Texas Green Card Cost Calculator

Current USCIS filing fees depend on the form and filing method: I-485 adjustment, I-130 family petition, I-140 worker petition, optional I-765 work authorization, and optional I-131 travel authorization should each be checked against the current G-1055 fee schedule. A family-based adjustment case usually includes Form I-130 and Form I-485. An employment-based case may include Form I-140, possible premium processing, and employer-side costs before the applicant files adjustment.

USCIS fees are federal, so Texas does not set a different green card filing fee. The Texas-specific part of the budget is the local attorney market, civil surgeon pricing, translation needs, mailing, and the time it takes to get an interview at the local field office.

**$2,500–$6,000** family-based; **$4,000–$12,000** employment-based. Houston and Dallas attorneys are generally 20–30% below coastal metro rates. Immigration attorney fees vary significantly based on case complexity, employer sponsorship versus family petition, and whether any waivers, prior removals, criminal-history analysis, or appeals are needed.

For a clean marriage-based adjustment, the attorney fee may cover petition preparation, evidence organization, interview preparation, and response support if USCIS issues a request for evidence. For EB-2, EB-3, EB-1, or National Interest Waiver cases, legal fees often increase because the attorney must document the job, credentials, labor market, or national interest theory.

The Form I-693 medical exam is separate from the USCIS filing fee and must be completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon. The final price depends on the provider, vaccination record, lab work, and whether missing vaccines can be documented or must be administered before the sealed medical packet is complete.

Applicants should also budget for certified civil documents, translations, passport-style photos, printing, and trackable mailing. These costs are not large compared with legal fees, but they can delay filing if they are discovered at the end of packet preparation.

Adjustment of status is used when the applicant is eligible to apply for the green card from inside the United States. It usually concentrates more costs into the I-485 packet, but it may also allow the applicant to request work authorization or travel authorization while the green card is pending.

Consular processing routes the case through the National Visa Center and a U.S. consulate abroad. The government fee mix, medical exam process, travel costs, and interview logistics are different, so a Texas green card cost estimate should not treat consular processing as identical to adjustment of status.

Texas has **4 USCIS field offices** — Houston (126 Northpoint Dr), San Antonio, Dallas, and Harlingen. The Harlingen office primarily handles border-region cases and asylum-based adjustments.

**10–20 months** family-based at the Houston or San Antonio field offices. Texas processing times have improved since USCIS expanded the San Antonio office in 2024. Processing times fluctuate based on USCIS staffing, case volume, and whether requests for evidence (RFEs) are issued. Use the calculator above to estimate your total green card cost based on your specific situation.