Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Purpose of the I-901 SEVIS Fee?

The I-901 SEVIS Fee is mandated by US Congress to support the program office and the automated system that keeps track of students and exchange visitors and ensures that they maintain their status while in the United States. Each student or exchange visitor issued an initial Form I-20 or DS-2019 on or after September 1, 2004, is responsible for paying this fee to SEVP. There are some exceptions. For more information, see the section, Do I pay the fee?

The fee has been used to:

  • Hire and train SEVP Field Representatives

  • Support the current version of SEVIS and develop and deploy the next modifications to SEVIS

  • Staff and manage the SEVP Office to:

    • Develop SEVP policies and procedures

    • Offer SEVIS-related training, assistance and problem resolution to the schools and exchange visitor program sponsors

  • Maintain enforcement oversight to ensure that:

    • Schools are maintaining accurate, timely information

    • Students or exchange visitors who fail to maintain status either leave the United States or apply for reinstatement

Does the I-901 SEVIS fee replace the visa fee?

No. The visa fee is to defray the cost for machine-readable visas and to support the consulates. There is a separate non-refundable fee for anyone seeking a nonimmigrant visa for the United States.

The I-901 SEVIS fee is a separate fee paid to SEVP. This fee supports the Student and Exchange Visitor Program in DHS.

Do I need to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee?

New Applicants for Student Status (F-1, F-3, M-1, or M-3)

  • If you are applying to become a student, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee

  • If are applying for your visa within 12 months of the date of your SEVIS I-901 fee payment, do not pay again

Applicants Reapplying for Student Status (F-1, F-3, M-1, or M-3) after a Denial of that Status

  • If you have not previously paid the SEVIS I-901 fee, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

  • Do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee, if you already paid the SEVIS I-901 fee and are:

    • Reapplying for a visa within 12 months of the date of your initial SEVIS I-901 fee payment
      OR

    • From a visa exempt country and reapplying for status as a student at the POE within 12 months of the date of your initial SEVIS I-901 fee payment
      OR

    • Filing a motion to reopen a denied change of status application for a change of status to F-1, F-3, M-1, or M-3 classification, if the motion to reopen is granted within 12 months of receipt of initial notice of denial.

Continuing Students (F-1, F-3, M-1, or M-3) in the United States who have already paid the I-901 fee

  • If you are a continuing student, who has maintained status and has not completed your program of study using the same SEVIS ID, do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

  • If you are a continuing student, who has maintained status and is transferring or changing program levels using the same SEVIS ID, do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

  • If you are a F-1 student who wishes to change status to F-3, do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

  • If you are a F-3 student who wishes to change status to F-1, do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

  • If you are a F-1 or F-3 student who wishes to change status to M-1, M-3 or J-1, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee before you file for change of status.

  • If you are a M-1 student who wishes to change status to M-3, do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

  • If you are a M-3 student who wishes to change status to an M-1, do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

  • If you are a M-1 or M-3 student who wishes to change status to J-1, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee before you file for change of status.

  • If you are student who has been out of status for less than five months, do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

  • If you are a student who has been out of status for more than five months, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee before you file for reinstatement.

Continuing Students (F-1, F-3, M-1 or M-3) not in the United States

  • If you are a continuing student, using the same SEVIS ID, who has been out of the United States for less than five months and maintained your status prior to leaving the United States, do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee again.

  • If you are a continuing student, using the same SEVIS ID, who has been out of the United States for more than five months, maintained your status prior to leaving the United States, and have been participating in authorized overseas study, do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee again.

  • If you are a student who has been out of the United States for more than five months and have not participated in authorized overseas study, you are no longer considered a continuing student by DHS. You need a new initial Form I-20 from a school and you need to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

  • If you are a student who did not maintain status or you completed a previous program, you are no longer considered a continuing student by DHS. You need a new initial Form I-20 from a school and you need to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

New Applicants for Exchange Visitor Status (J-1)

  • If you are applying to become an exchange visitor, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee UNLESS you are participating in a federally sponsored program that has a program code starting with G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-7

Applicants Reapplying for Exchange Visitor Status (J-1) after a Denial of that Status

  • If you have not previously paid the SEVIS I-901 fee, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee UNLESS you are participating in a federally sponsored program that has a program code starting with G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-7.

