There is no point in trying to hide from the truth — the adjustment of status process to get a green card costs money. The required government filing fees alone are almost $1,500. On top of that you’ll also have other costs associated with the process, and if you hire a lawyer to help you then you’ll also need to pay the attorney’s fees.

It can be tempting to try to save money by cutting corners. This simply won’t work. Trying to get around the required fees and expenses will likely just delay the process and cause you a lot of frustration. You should also avoid any temptation to save money by hiring your attorney based on looking for the lowest bidder. Do you really want to trust your entire future to the cheapest lawyer you could find? Wouldn’t it be better to focus your efforts on finding the best immigration lawyer for your case instead?

The costs involved in getting a green card through the adjustment of status process can be viewed in three groups: the required government filing fees, other required costs and attorney fees.

The required government filing fees are:

• $420     Form I-130 filing fee
• $1,070   Form I-485 adjustment of status filing fee

The other required costs that you should expect as part of the adjustment of status process are:

• Medical exam – changes by doctor and location, likely $100 – $250
• Passport photographs – changes by photographer, but often inexpensive
• Translation costs – varies by the translator and type of documents being translated into English
• Original documents/certified copies – varies by what documents need to be obtained

Legal Fees
Not everyone who applies for adjustment of status will need a lawyer to assist them with the process. You can learn more about whether you need a lawyer by reading the information on this website and by learning more about the role of an immigration lawyer in the adjustment of status process. If you decide to hire an immigration lawyer to assist you, the legal fees will vary by law firm and the complexity of the case.