Updated November 4, 2026

SEVIS I-901 fee: how much it costs, how to pay on FMJFee.com and how to get your receipt

The I-901 SEVIS fee costs $350 for F and M student visa applicants, $220 for most J-1 exchange visitors, and $35 for J-1 camp counselor, au pair and summer work/travel categories, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). You must have your Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 in hand before paying on FMJFee.com, the only federal website certified to collect the payment.

Pay at least three business days before your visa interview and print the payment confirmation receipt to bring to the embassy.

How much is the SEVIS fee by visa category?

ICE sets the I-901 SEVIS fee by visa category. The current fee schedule took effect on June 24, 2019, raising the rate from the earlier 2013 amounts of $200 for F and M students and $180 for standard J-1 visitors.

This fee is mandated by Congress to fund the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and the SEVIS tracking database. It is separate from the consular visa application fee you pay for your interview and separate from any administrative fee your school or sponsor charges to run its international office.

Under federal regulation 8 CFR 103.7(c), there are no fee waivers available for the I-901 SEVIS fee. If you cannot pay directly, a third party such as a family member, sponsor or school may pay on your behalf.

Practice these questions out loud.

Who must pay the I-901 SEVIS fee, and when?

You must receive your Form I-20 (for F and M students) or Form DS-2019 (for J-1 exchange visitors) before you can pay the fee. If you are applying for an F-1 student visa or checking your J-1 visa requirements, wait until your school or sponsor issues your form with a SEVIS ID number.

If you received forms from more than one school or sponsor, do not pay for all of them. ICE recommends paying only on the Form I-20 or DS-2019 from the school or program you actually plan to attend.

When you pay depends on where you are and whether you need a visa stamp:

• Outside the US and need a visa: You can schedule your embassy appointment before paying the I-901 SEVIS fee, according to ICE. However, you must pay before you appear for the interview, and ICE advises allowing at least three business days for the payment to post to SEVIS and Department of State consular systems.
• Citizens of visa-exempt countries (Canada, Bermuda, Bahamian nationals and British subject residents of the Bahamas, Cayman, Turks or Caicos Islands under 8 CFR 212.1(a)): You must pay the fee and allow time for processing before you arrive at a US Port of Entry (POE). You cannot pay the SEVIS fee at the border.
• Inside the US applying for a change of status or reinstatement: Pay the fee before you file your application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

How to pay the SEVIS fee on FMJFee.com

Study in the States (a Department of Homeland Security website) states that FMJFee.com is the only federal website certified to collect I-901 SEVIS fee payments. In March 2022, DHS reported that completing the online Form I-901 takes an average of five minutes.

Before you start on FMJFee.com, have your Form I-20 or DS-2019 open. All SEVIS ID numbers start with the letter N. On older versions of Form I-20 and DS-2019, the SEVIS ID is in the top right corner above the barcode. On newer versions of both forms, the SEVIS ID is in the top center of page 1. The form issuance date is in block 10 on Form I-20 and block 7 on Form DS-2019.

Use this pre-payment checklist to gather the exact fields required on Form I-901:

• SEVIS Identification Number (starts with the letter N) from your Form I-20 or DS-2019.
• School Code as listed on your Form I-20 (or your exchange visitor program code).
• Your full name and date of birth, entered exactly as they appear on your Form I-20 or DS-2019.
• Your current mailing address and a valid email address (SEVP sends payment processing notices here).
• Your country of birth and country of citizenship.

Payment methods and country restrictions

Once you enter your Form I-901 details on FMJFee.com, you can pay in US dollars using one of three authorized methods. SEVP does not accept cash, traveler's checks, individual Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfers, overpayments or underpayments.

Country restrictions on credit cards: Study in the States notes that prospective F or M students whose country of citizenship or country of birth is Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria or Gambia cannot pay by credit card. Applicants from these five countries must pay by money order, Western Union Quick Pay or certified check drawn on a US bank. Study in the States also warns that SEVP is not affiliated with SEVIS Express, a third-party site operating in several of those countries, and cannot confirm its legitimacy.

• Credit or debit card online: Available only on FMJFee.com. SEVP accepts Visa, MasterCard or American Express credit cards, and debit cards (check cards) displaying the Visa or MasterCard logo. Your receipt is ready to print immediately.
• Western Union Quick Pay: Available in over 130 countries. Since April 15, 2014, you must fill out Form I-901 online at FMJFee.com first to generate a unique payment coupon number. Take that coupon number to a local Western Union branch offering Quick Pay or Quick Collect. On the Western Union form, enter SEVISFEE (or SEVISFEEMO as shown on your coupon) as the Company Name, enter your online coupon number as the Account Number, and enter the exact dollar amount as it appears on your payment coupon. Your payment links immediately to FMJFee.com so you can print your confirmation right away.
• Check or money order by mail or courier: Must be an international money order or a check/foreign draft drawn on a financial institution in the United States and payable in US currency. Make it payable to "I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee." Write your name, SEVIS ID number, and the online coupon control number on the check or money order, and mail it with your printed payment coupon (or paper Form I-901). Allow at least two weeks for regular mail delivery or one week by courier before checking your status.

Can someone else pay the SEVIS fee for you?

Yes. ICE confirms that any third party, including a family member, friend, school, exchange visitor sponsor or charitable organization, can fill out Form I-901 and pay the fee on your behalf.

Follow these steps if a third party is paying for you:

• Send them your exact Form I-20 or DS-2019 details: Give the payer your SEVIS ID number, School Code or program information, full name, date of birth, country of birth, country of citizenship and current address so they enter your information (not theirs) on Form I-901.
• Check credit card restrictions: If you are a prospective F or M student born in or a citizen of Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria or Gambia, a third party is also barred from using a credit card on your behalf. They must use Western Union Quick Pay, a money order or a certified check from a US bank.
• For Western Union third-party payments: Complete Form I-901 on FMJFee.com first and give the unique coupon number to your payer. At Western Union, the payer puts their own name and address in the sender block, and enters your coupon number in the Account Number field.
• For third-party checks: The check cannot be a check made out to you that you endorse over. It must be made payable directly to "I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee" with your name and SEVIS ID written on the check.
• Group payments by check: An organization or individual can pay for up to eight applicants on a single check, as long as each Form I-901 is included and the total is exact. If one form in a single-check bundle has an error, SEVP returns the entire bundle.

How to get and use your SEVIS fee receipt

Effective July 31, 2013, SEVP stopped mailing paper Form I-797C receipts. The payment confirmation you print from FMJFee.com replaced the mailed I-797C and serves as your proof of payment.

To print or reprint your receipt at any time, go to FMJFee.com, select "Check I-901 Status/Print Payment Confirmation," and enter three details: your SEVIS ID number, your last name (surname), and your date of birth. SEVP does not email or fax receipts, though it sends an email alert when a mailed payment finishes processing so you know you can log in and print it.

How to use your receipt at each stage:

• At your visa interview: Bring a printed paper copy of your FMJFee.com payment confirmation. While consular officers can check your payment electronically, ICE recommends carrying the paper receipt to prove payment was posted and speed up verification. The consulate only checks the receipt and will not keep it.
• Check your SEVIS ID match: The SEVIS ID on your payment confirmation receipt must match the SEVIS ID on the current Form I-20 or DS-2019 you hand to the officer (unless you are a border commuter student).
• At the US Port of Entry: If you are from a visa-exempt country, you must show the receipt at the border when applying for status. If you already have a visa, CBP inspectors usually do not ask for it, but ICE recommends carrying it in your hand luggage in case questions come up.
• Keep it until you finish: ICE advises keeping your I-901 SEVIS fee receipt with your immigration records until you receive your final degree (F or M) or complete your exchange program (J-1). You may need it when applying for work benefits, extensions, a change of status or future visas.

