One warning first
When you search for this, Google's top result is often an archived USCIS page carrying 2020 fees, where the I-485 shows as $1,140. Today's actual fee is $1,440. It is not a shady site — it is USCIS, but it is an old page nobody retired.
Worth mentioning because it is the clearest reason to check the date on anything you read about immigration fees, this page included. Ours states when it was verified, at the bottom.
Every case is a different combination
There is no single price. It depends on which forms apply to you:
- Family petition (I-130) plus adjustment of status (I-485) if you are inside the country.
- Work permit (I-765) if you want to work while waiting.
- Naturalization (N-400) once you are a permanent resident seeking citizenship.
Select yours and you get the total. The breakdown stays visible so you can check where every dollar comes from.
Forms that cost nothing
Two common ones are free: the I-864 affidavit of support and the I-912 fee waiver request. Free does not mean optional — the I-864 is required in nearly every family petition.
Paper or online
Filing online usually costs less. But if you are requesting a waiver or reduced fee, the filing must go on paper: those options are not available online.
What about attorney fees?
What the calculator adds up is government fees. Left out: the medical exam, translations, photos, shipping — and the one that weighs most, an attorney if you hire one. That last one is what almost nobody states plainly, so here it is.
There is no official rate. USCIS neither sets nor regulates what a lawyer charges, and it does not require you to have one. In its own words: “You do not need a representative to file forms with USCIS. You may file forms by yourself and represent yourself before USCIS” (USCIS, Legal Services). That does not make going alone the right call in every case: on a complicated file, the fee you saved can end up costing far more.
The numbers in circulation are ranges published by third parties, not official figures, so they come here with a link and a date. An industry guide updated in April 2026 puts attorney fees for a marriage-based green card (I-130 plus I-485) between $2,500 and $7,000+, not counting government filing fees (Boundless, 2026). And one firm that publishes its price list charged $5,700 for the petition plus adjustment of status, $3,000 for the I-130 petition alone, $3,500 for a straightforward naturalization and up to $7,000 for a complicated one (La Nación, March 2024). Your real total is three things added together: what this calculator shows, the attorney's fee, and the loose costs.
What moves that price? Complexity above all: prior entries or departures, a criminal record, or a waiver in play raise the bill more than anything else. After that come the city and the firm's experience. Most charge a flat fee per case rather than by the hour. Ask in writing what the fee covers and what it does not — answering an RFE, attending the interview with you, an appeal. That is where the charges you did not expect show up.
Free or low-cost legal help
If those numbers put a lawyer out of reach, do not fall back on guessing. Nonprofit organizations recognized by the Department of Justice have accredited representatives who can handle your case before USCIS for free or for very little. They are not private attorneys: they are organizations specifically authorized to represent you, and the government publishes the list.
- Recognized organizations and accredited representatives — the official Department of Justice roster.
- Pro bono legal service providers — free help for people in immigration proceedings.
- ImmigrationLawHelp.org — a directory of legal services for low-income immigrants, searchable by state.
And one warning that costs this community dearly: in the United States a notary public is not a lawyer. USCIS says it flatly: “In the United States, notary publics are not attorneys and cannot represent you in legal matters, including immigration cases” (USCIS). In much of Latin America a notario is a trained lawyer; here it is not the same job. Only a licensed attorney or a representative accredited by the Department of Justice can take your case.