SEVIS Fee

The SEVIS I-901 fee is mandated by the US Congress to support the offices and automated systems that keep track of students and exchange visitors to ensure that they maintain their status while in the United States. This fee is in addition to the fee paid to the U.S. Embassy and Consulate Office for the DS-160 visa application.

Who has to pay the Fee and how much is it

Each student or exchange visitor issued a Form I–20 or Form DS–2019 for initial status in a new program will be required to pay the fee to SEVP.  The SEVIS fee is subject to change at any time without notice; see www.fmjfee.com for the most recent information.

Even though Canadians are not generally required to have a non-immigrant visa stamp to enter the US, F-1 and J-1 visa holders still must pay the I-901 SEVIS fee.

How to pay the Fee

The SEVIS fee must be paid, and a receipt issued by DHS, at least three days in advance of the visa interview appointment. Complete instructions for payment are provided by DHS on the website addresses noted below:

  1. If you will pay the SEVIS fee with a credit card, see the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website. Be sure to print out your receipt and bring it with you to your visa interview.
  2. If you will pay the SEVIS fee with a check or money order, follow the instructions on the ICE website. Payment must be made with U.S. funds by a check or money order drawn on a U.S. account made payable to the I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee. Form I-901 must be completed and mailed together with the payment. DHS will mail you a receipt which you will take to the visa interview. Please note that it may take DHS several weeks to process the payment made by mail. For an additional fee, you may request that DHS send you the receipt by courier service.
  3. If you pay the SEVIS fee by using the Western Union Quick Pay™ service, please follow the Western Union Instructions on the ICE website. The Western Union Quick Pay™ service allows participating Western Union locations to collect the SEVIS fee in local currency.
  4. For more information or assistance, please contact ISSO.

If possible, it is highly recommended that the fee be paid by credit card using the online system (Option 1) to avoid potential problems or delays.