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Marriage green card cost in 2026: inside the US vs abroad

For the spouse of a US citizen, the I-130 is $675. Inside the US the I-485 adds $1,440. Abroad, the State Department immigrant visa fee is $325 and USCIS's immigrant fee is $235. A marriage under 24 months old at approval leads to a conditional card and a later I-751 at $750.

The cost of a marriage-based green card depends on where the foreign spouse is when the case runs. Inside the US, the second step is an adjustment of status (the I-485). Outside it, the second step is consular processing: a visa interview at a US embassy or consulate.

This page lays out the government fees for each path, as at 9 October 2026, with the regulation behind each number. It covers government fees only. Lawyer fees are not covered because we hold no first-party published prices, and medical-exam, translation and document costs vary by place and provider.

It does not tell a couple which path applies to them. Whether someone can adjust status inside the US depends on how they entered, what status they hold and their history. That is a legal assessment for an attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.

Step one for everyone: the I-130 petition

For the spouse of a US citizen, both paths start with Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. 8 CFR 106.2(a)(6) sets the fee at $675. The petitioner pays it.

The regulation sets a fee per request (8 CFR 106.1(a): fees "are associated with the benefit, the adjudication, or the type of request and not solely determined by the form number").

A package with the wrong fee is rejected. 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(ii)(D) says a benefit request is rejected if it is not "submitted with the correct fee(s)", and a rejected request "will not retain a filing date". Credit and debit card payments cannot be charged back "except at the discretion of USCIS" (106.1(e)).

Online filing. The general discount in 8 CFR 106.1(g) takes $50 off fees for forms filed online "unless otherwise provided". Whether the I-130 and I-485 are available online, and the amount charged, are shown on the USCIS form pages and the G-1055 fee schedule, which we could not read. The figures on this page are the paper-filing amounts in the regulation.

Path A: the spouse is in the US (adjustment of status)

| Item | Fee | Source | |---|---|---| | I-130 petition | $675 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(6) | | I-485 application, age 14 or older | $1,440 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(21)(i) | | I-485, child under 14 filing with a parent's I-485 | $950 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(21)(ii) | | I-693 medical report (USCIS fee) | No fee | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(39) | | I-864 affidavit of support | No fee | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(55) | | Core government total, adult | $2,115 | | | Optional: I-765 work permit while the I-485 is pending, if the I-485 was filed with a fee after 1 April 2024 | $260 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(44)(i) | | Optional: I-131 advance parole travel document | $630 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(7)(iii) |

Who can adjust. INA 245(a) (8 U.S.C. 1255(a)) allows adjustment for an alien "who was inspected and admitted or paroled into the United States", who is eligible for and admissible to permanent residence, and for whom an immigrant visa is "immediately available" when the application is filed. Spouses of citizens are "immediate relatives" as defined in INA 201(b) (8 U.S.C. 1151(b)), the category 245(c) refers to below.

INA 245(c) lists people to whom adjustment does not apply. It carves out "an immediate relative as defined in section 1151(b)" from the bars on unauthorized employment, lack of lawful status and failure to maintain status (245(c)(2)). Whether any other bar or inadmissibility ground applies to a particular person is the assessment that needs a lawyer or accredited representative, and a mistake there can cost the $1,440 fee and more.

Work and travel. A pending I-485 does not by itself authorize work or travel. The I-765 and I-131 are separate filings with separate fees. Leaving the US without the right document while an I-485 is pending can have consequences under rules we have not read, so the point is a question for the form instructions or a representative.

The medical report. The I-693 has no USCIS fee. The civil surgeon who completes it charges separately, and we hold no published figure.

The affidavit of support. The I-864 has no USCIS fee, but it creates an enforceable obligation, with an income test of 125 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (see our I-864 guide).

Path B: the spouse is abroad (consular processing)

| Item | Fee | Source | |---|---|---| | I-130 petition | $675 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(6) | | Immigrant visa application processing, immediate-relative and family categories (State Dept, per person) | $325 | 22 CFR 22.1 item 32(a) | | Affidavit of support review, only when done domestically | $120 | 22 CFR 22.1 item 34 | | USCIS immigrant fee, after the visa is issued | $235 | 8 CFR 106.2(c)(3) | | I-864 affidavit of support | No fee | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(55) | | Core government total, one applicant | $1,235 | |

The $1,235 is $675 + $325 + $235 and assumes the affidavit of support is not reviewed domestically. The $120 review fee applies only in that situation, taking the total to $1,355. The regulation heading for item 34 reads "Affidavit of Support Review (only when reviewed domestically)".

The USCIS immigrant fee. 8 CFR 106.2(c)(3) describes it as the fee "for DHS domestic processing and issuance of required documents after an immigrant visa is issued by the U.S. Department of State": $235. It is paid by the immigrant after the visa is issued.

