USCIS Immigrant Fee: $235, Who Pays, When and Which Groups Are Exempt
The USCIS Immigrant Fee is $235 according to Form G-1055 (edition 10/26/26) and 8 CFR 106.2(c)(3). USCIS says an immigrant pays it online unless the person meets one of its exemptions, and K nonimmigrants are among the groups USCIS lists as exempt. The USCIS Immigrant Fee page (last reviewed April 8, 2024) gave no dollar amount when we checked on November 3, 2026, so this page reads the amount from Form G-1055 and the regulation, with their dates.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Reviewed November 3, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Amount and what the fee is for
| Document | Amount | Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Form G-1055 (edition 10/26/26) | $235 | USCIS Immigrant Fee, general category |
| 8 CFR 106.2(c)(3), eCFR up to date as of October 29, 2026 | $235 | USCIS immigrant fee |
(3) USCIS immigrant fee. For DHS domestic processing and issuance of required documents after an immigrant visa is issued by the U.S. Department of State: $235.
If you are immigrating to the United States as a lawful permanent resident, you must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online unless you meet one of the exemptions below.
We use this fee to process your immigrant visa packet and produce your Permanent Resident Card (commonly known as a Green Card).
The USCIS page also says this fee is not related to the immigrant visa application fees collected by the State Department.
The USCIS Immigrant Fee page (last reviewed April 8, 2024) gave no dollar amount when we checked on November 3, 2026; it points to the Our Fees page.
When and how the fee is paid
The USCIS Immigrant Fee page (last reviewed April 8, 2024) gives a timing statement, a statement about paying after arrival, and a statement about not paying. They are quoted together.
We strongly encourage you to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee after you pick up your immigrant visa from the Department of State and before you depart for the United States.
If you cannot pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee, a family member, friend, employer, attorney, or accredited representative can pay for you. If someone pays the fee for you, they will need your Alien Number (A-Number) and Department of State (DOS) Case ID.
You may also pay the fee after you arrive in the United States. If you choose this option, we will send you a notice requesting payment with instructions on paying your fee. You will not receive your Green Card until you have paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee.
If you do not pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee within the time listed in the notice, you will not receive your Green Card. If you do not pay the fee, it will not affect your status as a lawful permanent resident. However, you will only have evidence of your lawful permanent status for 1 year from the date of your admission, as shown by the temporary I-551 stamp CBP placed in your passport when you entered the United States.
You must pay the fee online. The U.S. embassy or consulate will give you your:
A-Number (the letter “A” followed by 8 or 9 numbers);
DOS Case ID (3 letters followed by 9 or 10 numbers);
Instructions for paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee;
Immigrant Data Summary; and
Sealed immigrant visa packet.
If you are a Diversity Visa immigrant, your DOS Case ID will have 4 numbers followed by 2 letters and 5 more numbers (for example: 0000AB01234).
To pay a fee, you can use a:
Credit card
Debit card
Pre-paid debit card (such as a Visa gift card)
If you pay with a pre-paid debit card, you may use only 1 card. The card must have enough money on it to pay for you and any family members.
U.S. bank account, also known as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) payment
To pay with a U.S. bank account, you must provide a U.S. checking account number and routing number for your U.S. bank.
After you are admitted to the United States, USCIS will:
Verify that you paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee; and
Mail your Green Card to the address you gave to DOS during your immigrant visa interview (or gave to CBP when you arrived in the United States, if your address changed).
Exemptions
The following groups do not have to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee:
Children who enter the United States under the orphan or Hague adoption programs;
Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants;
Other Afghan nationals (through Sept. 30, 2024);
Returning lawful permanent residents (SB-1s); and
K nonimmigrants.
The USCIS page and Form G-1055 are shown side by side because, where the two documents differ, both are shown with their dates.
| Group | USCIS Immigrant Fee page (last reviewed April 8, 2024) | Form G-1055 (edition 10/26/26) |
|---|---|---|
| Children who enter the United States under the orphan or Hague adoption programs | Listed | Listed |
| Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants | Listed | Listed |
| Other Afghan nationals (through Sept. 30, 2024) | Listed | Not listed |
| Returning lawful permanent residents (SB-1s) | Listed | Listed |
| K nonimmigrants | Listed | Listed |
The Form G-1055 amount for each listed group is $0. The USCIS page dates the Other Afghan nationals group to Sept. 30, 2024.
