Migratio United States · Guides · Find legal help · For lawyers

Form I-485 fee 2026: adults, children and add-on forms

As at 9 October 2026 the paper fee for Form I-485 is $1,440 for an applicant 14 or older and $950 for a child under 14 filing with a parent (8 CFR 106.2(a)(21)). A fee waiver is available only to people exempt from the public charge ground, and related forms carry their own fees.

Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, is the form used to apply for a green card from inside the United States. Its fee is the largest USCIS fee most families pay, and it comes with a cluster of related forms that each have their own price.

This page sets out the I-485 fee, the groups the regulation exempts, when a waiver is possible, and the fees for the forms often filed with it. It reports what the regulation says. It does not tell you whether the I-485 is the right form for your situation or whether you qualify to use it; that depends on facts about you, and a licensed attorney or DOJ-accredited representative can review them.

Fees were read from 8 CFR Part 106 on eCFR at its 1 October 2026 point in time, from USCIS's FY 2027 fee alert and from its Form G-1055 page, on 9 October 2026.

The fee, by age

8 CFR 106.2(a)(21) sets two amounts for the I-485:

  • $1,440 "for an applicant 14 years of age or older".
  • $950 "for an applicant under the age of 14 years who submits the application concurrently with the Form I-485 of a parent".

The second amount depends on the filing arrangement, not just on age. It applies to a child who files together with a parent's I-485. A child under 14 who files alone is not described by the second line. How the rule applies to a particular family is a question for the form's instructions or an adviser.

These are paper-filing amounts. Under 8 CFR 106.1(g), forms filed online cost $50 less "unless otherwise provided", and USCIS's G-1055 page (edition date 10/07/26) is where the current amount for each filing method is listed. The I-485 is not among the four fees USCIS announced on 30 September 2026 will rise for requests postmarked on or after 16 October 2026, but the alert's warning applies to every fee: a request without the proper fee "will be rejected".

The fee is paid in addition to any fees for forms filed with it (see below) and in addition to what a lawyer charges.

When no I-485 fee is charged

The regulation lists a small set of no-fee cases in 8 CFR 106.2(a)(21)(iii):

  • An applicant "in deportation, exclusion, or removal proceedings before an immigration judge, and the court waives the application fee." The power to waive in court sits with the immigration judge or the Board, under rules cross-referenced in 8 CFR 106.3(a)(4).
  • An applicant who served honorably on active duty in the US armed forces and is filing under INA section 101(a)(27)(K).

Separately, 8 CFR 106.3(b) exempts certain humanitarian groups from paying the I-485 fee, among them people seeking or granted Special Immigrant Juvenile classification, T nonimmigrant status or U nonimmigrant status, certain Afghan and Iraqi special immigrants, VAWA self-petitioners and their derivatives, and abused spouses and children under the Cuban Adjustment Act and the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act. Each group has conditions in the regulation; reading a heading is not enough to know whether a person is covered.

Fee waivers: only for people exempt from public charge

8 CFR 106.3(a)(1) allows a waiver if the person cannot pay and shows one of three things: receipt of a means-tested benefit at the time of filing, household income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines at the time of filing, or extreme financial hardship.

But which forms can be waived is limited by 106.3(a)(3). For the I-485, 106.3(a)(3)(iv) provides that its fee "may be waived only if the person is exempt from the public charge grounds of inadmissibility under section 212(a)(4) of the Act". Other fees in the same sub-paragraph are the I-192, I-193 and I-601.

To ask for a waiver, the person submits a written request with the benefit request, stating why they cannot pay and attaching evidence (106.3(a)(2)). USCIS's form for this, I-912, has no fee. The regulation adds: "There is no appeal of the denial of a fee waiver request." Read 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(ii)(D) as well: a request submitted without the correct fee can be rejected and "will not retain a filing date".

Whether a particular person is exempt from the public charge ground is a legal question. This page does not answer it.

