way.
How to Pay USCIS
As of late 2025, USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, business checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for paper filings unless a specific exemption applies.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS to Modernize Fee Payments with Electronic Funds For mailed filings, you have two options:
- Credit, debit, or prepaid card using Form G-1450 (Authorization for Credit Card Transactions). Place it on top of the filing package, and use a separate G-1450 for each application to avoid rejection.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Pay With a Credit Card by Mail
- ACH bank transfer using Form G-1650 (Authorization for ACH Transactions), which lets USCIS pull the fee from a U.S. bank account. Don’t try to split one fee between a G-1450 and a G-1650; USCIS may reject the whole package.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Pay With a Credit Card by Mail
Many forms can also be filed online, which handles payment during submission. The USCIS Immigrant Fee for consular processing is paid only through the online portal.
What Happens if Payment Fails
A declined card or bounced transfer can do more than delay your case. If your credit card is declined, USCIS won’t retry the charge, and it may reject the entire filing. If the benefit was already approved before the payment problem surfaced, USCIS can revoke the approval with notice. For a returned ACH payment, USCIS resubmits once; a second failure can lead to rejection or denial.12USCIS. Chapter 3 – Fees
An unfunded payment also voids any receipt notice, which means you lose your filing date. If you receive a Notice of Intent to Revoke, paying the correct amount in response can cure the problem, but any other fees paid on the same case are nonrefundable regardless.12USCIS. Chapter 3 – Fees Make sure the payment method has enough available funds to cover the charge on filing day and for several weeks after.
Renewing or Replacing the Card Later
Green cards expire after 10 years, or 2 years for conditional residents. Renewing or replacing one on Form I-90 costs $465 by paper or $415 online.1USCIS. G-1055 Fee Schedule A few narrow situations qualify for a free replacement:
- USCIS made an error on the card, such as the wrong name or date.
- USCIS mailed the card but it came back undeliverable and you never received it.
- You turned 14 and your current card won’t expire until after your 16th birthday.
Letting the card expire doesn’t strip your permanent resident status, but it creates problems for employment verification and re-entry after international travel that cost more to fix than the renewal fee itself.
Putting the Full Bill Together
An adult adjusting status inside the U.S. is typically looking at $1,440 for the I-485, $260 for a work permit, $580 to $630 for advance parole, $200 to $500 for the medical exam, and another $50 to $150 for translations and photos. That’s roughly $2,500 to $2,900 in hard costs before any legal help. Immigration attorneys often charge $5,000 to $10,000 for a family-based case, though rates vary widely.
Consular processing usually runs less: $625 to $675 for the I-130, $325 for the DS-260, $235 for the USCIS Immigrant Fee, plus medical and document costs abroad. That comes to roughly $1,500 to $2,000 in government and third-party fees before attorney costs.
If money is tight, file the fee waiver request before deciding you can’t afford to apply. A denied waiver is the worst outcome, and it costs nothing to ask.