Form G-1055 (edition 10/26/26) did not list the Other Afghan nationals group when we checked on November 2, 2026; the USCIS Immigrant Fee page (last reviewed April 8, 2024) lists it with the date Sept. 30, 2024.
K-1 fiancé(e)s and the Immigrant Fee
Both USCIS documents list K nonimmigrants among the groups that do not pay. The K-1 page of this set shows the K-1 fees as the documents state them.
The USCIS Immigrant Fee page (last reviewed April 8, 2024) did not mention adjustment of status when we checked on November 3, 2026; it describes the fee as covering the immigrant visa packet and the Permanent Resident Card, as quoted above.
Frequently asked questions
What is the USCIS Immigrant Fee amount?
Form G-1055 (edition 10/26/26) lists $235 for the USCIS Immigrant Fee, and 8 CFR 106.2(c)(3) (eCFR up to date as of October 29, 2026) gives $235 for DHS domestic processing and issuance of required documents after an immigrant visa is issued by the U.S. Department of State. The USCIS Immigrant Fee page (last reviewed April 8, 2024) gave no dollar amount when we checked on November 3, 2026.
Who pays the USCIS Immigrant Fee, and who is exempt?
The USCIS Immigrant Fee page (last reviewed April 8, 2024) says an immigrant pays the fee online unless the person meets an exemption. It lists these exempt groups: children who enter the United States under the orphan or Hague adoption programs; Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants; Other Afghan nationals (through Sept. 30, 2024); returning lawful permanent residents (SB-1s); and K nonimmigrants. Form G-1055 (edition 10/26/26) lists four of those five groups at $0 and did not list the Other Afghan nationals group when we checked on November 2, 2026. The page also says a family member, friend, employer, attorney or accredited representative can pay for an immigrant who cannot, and that person needs the immigrant's A-Number and DOS Case ID.
When is the USCIS Immigrant Fee paid?
The USCIS Immigrant Fee page (last reviewed April 8, 2024) says: "We strongly encourage you to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee after you pick up your immigrant visa from the Department of State and before you depart for the United States." The page also says the fee may be paid after arrival in the United States; in that case USCIS sends a notice requesting payment, and the Green Card is not received until the fee is paid.
What does USCIS say about failure to pay the fee?
The USCIS Immigrant Fee page (last reviewed April 8, 2024) says that if the fee is not paid within the time listed in the notice, the person will not receive a Green Card. It also says not paying does not affect the person's status as a lawful permanent resident; however, evidence of lawful permanent status lasts only 1 year from the date of admission, as shown by the temporary I-551 stamp CBP placed in the passport on entry.
How is the USCIS Immigrant Fee paid?
The USCIS Immigrant Fee page (last reviewed April 8, 2024) says the fee must be paid online, and that the U.S. embassy or consulate gives the immigrant an A-Number, a DOS Case ID, payment instructions, an Immigrant Data Summary and a sealed immigrant visa packet. It lists a credit card, a debit card, a pre-paid debit card (only 1 card may be used, and it must hold enough for the immigrant and any family members) and a U.S. bank account as payment methods, and says that, for family members who will reside with the immigrant in the United States, all fees may be paid in 1 transaction.
Do K-1 fiancé(e)s pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee?
No. The USCIS Immigrant Fee page (last reviewed April 8, 2024) and Form G-1055 (edition 10/26/26) both list K nonimmigrants among the groups that do not pay; Form G-1055 shows $0.
Is the USCIS Immigrant Fee the same as the State Department immigrant visa fee?
The USCIS Immigrant Fee page (last reviewed April 8, 2024) says the USCIS Immigrant Fee is not related to the immigrant visa application fees collected by the Department of State.
Related pages
Sources
USCIS pages, 8 CFR 214.2, 22 CFR 41.81 and HCCH pages were read on November 3, 2026; Form G-1055, 8 CFR 106.2 and 22 CFR 22.1 were read on November 2, 2026. State Department pages on travel.state.gov are cited from Internet Archive copies; the capture date is given with each one, and the page itself may have been updated since.