Filing Guide · Updated July 2026
How to pay USCIS fees for a marriage green card
The rules changed in late 2025. Checks and money orders are gone. Here is how to pay each form the right way so your packet is not sent back.
The short answer
Since October 28, 2025, USCIS no longer takes checks or money orders for forms you mail in. You pay online-style instead, using one of two short authorization forms: Form G-1450 for a credit or debit card, or Form G-1650 to pull the fee from a U.S. bank account. You send a separate payment for each form that has a fee. For a marriage green card packet, that is four payments totaling about $3,005.
At a glance
- •No more checks. Paper checks, cashier's checks, and money orders ended October 28, 2025 for mailed forms.
- •Two ways to pay: Form G-1450 (card) or Form G-1650 (debit from a U.S. bank account).
- •One payment per form, never one combined payment for the whole packet.
- •U.S.-issued card or account only. Foreign cards and foreign banks are not accepted.
- •Call your bank first. A large USCIS charge is often flagged as fraud, and a decline sends that form back.
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What Changed in Late 2025
For decades, filers paid USCIS by mailing a check or money order clipped to the forms. That ended. On its filing-fees page, USCIS now states plainly that it “no longer accepts payments made by personal or business check, money order, or cashier’s check for forms filed by paper unless you qualify for an exemption.” The change took effect October 28, 2025 and applies to everything you mail, whether it goes to a USCIS lockbox or a service center.
This matters because most guides you will find online, and a lot of advice on forums, still walk you through writing a check payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security.” That advice is now out of date. If you mail a check today, the packet comes back unfiled.
In its place, USCIS accepts two electronic methods, both authorized on a short paper form you include with your filing. You are not filing online here. You are still mailing a paper packet. You are just swapping the check for a card-authorization page or a bank-debit page.
The Ways to Pay Now
There are two ordinary payment forms and one backup. Most couples use Form G-1450 with a card. The bank-debit form, G-1650, works the same way from a checking account. The hardship form, G-1651, is a narrow exception for people who cannot pay electronically at all.
Form G-1450
- What it is
- Authorization to charge a credit, debit, or prepaid card issued by a U.S. bank in U.S. dollars.
- When to use it
- The default for most filers, including anyone paying with a U.S.-issued prepaid card.
Form G-1650
- What it is
- Authorization for USCIS to pull the fee directly from a U.S. bank account (an ACH debit).
- When to use it
- If you would rather pay straight from a U.S. checking account than use a card.
Form G-1651
- What it is
- A request for a hardship exemption that lets you still pay by check or money order on paper.
- When to use it
- Only if you genuinely cannot access any card or U.S. bank account. Approval is limited.
Both G-1450 and G-1650 are free to use. You can download each one from its page on uscis.gov (G-1450, G-1650).
One Payment Per Form, Not One for the Packet
A marriage green card packet is really several forms mailed together. USCIS wants a separate payment attached to each form that has a fee. Do not add the fees up and send one payment for the total. Beyond being the rule, separate payments protect you: if USCIS finds a problem with one form, only that form and its payment bounce, and the rest of your case can still move forward.
I-130 petition
- 2026 fee
- $675
- How you pay it
- Its own G-1450 or G-1650
I-485 green card application
- 2026 fee
- $1,440
- How you pay it
- Its own G-1450 or G-1650
I-765 work permit
- 2026 fee
- $260
- How you pay it
- Its own G-1450 or G-1650
I-131 travel permit
- 2026 fee
- $630
- How you pay it
- Its own G-1450 or G-1650
I-130A spouse supplement
- 2026 fee
- $0
- How you pay it
- No payment
I-864 affidavit of support
- 2026 fee
- $0
- How you pay it
- No payment
Total
About $3,005Four separate payments
Fees are current as of 2026 and come from the USCIS G-1055 fee schedule. The $1,440 green card application fee already includes the fingerprint and photo appointment, so there is no separate biometrics payment. Verify each amount on the fee schedule before you file.
Filling Out and Placing the Payment Form
Form G-1450 is a single page. You write the cardholder’s name, the card number and expiration date, and the exact fee for one form, then sign it. Do the same on a fresh G-1450 for each fee-bearing form. Place each completed payment page on top of the form it pays for, so USCIS can match them at a glance.
A few details save real headaches:
- •Enter the exact fee. A payment for the wrong amount, high or low, is a common reason a form gets sent back.
- •Sign the payment form. An unsigned G-1450 counts as no payment, and the form bounces.
- •You can split payments across cards. If one card cannot cover everything, use a different card on each form’s G-1450.
- •USCIS charges the card, then destroys the paper authorization for security. Keep your own copy first.
Call Your Bank Before You Mail
This is the step people skip, and it causes a surprising number of rejections. When your bank sees a large charge from a government office it does not recognize, it may decline it as suspected fraud. If USCIS runs your card and it declines, the form attached to that payment is returned unfiled. In a packet with four separate charges, one decline can send a single form back while the other three go through, splitting your case and delaying your work permit.
A five-minute call fixes it. Tell your bank to expect a charge from USCIS, confirm your available credit or balance covers the amount, and raise a low limit if you need to. If you are paying several fees on one card, make sure the total will clear at once.
