The cost of applying for a U.S. green card or citizenship extends well beyond the government filing fee, and new research shows that the burden of these costs varies significantly depending on where a family resides. The 2026 U.S. Immigration Affordability Index, released today by CitizenPath, examines the full, realistic expenses of six common immigration pathways, converting them into hours of work and as a share of household income across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Because U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) charges identical fees in every state, affordability hinges on local wage levels. In Mississippi, the least affordable state, a minimum-wage worker must labor approximately 111 hours—nearly three weeks—to afford U.S. citizenship, compared with about 45 hours in Washington, D.C. Similarly, a marriage-based green card, the most common family immigration route, consumes about 76% of a typical Mississippi household's monthly income, versus 41% in Washington, D.C. The fee is uniform; the burden is not.
The index reveals that typical do-it-yourself costs range from around $494 for a green card renewal to about $3,883 for a K-1 fiancé visa. A marriage-based green card totals roughly $3,744, of which approximately $700 represents 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 these costs, pushing a marriage green card to about $8,344 and a K-1 visa to $9,183 for straightforward cases.
The least affordable states are Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Alabama—all among the 20 states still using the $7.25 federal minimum wage. Conversely, the most affordable locations are Washington, D.C., Washington state, California, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The burden is poised to increase: in June 2026, the Department of Homeland Security proposed raising the naturalization fee by up to 75%—from $760 to $1,330 for paper filers—and eliminating fee waivers, which would hit hardest the lower-income families already dedicating the largest portion of their income to immigration processes.
“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 index covers six journeys across all states and the District of Columbia, using verified government fees and typical self-preparation costs, not CitizenPath's own pricing. The full report, state-by-state data appendix, downloadable CSV, and interactive dashboard are available at citizenpath.com/immigration-affordability-index and are free to republish with attribution. Cite as: CitizenPath U.S. Immigration Affordability Index, 2026 Edition.
