Marriage Green Cards: How Manifest, Fragomen, and BAL Compare

A marriage Green Card case requires two filings: Form I-130, then either Form I-485 inside the United States or consular processing abroad. The firm a couple hires can affect their cost, who reviews their petition before it’s filed, and visibility while the case is with USCIS.

This guide compares Manifest Law, Fragomen, and BAL on service transparency, fee disclosure, who reviews the petition, and what clients can see while a case is pending. Among the three firms, only Manifest publishes flat fees for this work. All data below is sourced from each firm's publicly available website, as of Aug. 5, 2026.

At-a-Glance Comparison

Every row below reflects what each firm publishes on its own website. Figures are as of Aug. 5, 2026.

"Not published" means the firm does not publicly disclose this information.

Manifest Law

Manifest Law is an immigration law firm that publishes a price for each case type on its own website, marriage-based Green Cards included. Its marriage Green Card practice page lists two plans, each priced by which forms the case requires.

Silver costs $3,500 for a Form I-130 filing, or $5,000 when the plan also covers adjustment of status (Form I-485). Gold costs $5,000 or $6,000 for those same two scopes.

Both plans include live case tracking, a 2-chair legal review, and filing timelines set for the specific case. Gold adds a 60% money-back guarantee, with full terms published at manifestlaw.com/money-back-guarantee-policy.

Cases are handled on a flat-fee basis with no hourly billing, and the firm accepts credit cards and bank transfers with payment plans available on every tier. Legal fees sit separately from what the government charges. Consultations are free.

Lahaina Araneta, an immigration attorney and co-counsel to Manifest Law, is one attorney focused on marriage-based Green Cards, with 12 years of experience and 4,800+ cases filed. That case count includes cases handled in connection with her work at Manifest Law as well as at other law firms. Firm-wide, Manifest attorneys average 11+ years of immigration experience as of March 30, 2026, and fewer than 1% of attorneys who apply are selected.

Manifest's strengths as a law firm are well-suited for couples who want a published price before they commit, a named attorney with a second reviewer on the petition, and a way to see where the case stands while it is pending.

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy

Founded in 1951, Fragomen has more than 5,500 immigration-focused professionals and staff working from more than 70 offices, with services in more than 170 countries. The practice is built around corporate immigration and global mobility for employers.

Fragomen also publishes a Private Client Services practice, and on its homepage the firm describes offering comprehensive immigration solutions and guidance for individuals, their families and their advisors around the globe. It publishes a separate consular services practice.

The firm publishes its own guidance on this specific filing: a Dec. 10, 2024 article by Partner Hyla Kaplan Rosenberg and Senior Associate Elizabeth Brettschneider, published as Part 1 of a series, walks through eligibility, the role of Form I-130, and the evidence USCIS expects in order to treat a marriage as bona fide.

Fragomen does not publish standard U.S. legal fees. On its website the firm describes Fragomen Connect as giving clients 24/7 case access, clear case milestones, and program dashboards, with a suite of standard reports offered free of charge.

Benchmarking sits in a separate Immigration Analytics, Benchmarking and Knowledge practice. Fragomen does not publish a case or attorney review process. For employer-sponsored programs rather than family cases, see the Manifest, Fragomen, and BAL corporate immigration comparison.

Berry Appleman & Leiden (BAL)

Founded in 1980, BAL is a business immigration law firm with 13 U.S. offices and international coverage delivered through network partners in more than 170 countries.

BAL's published solutions cover employment authorization and work visas, U.S. permanent residency, global immigration across six regional practices (Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa), program support and management, sports and entertainment, temporary workforce, and technology. The permanent residency practice it publishes runs through employment-based categories, including national interest waivers and EB-5.

Family-based and marriage-based Green Card services are not published on bal.com, and the firm describes its clients as ranging from multinational Fortune 500 companies moving thousands of employees each year to businesses with a single immigration case. BAL does report on family-based immigration policy through its immigration news service, including USCIS screening changes and Form I-130 petition procedures, though that coverage sits separately from the solutions the firm publishes.

BAL does not publish standard U.S. legal fees, and does not publish or describe a case or attorney review process. The firm describes Cobalt as the single platform for everyone involved in the immigration process, with real-time dashboards, configurable reporting, spend forecasting, and integrations with HRIS and ATS systems. BAL publishes ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certifications.

How the Three Firms Compare for a Marriage Case

Firm size is the comparison that comes up first, and it tells a couple very little. A marriage Green Card is a two-filing matter for one household, so headcount and office count say little about how a particular case gets handled.

As a technology-enabled firm, Manifest's reach is broader than its headcount might suggest. The criteria below are the ones a sponsoring spouse can check in advance.

Does the Firm Publish About Marriage-Based Green Card Work?

Manifest publishes a dedicated marriage Green Card practice page with named attorneys and priced plans. Fragomen publishes a private client practice for individuals and families plus its own marriage-based Green Card guidance. BAL publishes a wide set of immigration solutions, and the permanent residency work among them runs through employment-based categories, so marriage-based Green Card work does not appear on the firm's site, and the clients it describes are businesses.

A firm may still take a case type it does not advertise on its website. But a couple has to ask directly, because the website will not answer the question.

