Form I-90 Filing Fee

If you searched for the “i-190 filing fee,” you’re in the right place, even though no such form exists. Google maps that term to Form I-90, the application green card holders use to renew or replace a permanent resident card. The good news for your budget: the i-90 filing fee dropped in 2024 and has held steady into 2026, landing at $415 online or $465 by mail, with biometrics already included. 

This guide breaks down the current fee, who can file for free or request a waiver, how to pay without getting rejected, and a few adjacent costs that confuse people. Let’s start with the form itself.

What Form I-90 is and who needs to file it

Form I-90 is the Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, the form you file with USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) to renew or replace your green card. You need it if your 10-year card is expiring or expired, was lost, stolen, or damaged, has your name or other details wrong, or never arrived after approval.

Not everyone with an expiring card uses this form, though. A green card isn’t a temporary work permit you renew every year. It is permanent proof of your right to live and work in the U.S., replaced roughly every 10 years with this application.

Two situations call for a different form. If you have a 2-year conditional green card from marriage or investment, you file Form I-751 (or Form I-829 for investors) to remove conditions instead. And if you’re close to qualifying for citizenship, filing Form N-400 may make more sense than renewing.

Current I-90 filing fee in 2026

Your base cost is straightforward. The i-90 filing fee in 2026 is $415 if you file online and $465 if you file by mail, and that single fee covers everything the agency charges for a standard renewal.

Online filing fee vs. paper filing fee

When you compare the i-90 fee online vs paper, the difference is exactly $50. The agency applies a $50 discount to most forms submitted online, so an application filed online costs $415 while the paper route costs $465.

Is the biometrics fee included or separate?

You no longer pay a separate i-90 biometrics fee. Before April 1, 2024, applicants paid an extra $85 for biometric services on top of the filing fee.

Under the current fee schedule, biometric services are folded into the $415 or $465 total, so you owe nothing extra for fingerprints or photos. The agency may still schedule a biometrics appointment, but the biometric services charge no longer applies.

Full fee schedule at a glance

Your fee schedule is short, because there is no premium processing option to expedite a renewal. This is the full I-90 fee schedule USCIS publishes:

The i-90 replacement fee is identical whether you’re renewing an expiring card or replacing a lost one, so the reason for filing doesn’t change what you owe.

Total cost to file Form I-90: what to budget

Your real green card renewal cost is usually just the filing fee, but it’s worth seeing the full picture before you file. Three buckets cover almost every applicant:

• Government fees only: For a do-it-yourself filing, the i-90 cost green card renewal applicants face is simply $415 or $465, with no separate USCIS filing fees beyond that and no premium processing for this form.
• Optional attorney or preparation help: If you hire an immigration lawyer or a preparation service, expect anywhere from about $100 for a basic service to several hundred dollars or more for full legal help, on top of the government fee.
• Other small costs: Budget for certified mail if you file on paper, passport-style photos if requested, and certified translations of non-English documents.

Has the I-90 fee changed in 2026?

You haven’t missed a recent increase. The i-90 filing fee 2026 amount is the same one set by the federal fee rule that took effect on April 1, 2024, and it has not changed since.

Before that rule, applicants paid $540 in total: a $455 filing fee plus a separate $85 biometric services charge. The 2024 rule lowered the fee to $465 on paper and $415 online while folding biometrics into the total.

That change was part of a broader 2024 overhaul of USCIS filing fees. Because fees can shift, confirm the current fee on the USCIS fee schedule before you pay.

Who qualifies for an I-90 fee waiver

You may not have to pay at all. If you can’t afford the cost, you can request a waiver by filing Form I-912 with your application, and the agency will approve it only if you clearly show you’re unable to pay.

There are three ways to qualify for a Form I-912 fee waiver, based on the criteria in federal regulation:

• Means-tested public benefits: You, your spouse, or the head of your household receives a means-tested benefit such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) when you file.
• Income-based eligibility: Your household income is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines at the time of filing.
• Financial hardship: You face extreme financial hardship from extraordinary expenses or circumstances that leave you unable to pay.

Two rules matter here. You must document whatever basis you claim, with benefit letters, tax returns, pay stubs, or proof of expenses. And you cannot request a waiver through the online system, so any I-90 that includes one must be filed on paper.

When Form I-90 is free (fee exemptions)

Separate from waivers, some situations carry no charge at all regardless of your income. These are exemptions written into the fee schedule.

The clearest is the i-90 fee uscis error exemption. If your card was issued with incorrect information because of a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) mistake, such as a misspelled name or wrong date of birth, you owe nothing to fix it. You simply send the incorrect card and evidence of the correct information.

Two other situations are also free: when your card was issued but never delivered to you, and when you’ve turned 14 and your existing card will expire after your 16th birthday. In each case you file the form with no fee.

How to pay the I-90 fee

Your payment method depends on how you file, and getting it wrong is one of the most common reasons applications get rejected.

If you file online, you create a USCIS online account and pay through Pay.gov, the Treasury Department’s secure site, using a debit or credit card or a withdrawal from a U.S. bank account.

If you file by mail, you can pay by credit card using Form G-1450, or by check or money order made payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security.” Cash is never accepted.

Important note: If you submit the wrong amount, your whole application is rejected and you’ll have to refile, losing time. Fees are nonrefundable even if your case is denied, so confirm the exact amount and use the USCIS fee calculator if you’re unsure before you pay.

Online vs. paper filing: cost and practical differences

You’ll save money and time filing online in almost every case, but paper still has its place. Beyond the $50 you save, an online submission generates your receipt notice faster, lets you upload evidence and track your case, and reduces data-entry errors.

