How to Pay the $220 Green Card Fee Online: Methods and Exemptions

To pay the Green Card fee online, log in to your USCIS account at my.uscis.gov, enter your A-Number and Department of State Case ID, and submit $235 by credit card, debit card, prepaid debit card, or U.S. bank ACH transfer.¹ There is no mail-in option. USCIS will not produce or mail your physical Green Card until this payment clears.

Two Numbers You Need Before You Start

The payment portal asks for your Alien Registration Number (A-Number) and your DOS Case ID. The A-Number is the letter “A” followed by 8 or 9 digits. For most immigrants, the DOS Case ID is 3 letters followed by 9 or 10 digits. Diversity Visa lottery winners have a different format: 4 digits, then 2 letters, then 5 more digits (for example, 0000AB12345).²

Both numbers appear on the immigrant data summary the embassy gave you, on the USCIS Immigrant Fee handout, and on the immigrant visa stamp in your passport. Type them carefully. A typo can delay your Green Card significantly, because USCIS has no way to match a miskeyed payment to your file.¹

How the Online Payment Works

Create or log in to your USCIS account at my.uscis.gov.
Enter your A-Number and DOS Case ID so the system can pull up your immigrant visa record.
Choose your payment method and enter the details.
Review the information and authorize the charge. You will see an on-screen confirmation and typically get an email receipt.

Payment Methods USCIS Accepts

You can pay with a credit card, a debit card, a prepaid debit card, or an ACH transfer from a U.S. bank account. International bank accounts and wire transfers are not listed as options. If you do not yet have a U.S. bank account or a credit or debit card, a prepaid Visa or Mastercard gift card purchased at a retailer works, as long as it holds enough to cover the full $235. Only one prepaid card is allowed per transaction, so the balance on that single card must be enough on its own.¹

Paying for Family Members in One Session

One person can pay the fee for several family members in a single checkout. After you enter your own A-Number and DOS Case ID, enter each family member’s A-Number and DOS Case ID and select “Add.” Every person you add appears in a payee table, and the system charges one combined total. Make sure the card or bank account has enough to cover everyone in the transaction.³

When to Pay

USCIS recommends paying after you receive your immigrant visa but before you leave for the United States.⁴ Paying early lets card production start as soon as you are admitted at the border. If you wait until after arrival, USCIS will mail you a notice with payment instructions, and the card will not be produced until the fee clears.

What Happens After Payment

Once the payment is confirmed, USCIS starts producing your card. If you paid before entering the United States, the card may take up to 90 days from your date of admission. If you paid after entry, it may take up to 90 days from the date the payment clears.⁵ The card ships to the U.S. address you gave during your immigrant visa interview or at the port of entry.

While you wait, the temporary I-551 notation Customs and Border Protection stamped in your passport at entry serves as proof of your lawful permanent resident status for one year from the date of admission. It works as a valid document for employment verification on Form I-9 and as evidence of your right to live and work in the U.S.⁶

If You Move Before the Card Arrives

Federal law requires noncitizens to report any address change within 10 days of moving. The fastest way is to update your address through your USCIS online account, which pushes the change into USCIS case management systems almost immediately. Filing a paper Form AR-11 by mail satisfies the legal requirement but does not automatically update your address in the system, so your card could still go to the old address. Use the online tool whenever possible.⁷

Who Does Not Have to Pay

Most people who received an immigrant visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate owe the fee, but a few groups are exempt:

Children entering under orphan or Hague adoption immigrant visas
Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants who received visas for service to the U.S. government
Returning lawful permanent residents (SB-1s) resuming residence after an extended absence abroad
K nonimmigrants (fiancé(e) visa holders) who adjust status inside the United States

If you are unsure whether an exemption applies to you, check the immigrant fee handout your embassy or consulate provided.⁴

What Happens If You Skip the Fee

Not paying does not strip you of lawful permanent resident status. You are still an LPR. But USCIS will not produce or mail your Green Card, and the only proof of your status will be the temporary I-551 stamp in your passport, which expires one year from your date of admission.¹

After the stamp expires, you have no readily usable document to prove your status to employers, landlords, or border agents. Re-entering the country after international travel without a valid Green Card or unexpired I-551 stamp can create serious complications at the port of entry.

Duplicate or Mistaken Payments

If you paid the fee twice or believe you paid in error, submit a help request through the USCIS online help form. USCIS does not publish a detailed refund policy for this fee, but the help form is the designated channel for resolving payment errors.¹

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Immigrant Fee
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Tips on Finding Your A-Number and DOS Case ID
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Immigrant Fee Payment Guide
4
USEmbassy.gov. USCIS Immigrant Fee
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. When to Expect Your Green Card
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Temporary I-551 Stamps and MRIVs
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Alien’s Change of Address Card