Forms often filed alongside the I-485, and their fees

Each of these has its own line in 8 CFR 106.2 and is paid in addition to the I-485.

| Form | What it is | Fee | |---|---|---| | I-765 | Work permit, with a pending I-485 filed with a fee after 1 April 2024 | $260 (106.2(a)(44)(i); online discount does not apply) | | I-765 | Work permit, standard | $520 | | I-131 | Advance parole and other travel documents | $630 | | I-485 Supplement A | Adjustment under INA 245(i), where required | $1,000 (some exempt) | | I-601 | Waiver of inadmissibility, where required | $1,050 | | I-693 | Medical examination report | No USCIS fee | | I-864, I-864A, I-864EZ | Affidavit of support | No USCIS fee | | I-485J | Job offer confirmation or portability | No fee |

Two older-filing rules are worth knowing. There is no I-765 fee for an initial work permit for an applicant who filed an I-485 on or after 30 July 2007 and before 1 April 2024 and paid the I-485 fee (106.2(a)(44)(ii)(A)). And there is no I-131 fee for travel document applicants who filed an I-485 in that same window and paid the fee, while the I-485 remains pending (106.2(a)(7)(iv)). For I-485s filed from 1 April 2024, the $260 and $630 amounts above apply, which is why the date the I-485 was filed matters.

The I-693 is a USCIS form with no USCIS fee. The physician who completes it sets their own charge, which the regulation does not address, so ask the physician.

See our pages on the I-765 fee and the USCIS fees list.

A worked count (not advice)

To show how the figures add up, here is the arithmetic for two imagined filings. These are not recommendations of which forms to file.

Example A. One adult files an I-485 ($1,440), an I-765 filed with it ($260) and an I-131 ($630). USCIS fees: $2,330 on paper. The I-864 and I-693 add no USCIS fee. If a spouse's I-130 was also filed with it ($675), the total of these four is $3,005.

Example B. A parent and a child under 14 file together. The parent files an I-485 ($1,440). The child files an I-485 concurrently with the parent's ($950). That is $2,390 for the two I-485s, before any other forms.

If an inadmissibility waiver (I-601) is needed in a case, $1,050 is added for that form. If the 245(i) supplement applies, $1,000 more. Those sums show why the I-485 line is not the full bill. Compare quotes for what they include; our page on immigration lawyer cost explains how to ask.

Premium processing and timing

Premium processing is a paid option under 8 CFR 106.4. The list of designated benefit requests in 106.4(c) names certain employment-related petitions, change-of-status applications and the employment authorization application ($1,780 for the latter), and the I-485 does not appear on it. Check the form's page on uscis.gov for what is currently available.

We do not quote processing times or predict how long a case takes. USCIS publishes its own processing-times tool, and the figures change. After filing, USCIS may require an interview or biometrics: 8 CFR 103.2(b)(9) lets USCIS require "any applicant, petitioner, sponsor, beneficiary, or individual filing a benefit request" to appear, and the person may appear early, ask for good-cause rescheduling or withdraw the request.

If USCIS asks for more evidence, the Request for Evidence deadline never exceeds twelve weeks, and a Notice of Intent to Deny deadline never exceeds thirty days; "Additional time to respond... may not be granted" (8 CFR 103.2(b)(8)(iv)).

Payment, rejection and refunds

Fees "must be remitted from a bank or other institution located in the United States and payable in U.S. currency" (8 CFR 106.1(b)). USCIS's G-1055 page says that by mail you can pay with a credit, debit or prepaid card on Form G-1450, or from a US bank account on Form G-1650, and that cash can never be used.

Two outcomes catch people out:

  • Rejection. A request without the correct fee is rejected and keeps no filing date (8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(ii)). If USCIS accepts a request and later finds the fee was wrong, it "may reject or deny the request", and an approval can be revoked.
  • No refund. "Filing fees generally are non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the benefit request, or how much time the adjudication requires, and any decision to refund a fee is at the discretion of USCIS" (8 CFR 103.2(a)(1)(v)).

If the I-485 is denied, a motion or appeal on Form I-290B carries a separate $800 fee and generally a 30-day deadline from service of the decision (8 CFR 106.2(a)(16); 103.3(a)(2)). Not every decision goes that route; some are reviewed in immigration court. Who may represent you in each place is explained on who can give immigration advice.

Pay only by the methods USCIS lists. USCIS says it does not accept Western Union, MoneyGram, PayPal, Venmo or gift cards. See immigration scam warning signs.

