I-130 Cost in 2026: Complete Breakdown (Filing Fee + Total Green Card Cost)

The headline number: $625 online vs $675 paper

USCIS charges $50 less when you file Form I-130 online through your USCIS account. That's the cheapest option if you're comfortable with the online portal. If you're filing concurrently with Form I-485 (adjustment of status), you may need to file by paper — check the latest USCIS instructions for your specific case.

Both fees include the petition review. There are no separate biometrics fees for the I-130 itself (the biometrics fee comes later, with the I-485 or other applications).

The I-130 is the first step, not the only cost

Form I-130 establishes the family relationship and gets your beneficiary in line for an immigrant visa. But to actually get the green card, your relative usually needs one of two paths:

Path A: Adjustment of Status (relative already in U.S.)

If your relative is already inside the U.S. legally and a visa is immediately available (which is the case for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, and for F2A spouses/children of green card holders in many years), they file Form I-485 alongside or after the I-130.

Form	Purpose	USCIS Fee 2026
I-130	Family petition	$625 / $675
I-485 (adult 14-78)	Adjust status to permanent resident	$1,440
I-765 (concurrent)	Work permit while I-485 pending	$0 (with I-485) or $520 alone
I-131 (concurrent)	Advance parole for travel	$0 (with I-485) or $630 alone
I-864	Affidavit of support	No filing fee
Path A total (concurrent filing)	All in one bundle	$2,065 to $2,115

Then add: medical examination (typically $200–$500 depending on civil surgeon and required vaccines).

Path B: Consular Processing (relative outside the U.S.)

If your relative is abroad, after the I-130 is approved it goes to the National Visa Center for additional fees and a consular interview:

Step	Purpose	Fee
I-130	Family petition	$625 / $675
DS-260	Immigrant visa application	$325
Affidavit of support fee	NVC processing	$120
USCIS Immigrant Fee	Paid after visa issued, before traveling	$235
Path B total	All government fees	$1,305 to $1,355

Plus medical examination at a U.S. embassy-approved panel physician ($150–$400 depending on country), and visa photos.

Hidden costs almost nobody mentions

These are not USCIS fees, but they're real expenses you'll incur. Plan for them.

• Certified translations ($25–$50 per page) — Any document not in English needs a certified translation. For a Latin American family, this often includes the beneficiary's birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decrees, and supporting evidence.
• Passport-style photos ($15–$30) — Required for the beneficiary at multiple stages.
• Police clearance certificates ($0–$50 per country) — Required for consular processing applicants over 16, from every country where they've lived 6+ months since age 16.
• Apostille or authentication of foreign documents ($30–$200 per document) — When required by USCIS for certain proofs.
• Certified mail / FedEx ($10–$60) — For mailing original documents safely.
• Travel to interviews — Variable. For consular processing, often international travel to the home country.
• Lost wages — Days off for biometrics, interviews, and medical exams.
• Service or attorney fees if you don't DIY (see next section).

DIY vs Document Preparation Service vs Attorney

You don't have to use a lawyer. Here's the realistic price range for each path:

Option	Cost (on top of USCIS fees)	When it fits
DIY (you fill it yourself)	$0	Simple, straightforward case. You're fluent in English. You have time to research USCIS instructions carefully. No criminal history, no prior denials.
Document preparation service	$200–$500 per form	You want the form prepared correctly without paying lawyer rates. Bilingual help available. You don't need legal strategy, just clean execution.
Immigration attorney — I-130 only	$800–$1,800	Marriage-based with complications. Prior denial. Some criminal history. Mixed-status family with complexity.
Immigration attorney — full AOS package	$2,000–$5,800	Removal proceedings. Asylum-based. Significant criminal history. Prior fraud allegations. Complex employment-based.

Priority Path's I-130 preparation: from $349

Bilingual EN/ES. Includes:

• Eligibility review before you commit
• Plain-language questionnaire (no legal jargon)
• Specialist review of every form before filing
• Personalized document checklist
• Refund of our fee if your petition is denied because of our preparation error

See the full I-130 package →

Fee waivers and reduced fees: who qualifies

USCIS offers Form I-912 to request a fee waiver if you can't afford the filing fee. You may qualify if:

• Your household income is at or below 150% of federal poverty guidelines
• You receive means-tested public benefits (Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, TANF)
• You face financial hardship (recent job loss, medical bills, etc.) — requires documentation

Not all immigration forms qualify for fee waivers. The I-130 itself does NOT qualify for a fee waiver, but related forms (like the I-485 when filed by someone in special categories) sometimes do.

How to actually save money on your I-130 case

1. File online if eligible — saves $50 vs paper.
2. File I-485 concurrently when allowed — adding I-765 and I-131 with the I-485 package costs nothing extra in USCIS fees (huge savings: $1,150 if filed separately).
3. Use a bilingual document preparation service instead of an attorney for routine cases — saves $1,000–$2,000 typically.
4. Bundle related forms with one provider — most providers (including Priority Path) discount bundles versus filing each form separately.
5. Get the translation right the first time — re-translations after a Request for Evidence cost the same as the original. Use a certified translator from the start.
6. File at the right window — late or premature filings get rejected, costing you the filing fee. Read the USCIS instructions carefully for your category.

Frequently asked questions

Is the I-130 filing fee refundable if my petition is denied?

No. USCIS does not refund filing fees for denied petitions. That's why getting it right the first time matters. Priority Path refunds our service fee if your petition is denied because of a preparation error on our end, but USCIS fees are non-refundable per USCIS policy.

Can I file I-130 by credit card or do I need a check?

USCIS no longer accepts personal checks for paper filings in most cases. You can pay by credit/debit card (Form G-1450), prepaid card, or directly from a U.S. bank account (Form G-1650). Online filing accepts credit/debit cards directly.

How long does the I-130 take to process in 2026?

USCIS processing time for I-130 averages around 11 months as of 2026. Times vary by USCIS service center and category. After approval, additional time is required for visa availability (immediate relatives have no wait; preference categories have multi-year waits depending on country).

What if my relative's birth certificate is from a country with poor records?

USCIS recognizes secondary evidence when primary records are unavailable: baptismal certificates, school records, affidavits from people who knew the family. The U.S. Department of State maintains a Reciprocity Schedule showing what documents are available from each country.

Can I file multiple I-130s at the same time for different relatives?

Yes. Each petition is independent and requires its own filing fee. There is no discount for filing multiple I-130s at once. Each petition gets its own priority date based on the date filed.

What is “priority date” and why does it matter?

Your priority date is the date USCIS receives your I-130. It determines your place in line for an immigrant visa. For immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, the visa is always available. For all other categories, the priority date must become “current” per the monthly State Department Visa Bulletin before your relative can move to the next step.

Does Priority Path help with complex I-130 cases?

For straightforward cases — petitioning for a spouse, parent, child, or sibling without complications — yes. For cases with prior denials, criminal history, fraud allegations, removal proceedings, or other legal complexities, we refer you to a licensed immigration attorney through our attorney referral page. We don't take cases we shouldn't.

---

Disclaimer: Priority Path is a document preparation service. We are not attorneys and we do not provide legal advice. This article is informational and does not constitute legal advice. USCIS fees and processing times change; verify current information at uscis.gov before filing.

Related reading:

• Cómo llenar el I-130 paso a paso (Spanish guide)
• Cómo sacar el ITIN paso a paso 2026
• Cómo abrir un LLC en Florida sin abogado
• Priority Path Answers Hub — every question, EN + ES