What does a marriage green card really cost?
Old blogs lowball it: fees rose ~71% in 2024 and the permits that used to be free aren't anymore. Get your real cost with 2026 fees, when each payment is due — plus one relief: the new $250 "visa integrity fee" doesn't apply to you.
Calculate your cost
When you pay what
Email me my budget + the staged payment timeline
Worked examples
Spouse already in Phoenix, adding work and travel permits
Estimated total cost: $3,305 – $3,555
Exact government fees: $2,955 · estimates (medical/translations): $350–$600
✓ The $250 'visa integrity fee' does NOT apply to marriage green cards — you're exempt.
⚠ Pre-2024 blogs are wrong: I-130 was $535 (now $675), I-485 was $1,225 (now $1,440), and the work permit and travel permit were FREE with the I-485 (now $260 and $630). The full AOS bundle rose ~71%.
When you pay what
- Stage 1 — At filing (I-130 + I-485 + I-765 + I-131): $2,955
- Stage 2 — Medical exam (I-693, market): $250–$500 + vaccines
- Certified translations (4 pages): ≈ $100
- After — nothing more from USCIS: the green card arrives with no extra fee
Wife in Guadalajara, consular processing via Ciudad Juárez
Estimated total cost: $1,780 – $1,980
Exact government fees: $1,355 · estimates (medical/translations): $425–$625
✓ The $250 'visa integrity fee' does NOT apply to marriage green cards — you're exempt.
⚠ Pre-2024 blogs are wrong: I-130 was $535 (now $675), I-485 was $1,225 (now $1,440), and the work permit and travel permit were FREE with the I-485 (now $260 and $630). The full AOS bundle rose ~71%.
When you pay what
- Stage 1 — Filing the I-130: $675
- Stage 2 — NVC months later (DS-260 $325 + Affidavit $120): $445
- Stage 3 — Medical exam near the interview: $200–$400 (CDJ: $374.68 adult)
- Certified translations (9 pages): ≈ $225
- Final stage — USCIS immigrant fee (after the visa): $235
British husband in Chicago, documents already in English
Estimated total cost: $2,065
Exact government fees: $2,065
✓ The $250 'visa integrity fee' does NOT apply to marriage green cards — you're exempt.
⚠ Pre-2024 blogs are wrong: I-130 was $535 (now $675), I-485 was $1,225 (now $1,440), and the work permit and travel permit were FREE with the I-485 (now $260 and $630). The full AOS bundle rose ~71%.
When you pay what
- Stage 1 — At filing (I-130 + I-485): $2,065
- After — nothing more from USCIS: the green card arrives with no extra fee
Examples are recomputed whenever the underlying rates or data change; the date above is the last recompute.
Methodology & data sources
We use the current USCIS Fee Schedule G-1055 (April 2024 rule, unchanged for family cases as of 2026): I-130 $675 paper / $625 online; I-485 $1,440 (biometrics included); work permit I-765 with the I-485 $260 and travel permit I-131 $630 — both were free before 2024. On the consular path: DS-260 $325 and Affidavit of Support review $120 (travel.state.gov, primary source), plus the $235 USCIS immigrant fee after approval. The medical exam isn't a government fee: in the US it runs $250–$500 (vaccines extra); at the Ciudad Juárez consulate the panel charges $374.68 per adult (Apr 2026). Certified translations run about $24.95 per page. The $250 "visa integrity fee" (HR-1) applies only to nonimmigrant visas — marriage green cards are exempt. The Jan 2026 inflation adjustment touched only humanitarian fees; the June 2026 proposed rule raises naturalization (N-400), not these fees. Our Freshness Keeper monitors the G-1055 and travel.state.gov.
Sources: USCIS G-1055 · travel.state.gov — fees · CLINIC — 2024 increases · CDJ panel — medical exam
Frequently asked questions
What's the total?
Adjustment of status: $2,115 mandatory, $3,005 with work and travel permits. Consular: $1,355. Plus medical and translations.
Is it all paid at once?
No — it's staged over months. The calculator shows the exact order.
Does the $250 visa integrity fee apply?
No. It's for nonimmigrant visas only (tourist, student). Immigrant visas are exempt.
Do I need a lawyer?
Optional — USCIS accepts self-filed cases. Complications (prior entries, records) do merit legal advice.