If you’re a foreign national or immigrant who wants to obtain a United States Green Card, you might be wondering how much this will end up costing you. There are a variety of costs that need to be factored into the process such as the application fee, medical exams, photos, and more. If you choose to have a lawyer help you with your case, this cost can increase as you’ll be billed for their work. The exact fee will change depending on the type of green card you want to apply for, such as employment based, family based, etc.
Why Does the Cost Vary?
The cost depends on the type of application you're filling out, your current location, and the amount of additional proof or paperwork you may need to obtain. If you’re curious what the average prices look like to get a Green Card in 2021, we’ve put together a list below to give you an estimate. Of course, your personal circumstance and situation will ultimately determine the final cost of your application.
Application for Employment Authorization (Work Permit): $300-600
Deportation Defense: $5,000-15,000
Family-Based Green Card Petition: $1500-3,500
Adjustment of Status Application: $1500-3500
Employment-Based Petitions: $3,000-10,000
Asylum Application: $1,000-6,000
Citizenship/Naturalization Application: $500-1,500
How can I Pay for My United States Green Card Application Fee?
There are a few ways you can choose to pay for your application fee. You can choose to pay by credit card, cashier’s check, personal check or money order. If you’re mailing in your application, you can only pay by cashier’s check, personal check or money order. If you’re choosing to apply online, you can directly pay the fees online instead of having to mail in payment.
Contact A Professional Immigration Lawyer to Help
The process of obtaining a green card can become complicated depending on your personal situation. Choosing a professional immigration lawyer, with experience dealing with cases like yours, can help ensure that you’re doing everything the right way.
An immigration lawyer will first help you determine if you’re eligible for the type of green card you’re looking to obtain, saving you time and money from applying for a green card that you’re not even eligible for. Most times, people will apply without ensuring they meet all qualifications, instead of finding out where they stand and making the necessary adjustments to become eligible for a green card.
Once your eligibility is confirmed, they’ll walk you through the entire paperwork process, checking to ensure all forms are completed fully and correctly. Making sure that there are no mistakes or errors on your applications is essential to get approval for your green card. When you make a simple mistake on your green card application, it can result in denial or delayed processing time of your green card. If you end up needing to re-file completely, you’ll have to re-pay the application fee again, which can be unrealistic for many people to afford. Instead, invest in professional immigration lawyer services to ensure that you’re doing everything necessary to obtain the green card you’re applying for.