Updated
Green card government fees
What USCIS charges for the employment-based green card, line by line from its own fee schedule, edition 10/26/26. The attorney, the recruitment and the medical exam aren't in it, and the page says so.
Petitioner
Sets the asylum program fee USCIS charges with every I-140, counted in full-time employees. A self-petitioner pays the 25-or-fewer amount.
The principal and any spouse or older child immigrating.
One per adult who wants one, capped at the adult count.
One per adult who wants one, capped at the adult count.
USCIS fees, total
$3,645
- I-140 $715
- Asylum Program Fee $600
- I-485 $1,440
- I-765 $260
- I-131 $630
- Petition stage (I-140)
- $1,315
- Adjustment stage (I-485 and what rides it)
- $2,330
| Form | What it is | Total |
|---|---|---|
| I-140 | Immigrant petition, filed on paper $715 × 1 | $715 |
| Asylum Program Fee | Regular petitioner $600 × 1 | $600 |
| I-485 | Adjustment of status, age 14 and over, filed on paper $1,440 × 1 | $1,440 |
| I-765 | Work permit with a pending I-485 $260 × 1 | $260 |
| I-131 | Advance parole with a pending I-485, filed on paper $630 × 1 | $630 |
USCIS's figures are from its Form G-1055, edition 10/26/26, read at uscis.gov/g-1055. Check the current edition before paying, because a fee paid short is a rejected filing.
Not in the total
- The PERM and the prevailing wage request: DOL charges no filing fee for either.
- Recruitment costs and attorney fees, which 20 CFR 656.12 puts on the employer for the PERM stage.
- The I-693 medical exam: USCIS charges nothing, the civil surgeon does. USCIS lists civil surgeons by ZIP code.
- Premium processing on an I-485, which USCIS doesn't offer.
FAQs
What is the asylum program fee, and why is it on an I-140?
USCIS's 2024 fee rule attached a fee to every I-129 and I-140 to fund asylum processing. On the 10/26/26 schedule it's $600 for a regular petitioner, $300 for a small employer with 25 or fewer full-time employees or a self-petitioner, and $0 for a nonprofit. It's paid on top of the I-140 fee.
Does the PERM cost anything to file?
No. DOL charges no fee for the prevailing wage request or the ETA-9089. The employer pays for recruitment and for the attorney, and 20 CFR 656.12 forbids passing those PERM-stage costs to the worker.
Are the work permit and advance parole still free with an I-485?
Not since April 1, 2024. An I-765 filed with or after a pending I-485 costs $260 and an I-131 costs $630 on paper, $580 online, on the 10/26/26 schedule. Renewals of each are charged again.
What does it cost to get the green card at a consulate instead?
No I-485, work permit or travel document. Each person immigrating pays the State Department's employment-based visa fee, $345 (22 CFR 22.1, item 32(b)), at the National Visa Center, and USCIS's immigrant fee, $235, once the visa is issued and before travelling. The I-140 and its asylum program fee are the same either way.
Is it cheaper to file online?
For the forms USCIS takes online, yes: on the 10/26/26 schedule the I-140 is $665 online against $715 on paper, and the I-485 $1,390 against $1,440. The work permit with a pending I-485 is $260 either way.
Can I pay to speed up the I-485?
No. Premium processing (Form I-907) covers the I-140, at $2,965, and shortens USCIS's decision on the petition. It does nothing for the visa bulletin or the I-485 queue, which are where most of the wait is.
The rules behind these numbers
Waiting on a PERM case?
- When it'll likely be decided
- An email when DOL moves it