I-485 Filing Fee 2026: The $1,440 Cost, Explained Line by Line

How much is the I-485 fee in 2026?

Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, costs $1,440 in 2026 for most applicants who are 14 years of age or older. This is the single largest USCIS fee in a typical family-based green card and the number people search for when they type "i-485 filing fee 2026 1440".

There is one important reduced-fee case: a child under 14 who files an I-485 at the same time as at least one parent's I-485 pays $950 instead of $1,440. A child under 14 who files alone — without a parent's concurrent I-485 — pays the full $1,440. The reduced fee is tied to the concurrent-with-parent condition, not just to the child's age.

The I-485 fee table for 2026

Every figure below is paid directly to USCIS and reflects the fee schedule that took effect on April 1, 2024 and remains in force in 2026. Always confirm the live amount on uscis.gov/i-485 before you mail a check, since USCIS can revise fees.

The headline change from the pre-2024 era: biometrics used to be billed as an $85 line item on top of the I-485. Under the 2024 fee rule, biometrics are bundled into the $1,440. You do not write a separate biometrics check. You will still be scheduled for a biometrics appointment at a USCIS Application Support Center — it is just no longer a separate charge.

Who pays what — petitioner vs beneficiary

The I-485 fee is owed for the person adjusting status — the beneficiary (the intending immigrant). In a marriage case, that is the foreign-national spouse, not the U.S.-citizen petitioner. In practice the couple often pays from joint funds, but USCIS does not care whose bank account the money comes from; it cares that the correct fee accompanies the correct form.

If a family adjusts status together — for example a parent and two children inside the U.S. — each person files their own I-485 and each I-485 carries its own fee. There is no "family cap" or per-household discount. The only built-in reduction is the $950 rate for a child under 14 filing concurrently with a parent.

The bundled cost: I-130 + I-485 + I-765 + I-131

Most adjustment-of-status applicants do not file the I-485 in isolation. A marriage green card filed from inside the U.S. is usually a concurrent packet: Form I-130 (the family petition) plus Form I-485 (adjustment) plus Form I-765 (work permit) plus Form I-131 (travel permit), often with Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support).

Total for a one-adult marriage green card filed from inside the U.S.: $675 + $1,440 = $2,115 in USCIS fees, plus roughly $200–$500 for the civil-surgeon medical exam. All-in USCIS-plus-medical range: $2,315–$2,615. Note that I-765 and I-131 are free only because they ride along with the I-485 — file either one on its own later and a separate fee applies.

When the I-485 fee changed — and why $1,440

USCIS published a final fee rule that took effect on April 1, 2024. That rule set the standalone I-485 fee at $1,440 and folded the formerly separate $85 biometrics fee into it. Before April 2024 the I-485 was $1,140 plus the $85 biometrics line, so applicants generally paid $1,225 in combined I-485-related fees. The 2024 rule simplified that into a single $1,440 charge.

USCIS is a fee-funded agency — roughly 96% of its budget comes from filing fees, not congressional appropriations — so the agency periodically re-prices forms to cover adjudication costs. Treat $1,440 as the 2026 figure and verify it on uscis.gov before filing, because a future rule could move it again.

Fee waivers: can you file I-485 for free?

Some applicants can request a fee waiver using Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver. If granted, the $1,440 I-485 fee (and certain related fees) is waived. USCIS approves fee waivers on three grounds: the applicant currently receives a means-tested public benefit; household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines; or the applicant has a financial hardship such as high medical bills.

Two cautions. First, family-based marriage applicants are eligible to request a waiver, but eligibility is not automatic — you must document it, and USCIS can deny the request. Second, if the waiver is denied, the underlying I-485 is rejected along with it and you must refile with payment. Some applicants who are clearly over the income line are better served by simply paying than by gambling on a waiver and losing filing-date priority.

How Visacub keeps your I-485 fee math straight

Visacub's $99 Family Self-File Kit calculates the exact USCIS fee for your packet — adult vs under-14 child, concurrent vs standalone — generates the I-130 and I-485, indexes your evidence, and flags whether each fee should be one combined payment or separate checks before you file. Visacub is a software platform, not a law firm; the $1,440 I-485 fee and other USCIS charges are paid directly to USCIS and are separate from the $99.

Official sources

This guide is based on official U.S. government sources. Forms, fees, and processing details change — always confirm current requirements directly:

• USCIS — Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust StatusOfficial I-485 form and instructions for adjusting to lawful permanent resident status from inside the United States.
• USCIS — Fee Schedule (Form G-1055)Official, authoritative USCIS fee schedule. Always cite this for current filing fees — fee amounts change and any number in body copy can go stale.
• USCIS — Form I-130, Petition for Alien RelativeOfficial I-130 form, instructions, edition date, and filing fee — the petition that establishes a qualifying family relationship.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the USCIS I-485 filing fee in 2026?

$1,440 for an applicant age 14 or older. A child under 14 who files an I-485 at the same time as a parent's I-485 pays a reduced $950. Biometrics are included in the I-485 fee — there is no separate biometrics charge in 2026. Confirm the live amount on uscis.gov/i-485 before filing.

Why is the I-485 fee $1,440 — did it go up?

Yes. A USCIS final fee rule effective April 1, 2024 set the I-485 fee at $1,440 and folded the formerly separate $85 biometrics fee into it. Before April 2024 the I-485 itself was $1,140 plus an $85 biometrics fee. The 2024 rule consolidated I-485 costs into a single $1,440 charge.

Is there a separate biometrics fee with the I-485 in 2026?

No. As of 2026 the biometrics fee is bundled into the $1,440 I-485 fee. You will still attend a biometrics appointment at a USCIS Application Support Center for fingerprints and a photo, but you do not pay a separate biometrics charge — that changed under the April 2024 fee rule.

How much does the I-485 cost for a child?

$950 if the child is under 14 and files the I-485 at the same time as at least one parent's I-485. If a child under 14 files alone, without a concurrent parent I-485, the full $1,440 applies. Children 14 and older always pay the standard $1,440.

Are I-765 and I-131 free if I file them with the I-485?

Yes. When Form I-765 (EAD work permit) and Form I-131 (Advance Parole travel permit) are filed together with the I-485, there is no separate fee — they are covered by the $1,440. If you file either form on its own after the I-485, a separate USCIS fee applies; check the current amount on uscis.gov.

Can I get the I-485 fee waived?

Possibly. Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, can waive the $1,440 I-485 fee for applicants who receive a means-tested public benefit, have household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, or can show financial hardship. The waiver is not automatic — if USCIS denies it, the I-485 is rejected with it, so only pursue it if you genuinely qualify.