If you cannot afford the Form I-90 filing fee, you can request a full green card renewal fee waiver from USCIS by filing Form I-912 alongside your renewal application. Federal regulations at 8 CFR 106.3 list Form I-90 as eligible for a full waiver, and you qualify by meeting any one of three tests: you receive a means-tested public benefit, your household income sits at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or you can document extreme financial hardship.1eCFR. 8 CFR 106.3 – Fee Waivers and Exemptions You only need to satisfy one.
The Three Ways to Qualify
You Receive a Means-Tested Benefit
If you or someone in your household currently receives a public benefit that the awarding agency granted after checking your income and resources, you qualify. Common qualifying programs are SNAP, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Medicaid.
Not every government benefit counts. Social Security retirement, Medicare, and standard unemployment insurance are not means-tested, because eligibility comes from work history or age rather than financial need.
Your Household Income Is at or Below 150% of the Poverty Guidelines
If you don’t receive a qualifying benefit, USCIS looks at your household’s total gross income at the time you file. It must fall at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, which the Department of Health and Human Services updates each year. USCIS counts the income of everyone living in your household, not just yours.
For 2026, the 150 percent thresholds for households in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. are:
- 1 person: $23,940
- 2 people: $32,460
- 3 people: $40,980
- 4 people: $49,500
- 5 people: $56,475
- 6 people: $64,725
- 7 people: $72,975
- 8 people: $81,225
For each additional household member beyond eight, add approximately $8,520. Alaska and Hawaii have higher thresholds.2HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States and DC These numbers change every year, so check the current figures before filing.
You Can Document Extreme Financial Hardship
The third path exists for people whose income might technically exceed the threshold but who face extraordinary expenses that make paying the fee impossible. Serious medical bills, costs from a natural disaster, sudden job loss, or an eviction can all qualify. USCIS wants to see that paying the filing fee would force you to sacrifice basic necessities like housing or food. Of the three paths, this one draws the most scrutiny, because it turns on the adjudicator’s judgment rather than a yes-or-no financial test.
What to Send With Your Request
You request the waiver using Form I-912, though a written letter containing the same information is also accepted under the regulation.3GovInfo. 8 CFR 106.3 – Fee Waivers and Exemptions The supporting evidence has to match the path you’re claiming. Weak or missing documentation is where most fee waiver requests fall apart.
If you’re qualifying through a means-tested benefit, send an official benefit letter from the agency that awarded it, on the agency’s letterhead, showing the recipient’s name, the specific program, and confirmation that the benefit is currently active. A printout from an online benefits portal may not be accepted.
If you’re qualifying through income, the strongest evidence is a recent IRS tax return transcript or a copy of your federal tax return (Form 1040). If you didn’t file a return, send W-2 forms or recent pay stubs covering the last few months. Form I-912 asks for your household size, including the names and ages of all dependents. The household size you report should match what appears on your tax return; a mismatch invites USCIS to question the whole request.
If you’re qualifying through hardship, this path requires the most paperwork. Include medical bills, repair estimates, utility shutoff notices, or whatever documents illustrate the situation. Fill out the monthly expense sections of Form I-912 carefully, and add a written narrative explaining what happened, when, and why the fee is unaffordable as a result.
Any supporting document in a language other than English needs a certified English translation, with the translator’s signed statement that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from that language.4U.S. Department of State. Information About Translating Foreign Documents
How to File
You cannot file Form I-90 online when you’re requesting a fee waiver. The USCIS website is explicit about this restriction.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) The whole package has to go by mail: the signed Form I-90, the completed Form I-912 (or your written request), and all supporting documents, sent to the USCIS lockbox that serves your state. The correct mailing address is listed in the Form I-90 instructions.
Before you send it, confirm every form is signed, that you’re sending copies rather than originals of your supporting documents, and that the address matches your state. A package sent to the wrong lockbox gets returned, and you lose weeks.
After You File
Your Receipt Notice Extends Your Green Card
Once USCIS accepts the package, you’ll get a receipt notice. As of September 2024, filing Form I-90 automatically extends your Green Card’s validity for 36 months from its printed expiration date. Carry the receipt notice with your expired Green Card as proof of continued permanent resident status and work authorization while the renewal is pending.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Extends Green Card Validity Extension to 36 Months for Green Card Renewals
If the Waiver Is Denied
A denied fee waiver means the entire application package gets returned without being processed. There is no formal appeal. You have two options: refile a new fee waiver request with stronger documentation, or resubmit Form I-90 with the full filing fee.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Fee Waivers and Fee Exemptions If you refile, do it quickly. Filing a fee waiver does not pause any deadlines that apply to you.
The most common reasons for denial are insufficient documentation and income figures that don’t add up. If you’re qualifying on income but your tax return shows earnings above the 150 percent threshold for your household size, no amount of supporting narrative will save the request. Similarly, claiming a means-tested benefit without an official letter from the awarding agency leaves USCIS nothing to verify.
Does Requesting a Waiver Trigger Public Charge Problems?
Many permanent residents hesitate to request a fee waiver out of concern that it could hurt them under the public charge rule. USCIS policy guidance states that receiving public benefits does not negatively affect the review of a fee waiver request.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Fee Waivers and Fee Exemptions The public charge ground of inadmissibility primarily applies to people seeking admission or adjusting status, not to lawful permanent residents renewing an existing Green Card.
The Reduced-Fee Option Does Not Apply to I-90
Form I-942, which lets applicants earning between 150 and 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines pay a reduced filing fee, applies only to naturalization applications on Form N-400.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-942, Request for Reduced Fee For Form I-90, the choice is binary: pay the full fee, or qualify for a complete waiver through one of the three paths above.