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There are many people living in the United States of America seeking a green card to help them live permanently in the country. However, there are costs associated with a green card that may throw a hurdle on that goal.
What are the US Citizenship Fees?
US Citizenship Fees will be determined if you are going through consular processing or adjusting your immigration status. These fees range from $325 to $1140. Those applying for a green card may have to pay medical examination fees, USCIS immigrant fees, administrative fees, and other fees necessary for case approval.
Different Costs For Different Forms
There are family-based forms that include the I130 and I129, employment-based forms, and investor-based forms that have different costs associated with each type of form.
Costs For Family-Based Forms
Family-Based Forms include the I130, I485, and I129 forms. The cost associated with getting a green card using these three applications is $535. These forms are associated with a required family sponsorship to get a green card approval.
Costs For Employment-Based Forms
Employment-based forms I140 and I360 are used for getting a green card and cost $700. In order to use the I360 employment form, your employer must petition for you and tell the immigration system about your work performance along with why you should be working in the U.S.
The petition for Amerasian, Widow/widower, or special immigrant. was created for the purpose of obtaining a work visa. You may also petition for yourself but under limited and restrictive circumstances.
Costs For Investor Based Forms
Form I526 is an investor-based form that costs $3675 for green card processing. The investor-based form is a part of the EB-5 Investor Program created by Congress in 1992. It was created for people who invest in commercial properties associated with approved USCIS regional centers.
Medical Examination Fees
You must file the medical exam paperwork with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. There is no cost to file. However, the average exam is around $200 for the everyday green card filer. Some exam costs have been found to be as low as $100 among service providers and as high as $500. The medical examination fee is added to the individual costs for the green card according to your category.
USCIS Immigrant Fees
You will not receive your green card until you have paid your USCIS immigrant fee. The fee is calculated for you by the immigration office and is $220.This is in addition to the green card fee, medical examination fee, administration fee, and other applicable fees.
Green cards are broken up into categories. The most common types are family-based green cards that require family sponsorships, work-based green cards that require your company to petition for a work visa, except under special circumstances, and EB-5 investor program green cards that were created by congress for people investing in commercial properties that have been approved by the USCIS.
If you are a person who needs one of these family-based, employment-based or investor-based green cards, call your local immigration office to learn how to get started. They can give you general or specific information about the total costs for the type of green card you need.
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Remember that the medical exam filing fee is free, but the exam can range from $100 to $500. The average cost however is around $200. The USCIS fee is $220 and must be paid for you to get your green card. There is an additional administrative fee that should be discussed with your immigration officer.
You may want to check if they know of any grants, loans, or have a repayment plan.
You can expect to pay thousands of dollars to obtain a green card. And for someone coming to the United State to work or go to school, that is a lot of money for a small budget. Gain contacts to help with different areas of the green card process. The more you know, the more comfortable you will be as you work to obtain your green card.
