The cost of U.S. immigration goes far beyond the government filing fee, and a new study reveals that the burden is sharply unequal depending on where a family lives. The 2026 U.S. Immigration Affordability Index, released today by CitizenPath, measures the full, realistic cost of six common immigration journeys and translates each into hours of work and a share of household income.
Because U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) charges the same fees in every state, affordability comes down to local wages. In Mississippi, the least affordable state, a minimum-wage worker must work about 111 hours — nearly three weeks — to afford U.S. citizenship, versus about 45 hours in Washington, D.C. A marriage-based green card, the most common family immigration path, equals about 76% of one month’s income for a typical Mississippi household, compared with 41% in Washington, D.C. The fee is identical; the burden is not.
The index covers six journeys across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, built on verified government fees and typical self-preparation costs — never on CitizenPath’s own pricing. The full report, a state-by-state data appendix, a downloadable CSV, and an interactive dashboard are available at citizenpath.com/immigration-affordability-index/ and are free to republish with attribution.
Key findings show that the typical do-it-yourself cost ranges from about $494 for a green card renewal to about $3,883 for a K-1 fiancé visa. A marriage-based green card runs about $3,744 — of which roughly $700 is expenses beyond the government fee. For a couple living at 150% of the federal poverty line, a do-it-yourself marriage green card equals about 138% of a month’s income — more than a full month’s pay. Hiring an immigration attorney roughly doubles the cost, reaching about $8,344 for a marriage green card and $9,183 for a K-1 (straightforward cases).
The least affordable states are Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Alabama — among the 20 states still at the $7.25 federal minimum wage. The most affordable are Washington, D.C., Washington, California, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The burden is set to grow. In June 2026, the Department of Homeland Security proposed raising the naturalization fee up to 75% — from $760 to $1,330 for paper filers — and eliminating fee waivers, hitting hardest the lower-income families the index shows already paying the largest share of their income.
“The Index shows how heavily these costs fall on lower-income families,” said Russ Leimer, CitizenPath co-founder and CEO. “But even a couple earning $100,000 a year pays about 45% of a month’s income for a marriage green card — and that’s before hiring an attorney.” Cesar Luna, CitizenPath co-founder and immigration attorney, added, “I regularly see families delay or give up on applications they qualify for, purely because of cost. Cost, not eligibility, is what stops many of these families from immigrating the legal way — the way the government tells them to.”
The implications are significant for policymakers and families alike. The index highlights that immigration fees, while uniform, have disparate impacts that could be addressed through fee restructuring or state-specific support. As the proposed fee increases loom, the data underscores the need for a closer look at how immigration costs affect different communities. For more information, visit CitizenPath.com.
