The green card renewal fee is $415 if you file Form I-90 online and $465 if you file it on paper. Both amounts took effect on April 1, 2024, and remain in place for 2026. There is no separate biometric fee, and USCIS will waive the cost entirely for applicants who cannot afford it.
What the Fee Covers
Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, is the form you file to renew an expiring ten-year green card, replace one that was lost or stolen, or update your card after a legal name change. The fee is the same in all three situations. The only variation is the $50 difference between online and paper filing, which reflects the lower processing cost of digital submissions.
Before April 2024, most applicants also paid a separate $85 biometric services fee for fingerprints and photographs. That charge no longer exists on its own. USCIS folded biometric costs into the base filing amount, so the $415 or $465 you pay now covers everything the agency needs to process the application.
When USCIS Charges No Fee
Two situations let you file Form I-90 without paying anything.
The first is non-delivery. If USCIS produced your card but it never reached you, you can request a replacement at no cost. You will need to include a copy of the original Form I-797 receipt notice showing the card should have been produced.
The second is a USCIS error. If your card arrived with wrong information because of a government mistake, such as a misspelled name or an incorrect date of birth, you can get a corrected card for free. You must send back the original incorrect card, not a copy, along with evidence of the correct data. If the mistake originated in your own paperwork rather than at the agency, the standard fee applies.
Fee Waivers for Financial Hardship
If you cannot afford the filing fee, you can request a waiver using Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver. USCIS looks at three grounds, and you only need to meet one.
- You or a member of your household currently receives a means-tested benefit such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Supplemental Security Income. Include a letter or notice from the issuing agency showing active enrollment.
- Your total household income is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. For 2026 in the 48 contiguous states, that threshold is $23,940 for a single person and $49,500 for a family of four.
- Unusual expenses have left you unable to pay even though your income is above the 150-percent line. Large medical bills, a recent job loss, or similar hardship can qualify. Send supporting documents such as hospital bills, a termination letter, or bank statements.
One restriction matters here: you cannot file Form I-90 online if you are also requesting a fee waiver. Waiver applicants have to mail the paper version of the form.
How to Pay
Online filers pay through Pay.gov after creating a USCIS account at uscis.gov. Accepted payment methods are credit card, debit card, and bank account transfer. Confirmation is immediate once the payment goes through.
Paper filers send their application to a USCIS Lockbox facility. As of October 2025, USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for paper-filed forms. You have two electronic options instead: Form G-1450 to authorize a credit or debit card charge, or Form G-1650 to authorize a direct withdrawal from a U.S. bank account. If you send a check, USCIS will reject the application.
Filing Early
You can file Form I-90 up to six months before your card expires. If you check the “expiring within six months” reason on the form but your card’s expiration is actually further out, USCIS may deny the application. Filing at the six-month mark is generally the safest window, since processing takes time and you want the new card in hand before any international travel.
Conditional Two-Year Cards Are Different
Form I-90 and its fee do not apply to two-year conditional green cards. If you hold conditional status from marriage, you file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, within the 90-day window before the card expires. Investors with conditional status through a commercial enterprise file Form I-829. Using Form I-90 in either situation wastes the fee and gets the application rejected. Once USCIS approves the I-751 or I-829 and issues a standard ten-year card, all later renewals use Form I-90 at the fees above.