What a Couple Can Learn About Cost Before Calling

Fragomen and BAL both keep standard U.S. legal fees off their websites, so what a marriage case costs at either firm is established through direct contact. Manifest publishes its plans and their prices, and states that cases are handled on a flat-fee basis with no hourly billing. For a couple budgeting for two filings, that means only one of the three costs can be checked in advance.

Who Reviews the Petition

Manifest publishes a 2-chair legal review on every case, meaning a second reviewer examines the petition alongside the attorney handling it. Neither Fragomen nor BAL publishes a case or attorney review process on its website. For a filing whose central question is whether USCIS accepts the marriage as genuine, and where the remedy for a thin submission is a request for evidence months later, the review step is a documented difference among the three.

Case Visibility While the Case Is Pending

All three firms publish client-facing case technology, and the audience each one describes differs. Fragomen describes the Fragomen Client Portal and Fragomen Connect in terms of 24/7 case access, case milestones, and program dashboards, with standard reports offered free of charge.

BAL describes Cobalt in terms of real-time dashboards, configurable reporting, spend forecasting, and HRIS and ATS integrations. Both are framed around programs and reporting for employers.

Manifest publishes live case tracking in its client portal for the individual client, alongside filing timelines set for the specific case, whether the couple is adjusting status inside the United States or going through a consulate abroad.

What a Marriage Green Card Costs in Government Fees

Legal fees are separate from what the government charges, and the government figures are published. USCIS filing fees for the core marriage-based Green Card forms, per the USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055, edition 05/29/26):

A couple filing Form I-130 concurrently with Form I-485 by mail pays $2,115 in USCIS fees under the 05/29/26 fee schedule. Filing both forms online comes to $2,015, though USCIS does not permit a filer without a representative to submit Form I-485 online concurrently with the underlying petition; the petition has to be accepted first.

Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, carries no USCIS filing fee, though on the consular path the Department of State charges $120 to review it when the review happens domestically. Medical examinations, document translations, and travel are additional and are not set by USCIS.

Timelines work differently: USCIS processing times for Form I-130 move continuously and differ sharply depending on whether the sponsoring spouse is a U.S. citizen or a Green Card holder. Manifest maintains current stage-by-stage figures in its marriage Green Card processing time guide, updated as USCIS publishes new data.

Working With Manifest on a Marriage Green Card

A marriage Green Card is decided on documentation. The parts a couple can control are the completeness of the petition, the evidence assembled to show the marriage is real, and how quickly a request for evidence gets answered. What separates these three firms is how much of that a couple can verify before hiring anyone.

Manifest publishes the price, what each plan covers, and the review step. Fragomen and BAL publish client case technology but not U.S. legal fees or a review process, so the cost and the review terms of an engagement become clear only after a couple has spoken to the firm.

For a couple deciding where to file, that is the one comparison available before any money changes hands. Manifest's full marriage Green Card guide covers the process itself, from eligibility through the interview.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Fragomen and BAL handle marriage Green Cards?

Fragomen publishes a Private Client Services practice for individuals and families and publishes its own guidance on marriage-based Green Cards. BAL publishes a broad set of immigration solutions, including U.S. permanent residency through employment-based categories, but family-based and marriage-based Green Card services are not published on bal.com, and the firm describes its clients as businesses. Neither firm publishes standard U.S. legal fees for this work. All as of August 5, 2026.

How much does Manifest charge for a marriage Green Card?

Manifest publishes two flat-fee plans on its marriage Green Card practice page. Silver is $3,500 for a Form I-130 filing, or $5,000 when the plan includes adjustment of status (Form I-485). Gold is $5,000 or $6,000 for those same two scopes and adds a 60% money-back guarantee. Payment plans are available on every tier. Prices as of Aug. 5, 2026.

Who reviews my marriage Green Card petition at Manifest?

Manifest publishes a 2-chair legal review, so a second reviewer examines the petition in addition to the attorney handling the case.

How does Manifest's money-back guarantee work?

Manifest publishes a 60% money-back guarantee on the Gold marriage Green Card plan, offered subject to availability. Full terms are published on Manifest's money-back guarantee policy page.

Is a lawyer required to file a marriage Green Card?

No. Under the USCIS Policy Manual (1 USCIS-PM D.1), a benefit requestor is not required to have an attorney or accredited representative, and a couple may prepare and file Form I-130 and Form I-485 themselves.

What are the USCIS filing fees for a marriage Green Card?

Form I-130 is $675 by mail or $625 online, and Form I-485 is $1,440 by mail or $1,390 online for an applicant over 14, per USCIS Form G-1055, edition 05/29/26. Filing both forms by mail comes to $2,115. Filing both online comes to $2,015, and USCIS does not permit a filer without a representative to submit Form I-485 online concurrently with the underlying petition. Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, carries no USCIS filing fee, though the Department of State charges $120 for domestic review on the consular path. Medical examinations, translations, and travel are additional.

How long does a marriage Green Card take?

It depends on whether the sponsoring spouse is a U.S. citizen or a Green Card holder, and whether the foreign spouse applies from inside or outside the United States. Those two variables can shift the timeline by several years, and USCIS updates its published processing times continuously. Manifest tracks the current figures stage by stage in its marriage Green Card processing time guide.

Disclaimer. This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it, or contacting Manifest Law through this site, does not create an attorney-client relationship. Immigration law changes frequently, and the information here is current only as of the publication date. For advice on your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This communication is attorney advertising.