The government imposes fees and other expenses for green card applications. With that in mind, one question always comes up, how much do we really need to pay when applying for a marriage green card?
Recently, the Trump administration proposed to increase the costs involved for a marriage-based green card application. According to the proposal, application fees filed within the United States will have a significant increase of 56%. This means the original fee of $1,760 will become a whopping $2,750. The proposal also wanted to get rid of fee waivers that are present on marriage-based green card applications.
This proposal is not yet approved and we’ll stick with the current charges applicable to the application.
The Fees
Green card acquisition would mostly cost an individual approximately $1,760 for those who are currently living in the country. Meanwhile, the cost of an application coming outside the borders will be $1,200.
The charges include all mandatory fees set by the government. The fees involved are non-refundable. We also need to consider the cost of the medical examination, which is required to go through the next phase.
We’ll do a quick breakdown of the things we need to pay directly out of pocket.
Applicants Living In The United States
●Family Sponsorship Form (I-130) – $535
●Green Card Application Form (I-485) – $1,140
●Biometrics (which includes fingerprints and photos) – $85
These are the main fees we need to consider when applying for a green card. On top of these, we also need to prepare $200 for the mandatory medical examination. This gives a total of $1,960.
Applicants Living Outside The United States
●Family Sponsorship Form (I-130) – $535
●Green Card Application Form (I-485) – Form Not Required
●Financial Support Form (I-864) – $120
●State Department Processing – $325
●USCIS Immigrant Fee – $220
The $200 medical examination fee is also required. We just need to consider that the medical fee depends on the medical provider. The medical examination fee can vary from $100 to $500 so we need to be aware of that.
Another important piece of information you need to know is that the fees stated above will only be paid at the same time if you exchanged vows with a U.S. citizen and living in the country already. If that’s not the case, the fees involved will be laid out and can be paid within several months as the application progress.
Other Fees
We need to keep in mind that there are other fees involved when processing a green card. Think of it as an investment that you need to work your way.
Vaccination Fees – Depending on the medical examination, medical service providers and medical insurance companies require the applicant to update their vaccines. Similar to the medical examination fee, the cost depends on the medical service provider.
Translation Services Fees – There are application packages that have documents written in other languages, so you might need to pay a certain fee for translating a document. This is used to pay a certified translator so the document will be as accurate as possible.
Travel and Shipping Costs – Of course, you need to consider the other fees such as gas expenses and other associated fees when traveling to different government agencies. Aside from that, you also need to pay a nominal amount for postage and mailing.
When we look at it, the fees associated with green card application might be a little too intimidating. However, once everything is settled, you can freely live legally in the land of the free.
Based on Materials from Boundless
Photo Sources: The Balance Careers, Pexels, Pixabay, Public Domain Pictures