Consular processing fees for a marriage-based green card include a visa application processing fee of $325 and a medical examination fee, which varies. Other costs may include photocopying and translation charges.
Here’s what we learned about how many applicants hired lawyers, what they paid for legal help in presenting their application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and what they had to say about their experiences with immigration attorneys. Almost all green-card applicants paid their lawyers a flat fee.
The first step in receiving a marriage based green card is to be married. The marriage must be one that is recognized as a legally valid marriage in the country where the marriage took place. marriages for the purpose of violating U.S. immigration law. Common-law marriages can be recognized as a legal green card marriage.
Consular processing fees for a marriage-based green card include a visa application processing fee of $325 and a medical examination fee, which varies. Other costs may include photocopying and translation charges. The documents may vary depending on each individual’s case.
$1760Cost Of Applying For A Marriage Based Green Card In The U.S. As of February 2021, the cost of applying for a marriage-based green card in the United States is $1760. However, it is important to note that these fees may be subject to change. Here's a break down of the filing fee for a U.S. based applicant.
An immigration lawyer charges between $150 and $300 per hour, with a typical 30-min consultation fee of $75 to $150. Legal assistance when filing basic immigration forms costs $250 to $800, while green card assistance runs from $800 to $5,000, plus the USCIS fees of $460 to $700.
$2750Legal Fees Our flat fee for an Adjustment of Status (Greencard) application + the travel and work permit is $2750 (past and current clients are eligible for a discount; please call for details). The fee is the same whether you have filed the form I–130 previously or not.
You do not have to hire an immigration lawyer to apply for a Marriage Green Card. More than half of all marriage Green Card applications are filed by individuals who do not work with an attorney.
The immigration process can be intimidating and take a long time, but hiring an immigration attorney to support you with your case can speed up the process and help you meet your goals.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for lawyers, which includes those practicing immigration law, is strong. The agency expects employment in this field to grow 9% by 2030, which is about as fast as the average rate of occupations in the general workforce.
As of early 2022, the State Department's immigrant visa application fee was $325 for family-based applicants, $345 for employment-based applicants, $330 for diversity visa applicants, $265 for a fiancé (K-1) visa, and $205 for various other categories.
How much does it cost to apply for a green card? The government filing fees for getting a family-based green card is $1,760 for an applicant living in the United States or $1,200 for an applicant living outside the United States.
Spouses of U.S. If your spouse is a U.S. citizen and you currently live in the United States, it takes on average 21-38 months to get a marriage-based green card. Spouses of U.S. citizens living in the United States can file their I-130 and their I-485 at the same time.
U.S. Immigration law does not require you to have a lawyer represent you for a green card. If you are already married, then the person who is already a U.S. citizen will petition for their partner. If this is the case, you must fill out three forms for a marriage green card.
Estimated marriage-based visa cost: $1,200 The U.S. citizen spouse submits the marriage relationship form (I-130 petition) and other required materials to USCIS, along with the $535 filing fee.
If You Are…Form FeeTotalUnder 14 and not filing with the I-485 application of at least one parent$1,140$1,140Age 14–78$1,140$1,225Age 79 or older$1,140$1,140Filing Form I-485 based on having been admitted to the United States as a refugee$0$01 more row•May 19, 2022
Apart from direct government fees and the medical exam fee, a number of other fees will add to your expenses when applying for a green card: Vaccination Fees : If your medical exam requires you to have vaccinations, update it before filing your complete medical report.
If you are married to a U.S. citizen and you entered the U.S. lawfully, you may file the Form I-485 together (“concurrently”) with the Form I-130 , Petition for Alien Relative filed on your behalf. You can also file Form I-485 while Form I-130 is pending, or after the Form I-130 is approved (and remains valid).
You can also file Form I-485 while Form I-130 is pending, or after the Form I-130 is approved (and remains valid). You may file the Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status to apply for a Green Card without leaving the country. This is called “adjustment of status.”.
In addition to assisting with the application forms, a lawyer can help you gather the necessary documents and prepare for the interview.
