Here’s How Much It Will Cost You To Get A Marriage Green Card

If you are non-American and you are married to an American citizen, the first thing you need to do after your marriage is to apply for a marriage green card. This will allow you to live and work anywhere in the United States. You will get permanent resident status.
If you wish to be a U.S. citizen like your spouse, you can become eligible to apply after three years. Surely, this one will cost you a lot of time and money that you may have to apply for loans if you and your spouse are only starting.
So, here is how much it will cost you if you apply for a marriage green card.

THE BASIC AMOUNT

The total cost of getting a green card through marriage last year varies from where you were from. If you are from the United States, the price is $1,760. But if you are from a different country, it is $1,200. These amounts already included mandatory U.S. government fees that are nonrefundable and the medical examination. But, it cannot be denied that it is still a hefty amount that you have to get from your loans.
However, the Trump administration proposed to increase the cost of the marriage-based green card by 56 percent. So if you are from the United States and you will apply for it, from $1,760, you now have to pay $2,750. The government also wanted to remove fee waivers on its application form.

MANDATORY FEES

When applying for a marriage green card, you have a lot of mandatory fees that you have to pay. You must directly give it to the government. In most cases, you will pay to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), unless stated otherwise. Also, you have to play the physician who will perform the required medical exam. We are not just sure if you can use your credit card here.

· Family Sponsorship Form costs $535 for U.S. applicants and $535 for applicants living abroad.

· Green Card Application Form costs $1,140 for U.S. applicants and not required for applicants living abroad.

· Financial Support Form is free for U.S. applicants and $120 for applicants living abroad.

· Work Permit Application Form is free for U.S. applicants and not required for applicants living abroad.

· Travel Permit Application Form is free for U.S. applicants and not required for applicants living abroad.

· Biometrics (Fingerprints and Photo) cost $85 for U.S. applicants and free for applicants living abroad.

· State Department Processing’s fee is not required for U.S. applicants and $325 for applicants living abroad.

· USCIS Immigrant Processing’s fee is not required for U.S. applicants and $220 for applicants living abroad.

· Medical Examination is $200 for U.S. applicants and $200 for applicants living abroad.

In total, the U.S. applicants have to pay $1,960, while the applicants living abroad will only pay $1,400. However, it would be best if you take note that this is based on the 2019 mandatory fees. You may need a good business or investment to pay this amount. Anyhow, the medical exam’s cost may vary depending on the provider. Some applicants paid only $100 up to $500 for this.

Also, you should take note that the government fees will only be paid all at once if they are married to a U.S. citizen and living in the United States. If not, these fees will be paid during the different stages of the application process.
USCIS has a calculator on its website that you can use to determine how much you exactly need to pay.

OTHER POTENTIAL EXPENSES

Do you think that it is everything that you need to pay? You are mistaken. There are still a lot of other potential expenses if you apply for a marriage green card. Apart from the government fees and the medical exam fee, there are several fees that you have to get from your cash loans.

· Vaccination Fees – If your medical exam asks you to get a vaccination, you have to pay for it. There are cases that you have to update your vaccinations before you complete your medical examination report.

· Translation Services Fees – If your application includes documents that are not in English, you need to add a translation of each document, which is certified accurate by a translator.

· Document Fees – As part of the process, you have to submit soft or hard copies of your supporting documents, like birth certificate, marriage certificate, and passport. You and your spouse also have to bring the original copies of these documents when you attend your final interview.

· Professional Photography Fees – To verify your identity and conduct background checks, the U.S. government will ask you to submit a recent two 2-inch-by-2-inch photos. Although you may take photos of your own, it is a better idea if you go to professional photography shops.

· Travel Expenses – You have to pay for your own travel expenses when you go to your biometrics appointment, green card interview, and medical exam. The U.S. government is not going to reimburse any amount that you will spend if you go to any of these locations.

· Shipping Costs – You also have to pay for the shipping costs for the postage and mailing of your application and supporting documents at the process of your green card application.