Non-Immigrant Visas
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) assigns an identification number to all foreign students to register them in the system and it is intended to facilitate their participation in the academic and cultural exchange programs available in the United States. The system is managed by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is the investigative branch of the Department of Homeland Security. The fee for processing the registration is charged to the beneficiaries – the international students and the exchange visitors.
For more information, visit these websites: http://www.ice.gov/sevis and http://www.fmjfee.com/
Some educational institutions process the payment for the beneficiary and they send the receipt along with other documents necessary to apply for the visa. If they have not processed the payment, they send a notice to do so. It is mandatory to present the receipt or evidence of payment of the SEVIS fee in order to receive a student visa.
New SEVIS fees
To support the costs in the SEVIS system and the verification process of schools and universities, the Student and Visitors Program has published a final decision regarding the increase in the payment fee for travelers under F, M or J visas and sponsoring schools, which has been in effect starting October 27, 2008. The fee for students with F and M visas is US$ 200, instead of the US$ 100 previous fee. The fee for exchange students with J visas is US$ 180 instead of the US$ 100 previous fee. Au pairs, Field Advisors and Summer Workers with J visas, will continue to pay the reduce fee of US$ 35. Visitors sponsored by the U.S. government are exempt of this fee. SEVP has also increase the costs regarding certifications and school registries. For additional information, please visit the SEVP website.
F, M, or J visa applicants who have already paid their SEVIS fee before October 27, do not need to pay these new costs, even if they have not traveled or have not applied for their visa by this date.
The official announcement of this new fee can be found in this site, and the final text of this regulation can be found here.
Who must pay the fee
In general, applicants for F-1, F-3, J-1, M-1 or M-3 visa are subject to paying this fee, with some exceptions.
Non-immigrant students under other visas (not needing an F-1 or M-1 to attend an educational institution), such as dependents of diplomats, temporary workers, investors, exchange visitors and others, are also subject to the SEVIS fee. They must make the payment and make sure that it is has been processed before they apply for entry to the United States. Take into consideration that you must wait three to four days for the payment to appear as credited in the SEVIS system (if you have made the payment via internet).
The following are exempt from the SEVIS fee (most common cases):
- Applicants renewing their F-1, F-3, M-1 or M-3 visas whose I-20 was issued before September 1, 2004 and who have remained under student status
- Applicants for F-2, J-2 or M-2 (dependents of students or exchange visitors)
- Applicants for J-1 visas (exchange visitors) whose program sponsor is the Federal Government of the United States. (This can be verified by looking under the Visitor Exchange Program Number. If this ID begins with a “G”, the sponsor is the Federal Government of the United States).
For more information on other cases that are exempt from the SEVIS fee, visit this website: http://www.fmjfee.com/
Filling out form I-901
To fill out the form to pay the SEVIS fee (Form I-901) you will need the I-20 A, B, M or N. The form must be filled out in English and the personal information must be filled out as it appears in the I-20 form.
To pay the fee
- The fee can be paid by mail using form I-901 and attaching a check or money order from a US bank and payable in U.S. dollars.
- The fee can be paid electronically filling out form I-901 online and paying with a credit card.
- A third person may pay the fee for you if you do not have access to the any of the above forms of payment. You must send the person who will make the payment for you the necessary information to fill out form I-901.
If payment is made by mail, they must attach a copy of form I-901 with the payment. If they don’t send a copy of form I-901, the payment cannot be credited to your case.
If they make the payment via internet, the person may fill out form I-901 for you and make the payment with a credit card or check, following the instructions given on the website. Be sure to provide your personal information and the educational institution’s information correctly to the person who will fill out form I-901.
Receipt for payment
When you make the payment, you will be sent a receipt by mail to the address you indicated. If the payment was made via internet, you may print out a confirmation of the payment as soon as it is completed and present that as evidence of payment until you get the receipt by mail.
For more information on how to make the payment, please visit this website.