If You Don’t Have a U.S. Bank Account or Card
This is common when the immigrant spouse is new to the U.S. or still abroad. The card or account does not have to be the applicant’s, so the simplest fix is to have the U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse pay with their own U.S.-issued card. A relative or friend can pay too. Whoever pays fills in and signs the G-1450 or G-1650.
If no one can pay with a U.S. card or account, a U.S.-issued prepaid card is the clean route: buy one, load it with the fee, and enter it on Form G-1450. USCIS accepts prepaid Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. Foreign cards, foreign bank drafts, and foreign money-transfer cards are not accepted. Only if none of these work should you look at the Form G-1651 hardship exemption, which is limited and slows your filing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still pay USCIS fees with a check or money order in 2026?
Not for forms you mail in. As of October 28, 2025, USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, business checks, money orders, or cashier's checks for paper filings. You pay electronically instead: Form G-1450 for a credit or debit card, or Form G-1650 for a direct debit from a U.S. bank account. Paper payment is allowed only if you qualify for a hardship exemption on Form G-1651.
Do I pay one combined payment for the whole marriage green card packet?
No. USCIS asks for a separate payment for each form that carries a fee. In a concurrent marriage packet that means one payment for the I-130 petition, one for the I-485 green card application, one for the I-765 work permit, and one for the I-131 travel permit. Separate payments also protect you: if one form has a problem, only that form's payment fails instead of the whole packet.
How much are the USCIS fees for a marriage green card in 2026?
For a packet mailed from inside the U.S.: I-130 petition $675, I-485 green card application $1,440 (fingerprints and photos included), I-765 work permit $260, and I-131 travel permit $630. The I-130A spouse supplement and the I-864 affidavit of support are $0. That totals about $3,005 as of 2026.
Does the credit card used to pay USCIS have to be issued in the U.S.?
Yes. Form G-1450 requires a credit, debit, or prepaid card issued by a U.S. bank in U.S. dollars, and Form G-1650 pulls from a U.S. bank account. Foreign-issued cards and foreign bank accounts are not accepted. If you are abroad without a U.S. card, a U.S.-issued prepaid card is the common workaround.
What happens if my card is declined when USCIS runs it?
USCIS returns the form tied to that payment, unfiled. Because a marriage packet has several separate payments, one declined card can send back a single form while the rest go through, splitting your case. Banks often flag a large unexpected USCIS charge as fraud, so call your bank before you mail, raise your limit if needed, and tell them to expect the charge.
How do I fill out Form G-1450?
Form G-1450 is a one-page credit card authorization. Write the cardholder name, card number, expiration date, and the exact fee amount for one form, then sign it. Place the completed G-1450 on top of the form it pays for. Use a separate G-1450 for each form. USCIS processes the card, then destroys the paper authorization for security.
Can someone else pay my USCIS fees?
Yes. The card or bank account on Form G-1450 or G-1650 does not have to belong to the applicant. A spouse, parent, or friend can pay with their own U.S.-issued card or U.S. bank account. The cardholder just fills in and signs the payment form. This is common when the immigrant spouse does not yet have a U.S. card of their own.
I don't have a U.S. bank account or credit card. How do I pay?
The cleanest option is a U.S.-issued prepaid card, which you load with the fee amount and enter on Form G-1450. USCIS accepts prepaid Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. If you truly cannot access any electronic payment, Form G-1651 requests a hardship exemption to pay by paper, but approval is limited and slows your filing.
Is there still a separate biometrics fee for the fingerprint appointment?
No. Before April 1, 2024, USCIS billed an $85 fingerprint and photo fee (USCIS calls this biometrics) separately. Since that date it is built into the $1,440 fee for the green card application (Form I-485). You do not send a separate payment for it.
Are USCIS filing fees refundable if my application is denied?
No. USCIS fees pay for reviewing the application, whatever the result, so they are not refunded on a denial. They are different from a rejection: if USCIS rejects a packet at intake before accepting it, no payment is charged and the packet comes back so you can fix it and refile.
Key takeaways
- ✓
As of October 28, 2025, USCIS no longer accepts checks or money orders for mailed forms. You pay electronically with Form G-1450 (card) or Form G-1650 (U.S. bank debit).
- ✓
Pay each form separately. A concurrent marriage packet needs four payments: I-130, I-485, I-765, and I-131. One combined payment can get the whole packet rejected.
- ✓
2026 fees total about $3,005: I-130 $675, I-485 $1,440 (fingerprints included), I-765 $260, I-131 $630. The I-130A and I-864 are free.
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The card or bank account must be U.S.-issued. A U.S.-issued prepaid card works if you don't have a U.S. bank account.
- ✓
Call your bank before you mail. A large unexpected USCIS charge is often flagged as fraud, and a declined payment sends that form back.
- ✓
Someone else can pay with their own U.S. card or account. The payer just fills in and signs the G-1450 or G-1650.
- ✓
Paper payment survives only through a limited hardship exemption on Form G-1651, which slows your filing.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Green Card Genius is self-help immigration software, not a law firm, and does not provide legal representation. USCIS payment rules and fees change. Payment methods here are current as of July 2026; verify any fee and payment method on the USCIS filing-fees page before you file.
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