How Much Does a Marriage Green Card Cost in 2026?

The price of a marriage-based green card has three layers: government filing fees you cannot avoid, case costs like the medical exam that almost everyone pays, and preparation costs that vary enormously depending on whether you hire a lawyer, use software, or go it alone. This guide breaks down all three so you can budget the whole journey, not just the checks to USCIS.

One important caveat up front: USCIS and the State Department change fees periodically. The figures below reflect the USCIS fee schedule that took effect on April 1, 2024. Before you file anything, confirm every amount with the official USCIS fee schedule, because filing with a wrong fee gets the entire package rejected.

Government filing fees: adjustment of status

For a spouse applying from inside the United States, the package usually involves these fees:

• Form I-130 (petition): $675 on paper, $625 filed online
• Form I-485 (green card application): $1,440, biometrics included
• Form I-765 (work permit), filed with the I-485: $260, optional
• Form I-131 (advance parole travel document): $630, optional
• Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support): no fee when filed with USCIS

That puts a typical all-in government total between roughly $2,115 (skipping the optional forms) and $3,005 (including both), for most couples filing from inside the country. Most applicants do include the I-765, since working while the case is pending usually matters.

Government fees: consular processing

For a spouse applying from abroad, the fee structure differs after the I-130:

• Form I-130 (petition): $675 paper / $625 online
• DS-260 immigrant visa application: $325
• Affidavit of Support review fee: $120
• USCIS Immigrant Fee (paid after visa approval, for producing the green card): $235

Consular government fees total around $1,355, notably less than adjustment of status, though the process involves an embassy interview abroad. Current State Department amounts are listed on travel.state.gov.

Case costs almost everyone pays

• Medical exam: the civil surgeon (or panel physician abroad) sets their own price; commonly $200 to $500 plus any missing vaccinations.
• Certified translations: roughly $20 to $60 per page commercially, for every non-English document. A friend or family member can also translate for free with a signed certification; see the document list for the rules.
• Passport photos, printing, and postage: typically $50 to $150 for a complete package with tracked shipping.
• Obtaining civil documents: certificate copies, notarial certificates for some countries, and courier fees, often $50 to $300 when records come from abroad.

Preparation costs: the part you control

This is where totals diverge dramatically.

• Hiring an immigration lawyer. Full representation for a marriage-based case commonly runs $2,000 to $5,000 in attorney fees on top of all government fees, and adds weeks of back-and-forth. For genuinely complex cases this is money well spent; see DIY green card vs hiring a lawyer for when that is true.
• Pure DIY. Free in dollars, expensive in time: expect dozens of hours reading form instructions and reconciling conflicting forum advice, and you carry the full risk of a missed detail causing a rejection or delay.
• Guided software. ezgreen.app is a $299 one-time purchase that guides the entire application, fills every form from one plain-language interview, and assembles the print-ready package. It does not include government fees. If you also want a professional to look the package over, a flat-fee attorney review runs around $500 on top.

Putting it together: three realistic budgets

For a typical adjustment of status case including the work permit, medical exam, and incidentals:

1. With a lawyer: about $4,800 to $8,500 all-in
2. Pure DIY: about $2,800 to $3,500 all-in, plus a large time investment and unmitigated risk
3. With ezgreen.app: about $3,100 to $3,500 all-in, or roughly $4,000 if you add a flat-fee attorney review before mailing

Costs that arrive later

Two follow-on expenses are worth knowing about now. If the marriage is under two years old when the green card is approved, the card is conditional, and the couple later files Form I-751 to remove conditions, which has its own filing fee. And a rejected or badly delayed filing has costs of its own: refiling postage, expiring documents, and months of waiting. The cheapest application is the one that is done right the first time; our I-485 checklist and timeline guide show what "right" looks like end to end.