The filing fee for Form I-130, the petition for a foreign national relative, is $675 if you file on paper and $625 if you file online. Both amounts come straight from the USCIS fee schedule, and the fee is the same whether you are petitioning for a spouse, a parent, a child or a sibling. Here is what the fee covers, how to pay it, what else you will pay on the way to a green card, and what happens if the amount is wrong.
The I-130 fee at a glance
Form I-130 paper fee: $675
Form I-130 online fee: $625 ($50 less)
Form I-130A: no separate fee is listed in the USCIS fee schedule
Who pays: The petitioner (the U.S. citizen or green card holder), one fee per petition
What the I-130 fee does not cover: The I-485, the immigrant visa fees at the State Department, the medical exam, and other costs later in the case.
Key Takeaways
- The I-130 costs $675 on paper and $625 online, and each petition carries its own fee regardless of the relationship.
- The I-130 fee only opens the case. Adjusting status adds the I-485 fee, and consular cases add State Department fees and a separate USCIS immigrant fee.
- USCIS rejects a filing submitted with the wrong fee, and a rejected filing does not get a receipt date, so check the amount against the current fee schedule before you mail or submit anything.
How much is the I-130 filing fee in 2026?
Under 8 CFR 106.2, the fee for Form I-130 is $675. A separate rule, 8 CFR 106.1(g), makes the fee for a form filed online with USCIS $50 lower. That puts the online I-130 at $625. The current fee schedule traces back to the USCIS fee rule published January 31, 2024, which took effect April 1, 2024, and USCIS posts its current amounts on the Form G-1055 fee schedule.
USCIS also has a fee calculator you can use before you file. Fees change, so confirm the amount on the day you file rather than relying on an older article, a forum post or a form instruction you saved months ago.
Two points catch people off guard. First, the fee is paid by the petitioner, not the relative you are sponsoring. Second, the fee is not refundable. USCIS says filing fees are final and non-refundable, regardless of what happens with your case, so a denial does not return the money.
Is there a fee for Form I-130A?
Form I-130A is the supplemental information sheet that goes with an I-130 when the person you are sponsoring is your spouse. The fee schedule in 8 CFR 106.2 lists a fee for the I-130 but does not list a separate fee for the I-130A, so we do not expect you to pay a second USCIS fee for it. If you file for a spouse, the $675 or $625 is the USCIS fee for the petition and its supplement together. Double-check the current I-130A page before you file, because the instructions control what you have to submit.
Is the fee different for a spouse, parent or sibling?
No. The regulation sets one fee for the petition, and it does not change with the relationship. What changes is who can file and how long the case takes.
A U.S. citizen can petition for a spouse, children, and parents, and those three groups are “immediate relatives” under 8 U.S.C. 1151(b)(2)(A)(i), although a citizen must be at least 21 to petition for a parent. A citizen can also petition for sons and daughters and for brothers and sisters, but those relatives fall into the numerically limited categories listed in 8 U.S.C. 1153(a), and a citizen must be at least 21 to petition for a brother or sister. A green card holder can petition for a spouse and for children, and for unmarried sons and daughters, also in the preference categories.
So a spouse of a citizen and a sibling of a citizen pay the same $675 or $625 to file, but the spouse is not held to the Visa Bulletin and the sibling is. If you file for more than one relative, each petition carries its own fee. For a closer look at the spouse route, see our explanation of the CR-1 spouse visa.
How do I pay the I-130 fee?
How you pay depends on how you file. On paper, USCIS accepts personal checks, cashier’s checks, certified checks, bank drafts and money orders drawn on a U.S. financial institution, and payments should be made out to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security,” spelled out in full. You can also pay by credit card by completing Form G-1450 and placing it on top of your packet. If you file online, you can pay by credit or debit card or by bank withdrawal through the government’s secure pay.gov portal, all as described on the USCIS filing fees page.
Payment rules are also set by regulation. 8 CFR 106.1 requires payment in U.S. dollars from a U.S. financial institution, using the method USCIS designates for that filing. If you are mailing a packet, look at the current form instructions for the filing location and payment method on the day you send it.
The online route may become more common. A rule published in August 2026 lets USCIS require online filing for certain forms in the future, and our post on the rule notes that the I-130 is on USCIS’s list of forms available online. No form is online-only today, and we explain the details in our post on the USCIS mandatory e-filing rule.
Can the I-130 fee be waived?
We are not aware of a fee waiver for the I-130 itself. The fee waiver rules in 8 CFR 106.3 list the forms that can be waived for people who cannot pay, and the I-130 does not appear in that list. The exemptions in that section for VAWA self-petitioners, T and U applicants, and refugees apply to other forms and to other benefits. A VAWA self-petitioner files Form I-360 instead of an I-130, which is a different process with different rules.
