Short answer: $2,115 to $3,005 in government fees, plus whatever you pay a lawyer. That range is for a spouse who qualifies to apply inside the United States and files by mail, using the USCIS fee schedule in force in October 2026. The low end is the petition and the green card application only. The high end adds the work permit and the travel document.
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The government fees, form by form (October 2026)
- Form I-130, the petition by the U.S. citizen or resident spouse: $675 by paper, $625 online.
- Form I-485, the green card application (age 14 and over): $1,440 by paper, $1,390 online.
- Form I-765, work permit while the case is pending (optional): $260 either way. That rate applies when it is filed with, or after, your green card application; a work permit filed on its own costs more.
- Form I-131, travel document while the case is pending (optional): $630 by paper, $580 online.
- Form I-693, the medical exam form: $0 to USCIS. The doctor charges separately.
Petition plus green card application: $2,115. All four forms: $3,005. Where online filing is available for your case, three of the forms cost $50 less. If the petitioning spouse is a permanent resident rather than a citizen, the green card application usually cannot be filed until a visa number is available, so the two main fees may come at different times.
The work permit and travel document are optional. Many couples file them with the package, because filing them later means a separate mailing. Filing them does not by itself let you work or travel; that starts only when each one is approved, and travel on the document carries its own risks. A separate $1,020 parole fee created in 2025 has a legal exception for green card applicants returning from temporary travel, so it should not apply to this document.
Attorney fees are a separate line
Government fees go to USCIS. Attorney fees go to the law office, and they are not included in the numbers above. Our own online service is priced at $1,499 for form preparation and $2,999 for full attorney representation, as posted on this site in October 2026. If you file on your own, the government fees are the same.
Costs people forget to budget
- The medical exam. USCIS charges nothing for the form, but the designated doctor sets their own fee, and required vaccinations can add to it.
- Certified English translations of any document not in English.
- Passport-style photos, certified copies of records, and postage.
- Time off work for the biometrics appointment and the interview.
How you pay, and what you cannot get back
For a paper filing, USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, money orders, or cashier's checks unless you qualify for a narrow exemption. You pay by credit, debit, or prepaid card on Form G-1450, or from a U.S. bank account on Form G-1650. Online filings are paid on the USCIS website.
Filing fees are final. If the case is denied or withdrawn, the government fees are not refunded. Fee waivers for the green card application exist only for a few categories, such as asylum-based cases, and a typical marriage case does not qualify.
If your spouse is abroad: consular processing
When the foreign spouse applies at a U.S. consulate instead, the government fees are different: the petition ($675 by paper), the State Department's immigrant visa fee ($325), the Affidavit of Support review fee ($120, charged when the affidavit is reviewed in the United States, which is the usual route), and the USCIS Immigrant Fee paid before the card is issued ($235). That comes to $1,355, plus the medical exam abroad. The work permit and travel document are not part of that path.
FAQ
Do we pay separately for the petition and the application if we file them together? Yes. Each form has its own fee even when they go in the same envelope. Pay each fee separately.
Can we get the fees back if the case is denied? No. USCIS filing fees are nonrefundable, whatever the outcome.
Will the fees change? They do change. USCIS publishes the current amounts in its fee schedule, Form G-1055, and a filing with the wrong fee is rejected. Right before you file, check the amount for your form and filing method on that schedule.
General information only — not legal advice for your case. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
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