How much does an immigration lawyer cost in California?

Most immigration attorneys charge flat fees per filing — one price for a green card package, another for naturalization or a removal defense stage — separate from the government filing fees set by regulation at 8 C.F.R. part 106, which change periodically. Fee waivers exist for some applicants, and written fee agreements are required for most engagements.

Immigration work is priced by the filing, not the hour, in most California practices: a flat fee for a family-based green card package, another for naturalization, asylum, or each stage of removal defense, with hourly billing reserved for unusual litigation. Two separate costs stack together — the attorney's fee and the government's. USCIS filing fees are set by regulation at 8 C.F.R. part 106 and are adjusted periodically, so check the current amounts at uscis.gov; some applications, including naturalization for lower-income applicants, qualify for a fee waiver or reduction requested on Form I-912. California law protects the fee relationship: Business and Professions Code section 6148 requires a written agreement stating the basis of the fee for most engagements above one thousand dollars, and the agreement should say exactly which filings, interviews, and responses are included. Be wary of anyone charging for blank government forms or promising outcomes — the forms are free, and no one controls a federal adjudication.

Authority: 8 C.F.R. pt. 106; Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 6148