The I-130 filing fee is $625 when you submit the petition online through your USCIS account, or $675 when you file a paper form by mail. USCIS set these amounts in the fee rule that took effect April 1, 2024, and the $50 difference reflects the lower processing cost of electronic filings.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 2024 Final Fee Rule The base figure sits in federal regulation at 8 CFR 106.2.2eCFR. 8 CFR 106.2
What the Fee Covers
The fee applies to a single petition. If you are sponsoring your spouse and a parent, that is two I-130s and two fees.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
There is no separate biometrics charge. Since the April 2024 rule, biometric services are folded into the filing fee. If you are petitioning for a spouse, you will also file Form I-130A (Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary), and that form carries no additional charge.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
The fee is non-refundable. USCIS keeps it whether your petition is approved, denied, or withdrawn.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees
How to Pay
Online filers pay through Pay.gov as part of the electronic submission. You enter your petition information in your USCIS account, and the system routes you to the payment page before it accepts the filing.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
Paper filers cannot simply drop a check in with the petition. USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for paper-filed forms unless the petitioner qualifies for a specific exemption.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees The two standard options are:
- Pay by credit, debit, or prepaid card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions. Place the completed G-1450 on top of your petition package.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions
- Pay by direct bank debit using Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions, which lets USCIS pull the fee from a U.S. checking or savings account. Place this form on top of the package as well.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions
If you have no access to banking or electronic payments, you can request a paper payment exemption by filing Form G-1651. Approval lets you pay by check or money order made payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees Outside that narrow exception, mailing a check with your I-130 will get the entire package rejected and returned.
If Your Payment Is Declined
A declined card means a rejected petition. USCIS does not run the card a second time.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Pay With a Credit Card by Mail An ACH payment that bounces for insufficient funds produces the same result. Before you send the package, confirm your card has room on it and your account has a balance that covers the fee. A rejection sends you back to the start of filing, and any delay pushes back your priority date.
Fee Waivers and Exemptions
The I-130 does not qualify for a fee waiver under Form I-912. The I-912 instructions list every form that is eligible, and the I-130 is not on that list.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Request for Fee Waiver Petitioners familiar with waivers for naturalization or green card renewal often expect the same option here and find it isn’t available.
A narrower category of humanitarian fee exemptions does exist under 8 CFR 106.3. It covers VAWA self-petitioners, T nonimmigrant status holders (trafficking victims), and U nonimmigrant status holders (crime victims), among other protected groups. These cases require documentation of the underlying status or pending petition and are not available to a typical family-based petitioner.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Fee Waivers and Fee Exemptions
Fees You’ll See Later in the Process
The I-130 fee only covers the petition that establishes the qualifying family relationship. It is not the full cost of getting a green card, and knowing the later charges helps you plan.
If your relative is in the United States and eligible to adjust status, the next major cost is Form I-485. That fee is $1,440 for applicants age 14 and older, and $950 for children under 14 filing concurrently with a parent.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule The I-485 fee includes work authorization and travel document applications when filed together, so those add nothing extra.
If your relative is abroad, the case moves to the National Visa Center and then a U.S. consulate. The Department of State charges $325 per person for immigrant visa application processing on an approved I-130, plus a $120 Affidavit of Support review fee when processed domestically.12U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services After the visa is issued, USCIS charges a $220 immigrant fee for green card production, paid online before your relative enters the U.S.
Every applicant also needs a medical exam by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon or a panel physician abroad. USCIS does not regulate what these doctors charge, and costs vary widely by location.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Finding a Medical Doctor Most applicants pay several hundred dollars out of pocket for the exam and any required vaccinations.
A rough total for a U.S. citizen sponsoring a spouse who adjusts status inside the country: $625 for the I-130 filed online plus $1,440 for the I-485, or about $2,065 in government filing fees before the medical exam. Consular processing runs lower in USCIS fees but adds the State Department visa charges and the immigrant fee. None of these figures include attorney fees, translations, or travel costs.