Beginning July 1, 2025, ISSO will use a UCSF-issued credit card to pay USCIS fees for H-1B, TN, and E-3 visa types (J-1s not affected). This aligns with the federal government’s planned shift to a “check-less” system this fall.
Why this is great news:
- No more check requests for USCIS filing fees
- Fewer steps for departments
- No more waiting 2–4 weeks for checks to arrive in intercampus mail
The New Process
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After campus HR submits a visa request to ISSO, our intake coordinator will email a short form to the department HR liaison or administrator.
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The department submits the appropriate COA or SpeedType and electronic approval to recharge USCIS fees.
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ISSO pays USCIS filing fees by UCSF credit card.
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At the end of each month, ISSO will charge the fees back to your department using the COA/SpeedType you provided.
If ISSO’s intake coordinator has not reached out to you to complete the form for respective scholars beginning July 1, please note that HR has not submitted the request to ISSO. Be sure to follow up with HR regarding the status of your request.
Exceptions
A check may still be needed in a handful of cases. For example, if a scholar is submitting a dependent request with their H-1B. ISSO will reach out if this applies. Departments are encouraged to ask scholars early if they plan to include dependents with their employment-based visa requests as well.
We're hopeful this new system saves you time and hassle. Feel free to reach out with any questions.