Immigration attorneys normally charge a “flat,” or fixed, fee rather than billing by the hour. In fact, our survey showed that 96% of our readers paid their lawyers a flat fee to handle their adjustment-of-status applications. Most immigration applicants prefer fixed legal fees, because they know from the start exactly what it will cost. And in standard cases, lawyers are able to predict approximately how much time they will need to spend.
Immigration lawyers typically charge between $100 and $250 for a detailed consultation and many credit this to legal fees should you choose to hire them. Many also offer introductory calls at no cost – these are not meant to be detailed consultations, but an opportunity to share some context, get to know the lawyer and decide if you want to work with them. You’ll find many lawyers that specialize in removal / deportation cases do not charge any consultation fees at all.
However, a lawyer in California may have more exposure to the immigration issue you are facing. It is important to balance cost and experience.
If you are here unlawfully, an attorney can help you figure out if there is a path to legal status. If you’ve had any brush ups with the law, even if you weren’t convicted, you might be at risk for deportation. These are just a few scenarios in which the advice of an immigration lawyer is crucial.
Note: If you come across a “notario” or immigration “consultant”, they are not lawyers and are not licensed to practice immigration law. Be very careful who you trust with your immigration needs. Navigating U.S. immigration is incredibly time consuming and complex.
Government filing fees are not optional (unless you qualify for a fee waiver. Whether you work with an attorney or file your paperwork yourself, you will incur these costs and they can be quite steep. Thousands of people immigrate to the U.S. each year without the help of an immigration lawyer.
Immigration cases are complex. There are layers of complicated rules, laws, and regulations you need to navigate to get a successful outcome. Some cases are simple and don’t need special assistance.
There are a lot of resources and information on immigration available online. So, it might seem unnecessary to pay a high price for an immigration lawyer when all these resources are free. The reality is, however, the immigration process is complex, and there is usually a lot at stake.
There is a whole host of factors that will influence the cost of an immigration lawyer. Generally, however, the following factors will affect the price you are charged:
As we’ve explained above, there is a whole range of factors that will influence the actual cost of an immigration lawyer. What we can do, however, is look at what the average costs are for different types of visas.
Now you no longer have to wonder how much does an immigration lawyer cost. These legal fees can seem very expensive. But it may save you time and money in the long run. It could also be the difference between a successful application and a possible denial (or worse – deportation!).
Filing fees are typically the simplest aspect of a marriage Green Card application. However, it is important to understand what the fees are and how much the marriage Green Card costs to prepare for the Green Card application.
When reviewing the basic fees associated with the marriage Green Card application, it is often easy to overlook other marriage Green Card costs applicants may encounter. The following are additional fees that need to be considered regarding the marriage Green Card costs:
Applying for a marriage-based green card can cost you from $1,280 to $1,950.
As of February 2020, the fee for filing Form I-130 is $535 and should be sent when filing the Petition. Spouses of U.S. citizens living in the U.S. Spouses of U.S. citizens applying for a marriage based green card and living in the U.S. can file Form I-485 at the same time a Petitioner files Form I-130. The form can also be submitted ...
Proof can include: Joint checking account statement. Birth certificate of a child born in marriage. Evidence of joint financial responsibilities like a mortgage or utility bills.
marriages where one party is not present at the ceremony; marriages for the purpose of violating U.S. immigration law. Common-law marriages can be recognized as a legal green card marriage. In order for a common-law marriage to be recognized as a green card marriage the spouses must live in a place where they meet the requirements ...
Attorney Fee: $2400 (does not include RFE responses, if applicable). Please note that the legal fee may be higher in certain complex cases. In any event, you’ll be provided a written quote before retaining our firm.
In every possible instance, we do our best to anticipate any potential issues and address them in advance. For that reason, it’s imperative that you be completely honest and transparent regarding the details of your case during the initial consultation.
SGM Law Group only offers free general consultations to certain individuals/businesses who are looking to retain a law firm for the following cases: