SEVIS Fee Payments for IEP Students Undergoing Change of Status or Reinstatement

This fee went into effect September 1, 2004. SEVIS fee payments are used by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to fund the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. This program makes it possible for international students and exchange visitors to attend schools in the United States. The fee also funds the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a computer system employed to track international students and exchange visitors during their stays in the United States.

What is the SEVIS Fee?

The SEVIS fee is required of all foreign nationals who come to the United States for the purpose of pursuing a full course of study in institutions such as colleges, universities, and language training programs. It is payable one time for each single educational program in which an F-1 or F-3 student participates, extending from the time the student is granted F-1 or F-3 status to the time the student falls out of status, changes status, or departs the United States for an extended period of time.

Who Must Pay the SEVIS Fee and When?

The SEVIS fee is paid separate from and in addition to the filing fee for application to change status or be reinstated to student status. Change of status and reinstatement applications require submission to DHS of Form I-539, Application To Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status. The fee to file Form I-539, as of this writing, is USD $195.

You will need to pay the SEVIS fee if you were issued a Form I-20 on or after September 1, 2004, for the purpose of change of status from another immigration status to F-1 or F3 or for the purpose of application for reinstatement unless:

• If applying for change of status, you are seeking change of classification between F1 and F3.
  

• If applying for reinstatement, you have been out of status for a period of less than 5 months. The date you violated status is the date that a Designated School Official (DSO) at your current or former institution terminated your record in the SEVIS system.
  

F-2 visa holders, the spouse and dependents of the F-1 visa holder, are not required to pay the SEVIS fee.

Whether you are applying for change of status or for reinstatement, your SEVIS fee payment must be processed before DHS will take action on your application.

How Much is the SEVIS Fee and How Do I Pay It?

The SEVIS fee is USD $100. The SEVIS fee must be paid by mail or online and cannot be paid with your filing fee for Form I-539.

The fee can be paid by one of two ways:

• Online, by completing a Form I-901 through the internet using a Visa, MasterCard, or American Express credit card.

• By mail, by submitting Form I-901, fee remittance for Certain F, J, and M Nonimmigrants, together with a check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank and payable in U.S. currency.

Another person such as a friend or family member can pay the fee on your behalf through the same means described above.

Processing Times and Payment Verification

If you pay the SEVIS fee onlinet, your payment is processed immediately and, at the time you make payment, you can print a receipt directly from your computer. Mailing the SEVIS fee does not constitute payment. The fee is processed when it is received by DHS. If you mail your payment rather than pay on the Internet, it can take a considerable amount of time for payment to be received and for you to receive a receipt by return mail.

Whether you choose to pay the fee by the Internet or by mail, a paper receipt will be mailed to the address you provide on Form I-901. You may choose to have this receipt sent to you either by regular mail or, at an additional charge, by express delivery.

DHS does not require that you send proof of SEVIS fee payment with your Form I-539. DHS will be able to verify your SEVIS fee payment without a receipt so long as payment is processed before an officer adjudicates your application.