  • Do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee if you already paid a SEVIS I-901 fee for same exchange visitor category you are applying to and you are:

    • Reapplying for a visa within 12 months of the date your initial SEVIS I-901 fee payment
      OR

    • From a visa exempt country and reapplying for status as an exchange visitor at the POE within 12 months of the date of your initial SEVIS I-901 fee payment
      OR

    • Filing a motion to reopen or a motion to reconsider a denied change of status application for a change of status to J-1 if the motion to reopen is granted within 12 months of receipt of initial notice of denial

Continuing Exchange Visitors (J-1) in the United States

  • If you are a continuing exchange visitor and have maintained status using the same SEVIS ID, do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee again.

  • If you are a continuing exchange visitor who wishes to transfer from a SEVIS I-901 fee exempt program (the program code starts with G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-7) to one where the SEVIS I-901 fee is required, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

  • If you are an exchange visitor who wishes to change exchange visitor categories, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee before applying for a change of category UNLESS the new program code starts with G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-7.

  • If you are an exchange visitor who has completed an exchange visitor program and you want to participate in another exchange visitor program, you are no longer considered a continuing exchange visitor by DHS and DoS. You need a new initial Form DS-2019. Pay the SEVIS I-901 fee UNLESS the new program code starts with G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-7.

  • If you are an exchange visitor and are filing for reinstatement after a substantive violation or you have been out of status between 121 and 269 days, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee before filing for reinstatement.

Continuing Exchange Visitors (J-1) not in the United States

  • If you are an exchange visitor outside the United States who maintained status using the same SEVIS ID prior to leaving the United States and are returning to continue in the same exchange visitor program, do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee again.

  • If you are an exchange visitor outside the United States, who did not maintain status prior to leaving the United States, you are no longer considered a continuing exchange visitor by DHS and DoS. You need a new initial Form DS-2019. Pay the SEVIS I-901 fee UNLESS the new program code starts with G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-7.

Spouse or Minor Children of Students or Exchange Visitors

  • If you are the spouse or minor child of a student or exchange visitor, do not pay the I-901 SEVIS fee unless you are applying to change status to F-1, M-1, or J-1.

When to pay the fee

When do prospective students or exchange visitors pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee?

  • If you are outside the United States and require an F, M, or J visa, you must pay the I-901 SEVIS fee before your visa interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate. You can schedule your interview before paying the fee, but please allow at least three business days for the payment to be processed and verified.

  • If you are outside the United States and do not require a visa, you must pay the I-901 SEVIS fee before entering the United States at a Port of Entry (POE). The fee cannot be paid at the POE.

  • If you are already in the United States and seeking a change of status or reinstatement, you may need to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee

When must continuing exchange visitors (J-1 nonimmigrants who have begun, but not finished a program) pay the I-901 SEVIS fee?

  • Continuing exchange visitors must pay the I-901 SEVIS fee before:

    • Filing a reinstatement application after a substantive violation

    • Filing a reinstatement application after they have been out of status between 121 and 269 days

    • Applying for a change of exchange visitor category unless the new exchange visitor category is fee exempt (federally sponsored programs with program codes that start with G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-7)

When must continuing students (F-1, F-3, M-1 or M-3 nonimmigrants that have begun, but not finished, a program) pay the I-901 SEVIS fee?

  • Continuing students must pay the I-901 SEVIS fee again before:

    • Filing an application for reinstatement when they have been out of status for more than five months

    • Applying for a new visa or returning to the United States after an absence of five months or more that did not involve authorized overseas study

    • Filing an application for a change of status to an F, M or J classification except for changes between F-1 and F-3 or between M-1 and M-3.

Do I need to pay the fee before I receive a Form I-20 or DS-2019?

  • No, you must have a Form I-20 or DS-2019 before you pay the fee.

Do I pay the fee for every Form I-20 or DS-2019 I receive?

  • No. If you receive acceptance packages from several schools or Exchange Visitor Program Sponsors, please select a school or program and use that Form I-20 or DS-2019 to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee.

    • We highly recommend that you pay the SEVIS I-901 fee using the form from the sponsor or school you will attend. Fee payment is made for a specific SEVIS ID number. Each Form I-20 or DS-Form DS-2019 has a SEVIS ID number. All SEVIS ID numbers start with the letter N.

    • The SEVIS ID on the payment confirmation receipt must always match the SEVIS ID on the student’s most current Form I-20 or DS-2019, unless the F or M student is considered a border commuter student. If the SEVIS ID is different, please email fmjfee.sevis@ice.dhs.gov to confirm if a new I-901 SEVIS fee payment is required.