What the visa officer checks after you pay

Paying the SEVIS fee gets your record ready for the interview. For the full list of questions, read our guide to F-1 visa interview questions, review our F-1 visa proof of funds guide, or practice your F-1 visa interview out loud. Here is what to verify with your SEVIS records before your appointment:

• Receipt and I-20 SEVIS ID check: The consulate verifies that your I-901 fee is paid on your active SEVIS ID. Have your printed FMJFee.com receipt and your current Form I-20 or DS-2019 ready to present. If you transferred your fee from another school's I-20 or sponsor's DS-2019, carry both forms and the updated receipt.
• Multiple acceptance packages: If you were accepted to more than one school or exchange program, ICE recommends paying the I-901 fee using the Form I-20 or DS-2019 from the school or program you will actually attend.
• Separate fee receipts: The I-901 SEVIS fee is separate from your nonimmigrant visa application fee and any school SEVIS administration fee. If your school or sponsor charged a fee, confirm with your DSO or Responsible Officer whether they paid the government I-901 fee on your behalf and print the confirmation from FMJFee.com.

When you must repay the SEVIS fee (and when you don't)

In many common situations, such as a visa refusal or a school transfer while maintaining status, you do not pay a second time. Compare your situation against ICE's rules below.

How to transfer your SEVIS fee to a new SEVIS ID

If you paid the I-901 fee on one school's Form I-20 (or sponsor's DS-2019) and then decide to attend a different school, or if you receive a new SEVIS ID after a visa denial within 12 months, you do not need to pay again. You can move the payment to your new SEVIS ID as long as:

1. Both SEVIS ID numbers belong to you.
2. You have not yet received a visa on the first record (or applied for status at a POE if visa-exempt).
3. The fee for the new program is equal to or less than the fee you already paid (if you paid a $35 J-1 fee and switch to a $220 J-1 program, you cannot transfer it and must pay the $220 fee).
4. You make the request yourself (only the student or exchange visitor can request a transfer, even if a third party paid).

How to request the transfer: Go to FMJFee.com, check your payment status, and click the "Request Transfer" button next to the print confirmation button. Enter your new SEVIS ID and new School or program code. You can also email fmjfee.sevis@ice.dhs.gov with "Fee Transfer" in the subject line, your name, date of birth, both SEVIS ID numbers and your receipt number. Study in the States advises sending transfer or correction requests at least two weeks before your visa interview. Keep both Forms I-20 or DS-2019 for your records.

Refunds, typos, bounced checks and credit card chargebacks

SEVP's rules for fixing payment problems are strict, especially around bank disputes.

Refunds: The I-901 SEVIS fee is non-refundable if your visa is denied, if you are denied entry, or if you decide not to study in the US. SEVP grants refunds only if a duplicate payment was made for the same person when only one fee was owed, or if you paid in error when you were exempt (and the refund is at least $30). Only the student or exchange visitor can request a refund, and SEVP must receive the request within 90 days of the eligible payment by emailing fmjfee.sevis@ice.dhs.gov with "I-901 SEVIS Fee Refund" in the subject line.

Fixing a misspelled name: If you spelled your name wrong on Form I-901, email fmjfee.sevis@ice.dhs.gov with "Name Correction" in the subject line at least two weeks before your interview, or call the SEVP Response Center at (703) 603-3400 (open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET, except holidays).

Bounced checks: If a check does not clear, do not pay the fee again on FMJFee.com. The check is sent to the DHS Debt Management Center at (802) 288-7600, which sends instructions to clear the debt (ICE's FAQ lists a $30 Debt Management Center penalty fee, and also notes a $35 dishonored check fee in its payment overview).

Never file a credit card chargeback: If a cardholder disputes the I-901 charge with their credit card company, SEVP issues a payment fraud notice giving 30 days to pay. If unpaid after 30 days of receiving a payment fraud notice or Form I-515A, SEVP terminates or cancels your SEVIS record, places a "Fee Payment Fraud Alert" flag on your name for CBP officers at ports of entry, and refers cancelled or terminated records to the Counter Terrorism and Criminal Exploitation Unit (CTCEU) for investigation.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Homeland Security or any government agency.