The mailed option still matters in specific situations. Most importantly, a fee waiver can only be filed on paper, so if you’re requesting one, that decides the method for you.

How to update your address while your I-90 is pending

You’re required to keep the agency updated on where you live, and it matters even more while a card is on its way to you. If you move, an outdated address can mean a missed receipt notice or a new green card sent to the wrong place.

Report any move within 10 days by updating your address in your online account or filing Form AR-11, the Alien’s Change of Address Card. This keeps your receipt notices and new card on track.

When to involve an immigration attorney

You usually don’t need a lawyer for a routine renewal. A straightforward case with no complications is designed to be self-filed, and paying for help you don’t need wastes money.

Professional help earns its cost in narrower situations: a criminal record, prior immigration violations, abandonment-of-residence concerns, name or biographic discrepancies, or a renewal that overlaps a larger step in your case. For a basic renewal, though, doing it yourself at $415 beats $500-plus in fees, and a good immigration lawyer will tell you the same.

The $220 USCIS immigrant fee and how it fits the green card process

You may run into a separate $220 charge called the USCIS Immigrant Fee, and it confuses a lot of new permanent residents. This fee is not part of the I-90.

The $220 fee applies to people who obtained their green card through consular processing, meaning their immigrant visa was issued by a U.S. consulate abroad rather than through adjustment of status, the process of getting a green card while inside the U.S.

After the visa is approved, you pay the fee on the USCIS website to cover producing and mailing your physical card. If you completed adjustment of status with Form I-485 inside the country, you’ve already paid for your card and owe no separate $220 fee.

Form I-140 petition fees and how they connect to green card costs

If you’re an employment-based applicant earlier in the process, your costs look very different from a renewal. Before anyone files an I-90 years later, an employer or self-petitioner usually files Form I-140, the immigrant petition for a foreign worker.

The current I-140 filing fee is $715, plus an Asylum Program Fee of $300 or $600 depending on the employer. Premium processing is optional. For $2,965, Form I-907 commits the agency to act within 15 business days for most categories, or 45 business days for EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) and EB-1C cases.

Many applicants then file Form I-485 for adjustment of status to finish the green card inside the U.S.

Understanding the $100,000 fee: who it applies to

You’ve probably seen headlines about a $100,000 immigration fee, and it has nothing to do with green card renewal or any EB-5 investor cost. It is an H-1B work-visa fee, tied to the temporary visa for specialty-occupation workers.

A presidential proclamation effective September 21, 2025 imposed a one-time $100,000 supplemental payment on certain new H-1B petitions. It applies mainly to initial petitions for workers who are outside the United States.

It does not apply to H-1B renewals, extensions, or amendments, and it does not apply to most F-1 students, those on a study visa, who change status to H-1B from inside the country. The fee faces active court challenges and is currently set to run for 12 months unless extended, so check the latest guidance if it could affect you.

Conclusion

For most green card holders, renewing your card is a simple, low-cost task: confirm you don’t qualify for a free filing, submit online for $415, and pay carefully to avoid a rejection. The bigger numbers you may have read about belong to entirely different processes, so don’t let them worry you when all you need is a new card.

Lighthouse handles the overlap so you don't have to

Most green card renewals are simple enough to handle on your own. But if your renewal sits alongside a larger step, such as an employer-sponsored green card that you or your employer is still pursuing, the timing and paperwork get more involved.

That is where Lighthouse is built to help. It prepares those petitions with attorney review included on every case, and most applications are ready in under three weeks. A routine card renewal does not need that kind of support, but a green card filing running alongside one often does. 

See how Lighthouse can help with your case.

Frequently asked questions on the I-90 fee

How do you pay the I-90 fee?

If you file electronically, you pay through Pay.gov with a card or a U.S. bank account inside your online account. If you file by mail, you pay by check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security,” or by credit card using Form G-1450. Cash is never accepted, and fees are nonrefundable.

Who is subject to the $100,000 fee?

The $100,000 fee is an H-1B work-visa charge, not a green card fee. It applies to certain new H-1B petitions for workers outside the U.S. under a September 2025 proclamation. It does not apply to H-1B extensions, amendments, or most F-1 students changing status to H-1B from inside the country.

How much does it cost to file an I-140 petition?

The current I-140 filing fee is $715, plus a $300 or $600 Asylum Program Fee depending on the employer’s size. Premium processing through Form I-907 is an optional $2,965 and commits the government to act within 15 or 45 business days, depending on the category.

When do you pay the $220 immigrant fee?

You pay the $220 USCIS Immigrant Fee after your immigrant visa is approved through consular processing abroad, before or shortly after you enter the U.S. It pays for producing your physical green card. People who adjust status inside the U.S. with Form I-485 do not pay it.

Who needs to fill out Form I-90?

Lawful permanent residents whose 10-year green card is expiring or expired, or whose card was lost, stolen, damaged, contains an error, or never arrived. It’s the standard way to renew or replace a permanent resident card.

Who does not need to fill out Form I-90?

Conditional residents with a 2-year card should file Form I-751 or Form I-829 instead. Anyone close to citizenship may prefer Form N-400, and someone whose only issue is a DHS error on the card still files the I-90 but owes no fee.

Is the “i-190 filing fee” different from the I-90 fee?

No. There is no USCIS Form I-190; “i-190 filing fee” is a common misspelling of the I-90 fee. Whatever the spelling, the cost is $415 online or $465 by mail in 2026, biometrics included.

Note: This article is informational and not legal advice. USCIS fees and immigration rules can change. Confirm current amounts on the USCIS fee schedule or with a qualified immigration attorney before filing.