{
  "slug": "green-card-sponsorship-cost",
  "title": "Green Card Sponsorship Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "Green Card Sponsorship Cost Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/green-card-sponsorship-cost",
  "summary": "Estimate the full cost of sponsoring a spouse, parent, or family member for a green card.",
  "description": "Family-based green card sponsorship runs through several separate filings, each with its own fee: Form I-130 (petition, $675 as of 2024 for online filing), Form I-485 (adjustment of status, $1,440 combined with biometrics for applicants 14+), Form I-864 affidavit of support (free but requires proof of income), and for consular processing instead of adjustment, the DS-260 immigrant visa fee ($325) plus the affidavit of support fee ($120). Add the medical exam, translations of foreign documents, and often an attorney if the sponsor's income doesn't meet 125% of the federal poverty guideline and a joint sponsor or assets need to be documented. This calculator adds these together and separates adjustment-of-status (in the US) from consular processing (abroad) since the fee lists differ by hundreds of dollars.",
  "formula": "Total = petition fee + status fee (AOS or consular) + affidavit fee + medical + translation + attorney fee.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=green-card-sponsorship-cost",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "path",
      "label": "Processing path",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "aos",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "aos",
          "label": "Adjustment of status (applicant in US)"
        },
        {
          "value": "consular",
          "label": "Consular processing (applicant abroad)"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "petitionFee",
      "label": "I-130 petition fee",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 675,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "statusFee",
      "label": "I-485 or DS-260 + biometrics",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1440,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "affidavitFee",
      "label": "Affidavit of support fee (consular only)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 120,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "medical",
      "label": "Medical exam",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 350,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "translation",
      "label": "Document translation",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 150,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "attorney",
      "label": "Attorney fee (0 if self-filing)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2500,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "total",
      "label": "Total sponsorship cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "govOnly",
      "label": "Government fees only",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "withoutAttorney",
      "label": "Total if self-filing",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "attorney",
      "label": "Attorney fee assumed",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Processing path: Adjustment of status (applicant in US)",
      "I-130 petition fee: 675 $",
      "I-485 or DS-260 + biometrics: 1440 $",
      "Affidavit of support fee (consular only): 120 $",
      "Medical exam: 350 $",
      "Document translation: 150 $",
      "Attorney fee (0 if self-filing): 2500 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Total sponsorship cost: $5,115",
      "Government fees only: $2,115",
      "Total if self-filing: $2,615",
      "Attorney fee assumed: $2,500"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter processing path.",
      "Enter i-130 petition fee ($).",
      "Enter i-485 or ds-260 + biometrics ($).",
      "Enter affidavit of support fee (consular only) ($).",
      "Enter medical exam ($).",
      "Enter document translation ($).",
      "Enter attorney fee (0 if self-filing) ($).",
      "Read your total sponsorship cost on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "path": "aos",
        "petitionFee": 405,
        "statusFee": 860,
        "affidavitFee": 70,
        "medical": 210,
        "translation": 90,
        "attorney": 1500
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "path": "aos",
        "petitionFee": 675,
        "statusFee": 1440,
        "affidavitFee": 120,
        "medical": 350,
        "translation": 150,
        "attorney": 2500
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "path": "aos",
        "petitionFee": 1080,
        "statusFee": 2300,
        "affidavitFee": 190,
        "medical": 560,
        "translation": 240,
        "attorney": 4000
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why does adjustment of status cost differently than consular processing?",
      "a": "Adjustment happens entirely with USCIS in the US and bundles the I-485, biometrics, and often work/travel permits into one combined fee. Consular processing splits costs between USCIS (petition), the National Visa Center (affidavit of support), and the State Department (immigrant visa fee), and those separate agencies bill separately."
    },
    {
      "q": "What income do I need to sponsor someone?",
      "a": "You need household income at or above 125% of the federal poverty guideline for your household size (100% if you're active duty military sponsoring a spouse or child). For 2024, that's roughly $25,550 for a two-person household. If you fall short, a joint sponsor or qualifying assets can fill the gap."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is the I-864 affidavit of support fee always required?",
      "a": "It's built into the DS-260 process for consular cases but not charged separately for adjustment of status, where the I-864 is just a form you file with I-485. That's part of why the two paths' fee totals look different even though both require the same affidavit."
    },
    {
      "q": "How long does the process take end to end?",
      "a": "Spouse of a US citizen through adjustment of status commonly takes 12-18 months currently; consular processing for the same relationship often runs similar or slightly faster depending on the country's visa backlog. Family preference categories for siblings or adult children can take a decade or more due to annual visa caps."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/visa-application-cost",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/citizenship-income-requirement",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/naturalization-fee-total"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Green Card Sponsorship Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/green-card-sponsorship-cost)"
}