SEVIS Fee

SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) is the database of the U.S. Federal Government Department of Homeland Security that keeps records on F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors in the United States. Federal law requires that this database be supported by fees paid by students and exchange visitors.  This fee is called the SEVIS I-901 Fee and it must be paid for each J-1 program.  Information on SEVIS and the fee can be found at www.ice.gov/sevis.

The SEVIS I-901 Fee

You are required to pay the I-901 fee to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) BEFORE you apply for the J-1 visa (or before you enter the US if you do not need to apply for a visa). The fee for J-1 exchange visitors is $180 (J-2 Dependents do NOT pay the SEVIS fee).  This is not a school fee or your visa application fee.  After paying the fee, you can priint your payment confirmation which you must take with you to your visa interview.  The SEVIS fee cannot be paid at the consulate – you must pay it BEFORE you apply for the visa.

Payment by Credit Card Online (RECOMMENDED!)

Go to https://www.fmjfee.com/i901fee at least 3 days before your visa interview. Select Proceed to I-901 Form and Payment.  Select DS-2019 and click OK. On the next screens enter all the requested information exactly as it appears on your DS-2019.  When given the option, click on Credit Card and enter the requested information. Click the submit payment button. If your credit card is accepted, you will get a screen that you can print out as your fee receipt. Take this receipt to your visa interview.

Payment by Check Online

Complete the steps above in Payment by Credit Card Online.  Select Check or Money Order when that option appears. Follow the directions as indicated on the screen.

Payment by Western Union

Go to www.ice.gov/sevis/i901, select Payment by Western Union Quick Pay Instructions under the heading “Western Union Quick Pay.  Follow the instructions outlined carefully. The Western Union receipt serves as your fee receipt for your visa interview.

Payment by Mail with Check or Money Order

Go to www.ice/gov/sevis/i901 and click PDF beside Select Paper Form I-901 (PDF) and read the instructions and complete the form. Paper forms are scanned and read by machine.  When using the paper form, print clearly and complete all fields. Your information in the form must match the information on your Form DS-2019 exactly. If information is missing or difficult to read, the processing of your form could be delayed or the form may be returned to you for correction.  Next, obtain a check or money order in U.S. dollars payable to “I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee,” drawn on a U.S. bank.  Mail the form and payment to one of the following addresses:

To send I-901 form and fee by regular mail:
I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee
P.O. Box 970020
St. Louis, MO 63197-0020
U.S.A.

To send I-901 form and fee by courier (FedEx, DHL, etc.):
I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee
1005 Convention Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63101
U.S.A.

Questions

For any other questions about the SEVIS I-901 Fee, please visit http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901.