A marriage-based green card costs $2,065 to $3,005 in government fees when the spouse adjusts status inside the United States, or about $1,235 in fees if they process through a consulate abroad. On top of that: a medical exam ($100 to $500) and, if you use one, an attorney ($2,000 to $5,000 flat is typical). The number that shocks most couples is not the attorney — it is the form stack, and part of it got more expensive in 2026.
The standard adjustment-of-status package is four forms, and each carries its own fee. The petition (I-130) starts the case, the application itself (I-485) is the big one, and most couples add the work-permit and travel applications so the spouse can work and leave the country while the case pends.
| Form | What it does | Fee (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| I-130, Petition for Alien Relative | Proves the marriage is real; starts the case | $675 paper / $625 online |
| I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence | The green card application itself | $1,440 |
| I-765, Application for Employment Authorization | Work permit while the I-485 pends | $260 |
| I-131, Application for Travel Document | Advance parole — permission to travel mid-case | $630 |
| Typical totals | Petition + green card only | $2,065–$2,115 |
| Full four-form package | $3,005 |
Small mercy: there is no separate biometrics fee on the I-485 — it is folded into the $1,440. And if $260 for the work permit stings, remember it covers renewals for as long as the green card application stays pending.
Two things. The April 2024 fee schedule set the current headline numbers — I-130 at $675/$625 and I-485 at $1,440. Then the 2025 reconciliation act (H.R. 1) un-bundled the freebies: for filings under the fees effective February 5, 2026, the I-765 work permit ($260) and the I-131 travel document ($630) are charged separately, where they previously came free while an I-485 was pending. For a standard marriage package that is about $890 more than the same stack cost a year ago.
Couples filing now should also file the I-765 and I-131 concurrently with the I-485. Filing them later means paying again for what one package covers, and traveling without advance parole while the case pends is treated as abandoning the application.
Yes — by a lot, in pure fees. The spouse living abroad follows the CR-1 route: the same I-130, then a Department of State visa application, then a fee to produce the green card after entry.
| Adjustment of status (inside the US) | Consular CR-1 (abroad) | |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-130 | $675 | $675 |
| Main application | I-485 — $1,440 | DS-260 visa fee — $325 |
| Work / travel add-ons | $260 + $630 | Included in the visa |
| Green card production | Included | USCIS immigrant fee — $235 |
| Government total | $2,065–$3,005 | ~$1,235 |
The catch is that you rarely get to choose. Adjustment of status requires the spouse to be in the United States, generally after a lawful entry; a spouse overseas uses consular processing whether they like the exchange rate or not. Timing differs too — consular cases involve an interview at the consulate and medical abroad, while adjustment couples interview at a local USCIS field office.
Both routes require an exam by an authorized civil surgeon, and civil surgeons set their own prices: $100 to $500 is the typical band, with big metros at the top of it. Missing vaccination records add charges, so gathering shots documentation beforehand is one of the few controllable costs in the whole stack. The exam is valid for two years, which matters for slow cases.
Plenty of straightforward couples file without one; the forms are forms, and USCIS publishes its own checklists. A flat fee of $2,000 to $5,000 is typical for a marriage case at a private immigration firm, with simple in-state cases near the bottom of that band. The money is better spent when any of these apply: a prior denial or deportation history, a criminal record on either side, a visa overstay with unlawful presence, or a marriage that will be hard to document. Many couples split the difference with a one-time document review — a few hundred dollars for an attorney to check the package before it goes in.
The sponsor files Form I-864, promising to support the immigrant, and must generally show income of at least 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. Under the guidelines effective March 1, 2026, that is $27,050 a year for a household of two, rising with each dependent. Active-duty military sponsoring a spouse need only 100% of the guideline. If income falls short, assets can bridge the gap — valued at three times the shortfall when the beneficiary is a spouse of a citizen — or a qualifying joint sponsor can file their own I-864. Getting this wrong is a common reason for avoidable delays.
| Scenario | Fees | Medical + extras | Attorney | All-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY, adjustment of status | $3,005 | $150–$600 | $0 | ~$3,200–$3,600 |
| Attorney, adjustment of status | $3,005 | $150–$600 | $2,000–$5,000 | ~$5,200–$8,600 |
| DIY, consular (CR-1) | ~$1,235 | $100–$500 + travel | $0 | ~$1,400–$1,800 |
Fees are also not refundable, so budget for getting it right once rather than filing twice.
License, certificate, certified copies — the marriage paperwork stack has its own price tag by state.
Marriage License Cost Calculator →Plan on $3,200 to $3,600 all-in for a do-it-yourself adjustment of status under 2026 fees, roughly half that for consular processing from abroad, and $5,000 to $8,600 with an attorney. File the I-765 and I-131 with the I-485, use the online I-130 for the $50, and get the income documentation right the first time. While you map the budget, the marriage license cost calculator prices the first document in the stack, the prenup cost calculator covers the legal side couples discuss before the wedding, and the marriage tax penalty calculator shows how the tax bill changes once you are married.
About $3,200 to $3,600 all-in. The government fees are $3,005 for the standard adjustment package (I-130, I-485, I-765, and I-131), the required medical exam runs $100 to $500 depending on the civil surgeon, and photos, copies, and mailing add a modest amount. Filing the I-130 online instead of on paper saves $50.
Yes. The I-130 costs $625 filed online versus $675 on paper, so online filing saves exactly $50. The I-485 and the other concurrent forms in a marriage case are still filed with USCIS lockboxes rather than fully online, so the discount applies only to the petition.
Consular processing. The spouse abroad pays the $675 I-130, a $325 family-based DS-260 visa fee, and the $235 USCIS immigrant fee after entry — about $1,235 total, versus $2,065 to $3,005 for adjustment of status. But you do not really choose: adjustment of status requires the spouse to be inside the United States, generally having entered lawfully, while a spouse living abroad uses the consular route.
Yes. The US citizen or permanent-resident sponsor files Form I-864 and generally needs income of at least 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines — $27,050 a year for a household of two under the guidelines effective March 1, 2026. Active-duty military members sponsoring a spouse need only 100 percent. A shortfall can be covered with assets worth three times the gap for spouses of citizens, or by adding a joint sponsor.
No. USCIS keeps filing fees once it begins processing, whatever the outcome. That is the strongest argument for getting the package right the first time — and the reason many couples who file without a lawyer still pay for a one-time attorney review before sending it.