Q: How much will it cost for my wife from Mexico to get her residency and work in the US?

A: You state that your wife already has a visa, I assume that this is a temporary visitor visa, not a temporary employment visa or a permanent resident visa (also called a green card). The total cost for applying for a permanent resident visa depends on many factors. The USCIS or Embassy filing fees depend on whether she is applying for a permanent resident visa in the U.S. or in Mexico, who the sponsor who will be (i.e.; you or another employer), whether your wife has ever violated a U.S. immigration law in the past, whether your wife will be applying temporary work authorization while she is waiting for her permanent resident visa to be processed, etc. If your wife needs to have a medical examination, then there is a separate fee for the examination. Then the attorney fees are in addition to the USCIS filing fees. Roughly, the cost could be between around $1,000 to $3,000, plus attorney fees if you hire an attorney.

The filing fees are available on the official USCIS website (www.usics.gov). Attorney fees vary depending on the specific circumstances of the case.

I suggest you seek the assistance of an immigration attorney. If you have limited finances, then you may want to contact a law school in your area and see if the school runs an immigration clinic that helps with immigration applications or you can check your local county bar association to see if there is a local legal aid service organization that assists with immigration applications. If you are looking for a private attorney to assist you, our firm may be able to assist you even though our attorneys are located in NJ.