Find an attorney or accredited representative

See attorneys and accredited representatives in the Migratio directory. Listings are shown in a neutral order with factual filters only (state, language, practice area, attorney or accredited representative). Migratio does not recommend, rank or match any lawyer.

Notaries public, notarios and immigration consultants are not lawyers and cannot give immigration legal advice. Only a licensed attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative can.

Migratio is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Only a licensed attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative can advise you.

Questions people ask

How much is the I-485 filing fee in 2026?

As at 9 October 2026 it is $1,440 on paper for an applicant 14 or older and $950 for a child under 14 who files concurrently with a parent's I-485 (8 CFR 106.2(a)(21)). Online filing is $50 lower unless the rule says otherwise. Check Form G-1055 before you pay.

Does the I-485 fee include the work permit and travel document?

No. The I-765 and I-131 have their own fees: $260 for the I-765 filed with a pending I-485 that was filed with a fee after 1 April 2024, and $630 for advance parole. Earlier I-485 filings have different rules, listed above.

Can the I-485 fee be waived?

Only for a person exempt from the public charge ground of inadmissibility, and only if they also show inability to pay (8 CFR 106.3(a)(1) and (a)(3)(iv)). Some groups are exempt from the fee altogether under 106.3(b). There is no appeal of a denied waiver request.

Is the I-485 fee going up on 16 October 2026?

USCIS's announcement names four fees: the annual asylum fee, the immigration parole fee, the initial I-765 for asylum applicants, parolees and TPS, and the I-821. The I-485 is not among them. Check G-1055 on the day you file.

Is there a fee for the medical exam form I-693 or the affidavit of support?

USCIS charges no fee for the I-693 or for Forms I-864, I-864A and I-864EZ. A doctor who completes the I-693 sets their own charge.

What happens if I send the wrong I-485 fee?

USCIS can reject the request, and a rejected request keeps no filing date (8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(ii)). If it is accepted and the fee is later found wrong, USCIS may reject or deny it. Filing fees are generally non-refundable.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • USCIS fees, October 2026: every main form — As at 9 October 2026 the paper fee is $675 for the I-130, $1,440 for an adult I-485, $520 for a standard I-765, $750 for the I-751 and $760 for the N-400. Four fees rise on 16 October 2026, EB-5 fees change on 30 November 2026, and several changes are only proposed.
  • Form I-130 filing fee 2026: what it is and who pays — The USCIS fee for Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, is $675 on paper as at 9 October 2026 (8 CFR 106.2(a)(6)), whichever relative the petition is for. It cannot be waived, filing fees are generally non-refundable, and the I-130 is not on the 16 October 2026 increase list.
  • Form I-765 fee 2026: $520, $260, $570 or no fee — The standard paper fee for Form I-765 is $520 (8 CFR 106.2(a)(44)). It is $260 with a pending I-485 filed with a fee after 1 April 2024, some groups pay nothing, and a statutory fee applies to initial asylum, parole and TPS work permits, rising from $560 to $570 on 16 October 2026.
  • Do I need a lawyer for a marriage green card? — No rule requires one. A spouse filing inside the US pays $675 for the I-130 and $1,440 for the I-485 (age 14+). If the green card is granted on a conditional basis, the I-751 must be filed in the 90 days before its second anniversary, or permanent residence ends automatically.
  • How much does an immigration lawyer cost? — There are two bills: the lawyer's fee, which each lawyer sets (flat, hourly or per consult) and must explain to you, and the government filing fees, which are fixed by regulation. A marriage green card filed inside the US, for example, carries $2,115 in USCIS fees for the I-130 and I-485 alone, before any lawyer's fee.
  • Do I need an immigration lawyer? What the rules say — No federal rule requires you to hire anyone to file with USCIS; the regulations say a person "may be represented". If you do get help, only attorneys, DOJ-accredited representatives and a few narrow categories may represent you. Whether to get one is your decision; this page sets out the rules and deadlines that bear on it.
  • Immigration scams: warning signs and where to report them — Only attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives may give immigration legal advice, USCIS forms are available at no cost on its website, and USCIS does not take payment by gift card or by apps such as Venmo. If you have paid a scammer, report to the FTC and your state consumer protection office.