Per person. Item 32 is headed "Immigrant Visa Application Processing Fee (per person)". A child immigrating with the spouse pays their own State Department fee and USCIS immigrant fee.

Medical exam and documents. Medical-exam, translation and document costs are set by the providers and vary by location. We hold no published figure for them.

Waivers. If the spouse has been unlawfully present in the US, a waiver may be part of the case; the I-601A ($795) and I-601 ($1,050) are priced in 8 CFR 106.2(a)(34) and (33). They are covered in our I-601A guide and are not in the core totals above.

Comparing the two paths, and the later I-751

| | Path A: inside the US | Path B: abroad | |---|---|---| | Petition | $675 | $675 | | Second step | I-485 $1,440 | Visa fee $325 | | After approval | none | USCIS immigrant fee $235 | | Core total (adult) | $2,115 | $1,235 | | Optional adds | I-765 $260, I-131 $630 | $120 if the affidavit is reviewed domestically |

On government fees alone, the consular path is lower. The difference of about $880 is not a reason to pick a path. The two paths are not interchangeable: a person's location, history and status decide which one is open, and a person outside the US who does not meet the consular requirements cannot choose adjustment. The costs of separation, travel and the length of time apart are not in these tables either.

The later I-751. Under INA 216 (8 U.S.C. 1186a) a spouse who obtains permanent residence on a marriage "entered into less than 24 months before the date the alien obtains such status" gets a conditional card. Removing the condition takes Form I-751, $750 under 8 CFR 106.2(a)(43), filed in the 90 days before the second anniversary. A couple already married 24 months or more at approval does not face that step or that fee. For the filing rules, see our I-751 guide.

What the totals leave out. Lawyer and preparer fees; translations and certified copies; medical examinations; passport photos; travel to an interview; and a second filing if the first is rejected. The regulations also expose a cost that is not a fee: a rejected package loses its filing date.

Fee changes. None of the fees on this page are among the four USCIS lists as changing on 16 October 2026 (the annual asylum fee, the I-131 parole fee, initial I-765 for asylum, parole and TPS applicants, and the I-821 TPS fee). The I-131 line on this page is the advance-parole travel-document fee in 106.2(a)(7)(iii), not the parole fee that is changing. Check the USCIS fee schedule before paying.

Who may help. Only attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives, with a few other narrow categories, may represent a person before USCIS (8 CFR 292.1). USCIS says others can charge only a nominal fee, and a person who tells a couple which path to take is giving advice.

Finding a licensed attorney or accredited representative

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See attorneys and accredited representatives in the directory.

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 does a marriage green card cost in government fees?

As at 9 October 2026, for an adult spouse of a US citizen: about $2,115 inside the US (I-130 $675 plus I-485 $1,440) or $1,235 through a consulate (I-130 $675, visa fee $325, USCIS immigrant fee $235), before optional items, medical exams, translations and lawyer fees.

What is the I-130 filing fee?

$675 under 8 CFR 106.2(a)(6). The petitioner files it.

Does the I-864 affidavit of support have a filing fee?

There is no USCIS fee for the I-864 (8 CFR 106.2(a)(55)). The State Department charges $120 for an affidavit-of-support review only when the review is done domestically (22 CFR 22.1 item 34). The form creates a binding financial obligation, which our I-864 guide explains.

Do I pay an extra fee for the green card itself after the visa?

For consular processing, yes: the USCIS immigrant fee of $235 (8 CFR 106.2(c)(3)), paid after the immigrant visa is issued. It is separate from the State Department's $325 visa fee.

Why is there a second fee two years later?

A marriage under 24 months old at approval produces a conditional card. The I-751 to remove the condition costs $750 and must be filed in the 90 days before the second anniversary.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • 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.
  • K-1 visa cost in 2026: USCIS and State Department fees — The government fees are $675 for the I-129F (USCIS) and $265 for the K visa (State Department), then $1,440 for the I-485 after the wedding for an applicant 14 or older. That is $2,380 before medical exams, translations, optional work permits or travel documents.
  • Form I-751: removing the conditions on a two-year green card — A green card based on a marriage of under 24 months at approval is conditional. The I-751 ($750) must be filed in the 90 days before the card's second anniversary (8 CFR 216.4(a)(1)). Missing the window terminates status unless USCIS accepts good cause for late filing.
  • Form I-864 Affidavit of Support: who signs, the income test, how long it lasts — The I-864 is a contract in which the sponsor agrees to maintain the immigrant at 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (100% for armed-forces sponsors of a spouse or child). It has no USCIS fee. It ends at citizenship, 40 qualifying quarters, death or departure, not at divorce.
  • Form I-601A provisional waiver: the $795 fee and how it works — The I-601A ($795) lets some people in the US ask USCIS to waive the 3- and 10-year unlawful-presence bars before leaving for a consular interview. The statute requires extreme hardship to a US citizen or permanent-resident spouse or parent. It takes effect only after departure and a consular interview.
  • 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-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.