If cost is the obstacle, talk with an attorney before you choose a path. The fee is only one part of the total, and the right route for your family may change what you pay.
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What happens if I send the wrong fee?
USCIS rejects it. Under 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(ii), a benefit request that is not submitted with the correct fee will be rejected, and a rejected filing is not treated as received, so it does not get a receipt date. A payment that the bank does not honor causes a similar problem: under 8 CFR 106.1(c), no receipt is issued, any receipt already issued is void, and the request loses its receipt date. USCIS also says that if a check is returned unpaid it will resubmit it once and, if it fails again, reject the filing. If you pay by credit card on a mailed packet, a declined card means a rejection with no second try.
The receipt date matters because, for a preference category, it becomes your priority date. In a category with a waiting line, losing weeks to a rejected packet can mean losing your place. Our guide to how priority dates work explains why. A rejection is not a denial, and you can usually correct the problem and file again, but the new filing gets a new date. For that reason, we check the fee, the payee name and the form edition against the current instructions before any packet goes out.
What else will I pay besides the I-130 fee?
The I-130 fee starts the process, and the rest of the cost depends on the route. These are the government fees we can confirm from the regulations and the State Department.
If the relative is in the United States and can adjust status: the I-485 fee is $1,440 for an applicant age 14 or older, and $950 for an applicant under 14 who files with a parent’s I-485, under 8 CFR 106.2. The online discount brings the adult amount to $1,390. Our post on the I-485 filing fee in 2026 lists the details. A spouse of a citizen who files a paper I-130 and I-485 together pays $675 plus $1,440, or $2,115 in USCIS fees, before adding any work permit or travel document applications, which carry their own fees on the G-1055 schedule.
If the relative will get the visa abroad (consular processing): the State Department charges an immigrant visa application processing fee of $325 per person for family-based cases and a $120 affidavit of support review fee when that review is done domestically, according to its fees for visa services page. After the visa is issued, USCIS charges a separate immigrant fee of $235 for processing and producing the green card, under 8 CFR 106.2(c)(3). For a paper I-130 with no domestic affidavit review, that is $675 plus $325 plus $235, or $1,235 in government fees for one applicant.
Forms with no USCIS fee: the Form I-864 affidavit of support has no fee under 8 CFR 106.2, and the medical exam form I-693 has no USCIS fee for adjustment applicants. The doctor who performs the exam sets a separate price, and we cannot give you a single figure because it varies by provider. We explain the sponsor’s income test in our post on income requirements for sponsors.
These totals cover government fees only. They do not include translations, document fetching, courier costs, the medical exam, or attorney fees, and they assume the amounts above stay the same when you file.
What this does not change
The I-130 fee does not decide whether your relative qualifies. Paying it does not make a petition approvable, and a correct fee does not cure a weak relationship case or an eligibility problem later on. An approved I-130 also does not mean your relative can stay or work; most people still need an I-485 or a consular visa after approval. Fee amounts can change again through a new USCIS fee rule, so use the figures here as a starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the I-130 cheaper if I file online?
Yes. The online fee is $50 lower than the paper fee, so the I-130 is $625 online and $675 on paper, under 8 CFR 106.1(g) and 106.2. Whether online filing makes sense for your case depends on the facts, so talk with an attorney if you are unsure.
Do I pay a separate fee for the I-130A?
The USCIS fee schedule does not list a separate fee for the I-130A, so we expect none. Confirm on the current USCIS form page before you file.
Can I get my I-130 fee back if the petition is denied?
No. USCIS says filing fees are final and non-refundable regardless of any action it takes on your case. A rejection for a wrong fee is different from a denial, but you will need to file again, and the new filing gets a new receipt date.
Do I pay the I-130 fee again when my relative applies for the green card?
No. The I-130 is filed once for the relationship. The green card stage has its own fees, such as the I-485 for adjustment or the State Department and USCIS immigrant fees for consular cases. A second relative needs a second petition and a second fee.
How We Can Help
We help families work out which petition to file, which route fits their situation, and what the total cost will look like before any money is spent. If you want to go over your family’s petition, call us at (407) 917-2087 or start with a free pre-evaluation. We review the facts to see whether we can help, and if it is a fit, we will invite you to a paid consultation with a written flat-fee quote. You can also read about our family-based green card work.
Our founding attorney Denisse Ilabaca is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by The Florida Bar, a distinction held by fewer than two percent of Florida attorneys.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Ilabaca Law, PLLC. Immigration fees and rules change often, so talk with a licensed attorney about your situation before you act.