Hawkeye Community College

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On September 1, 2004, a new U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule was enacted. This rule says that people who want F-1 or J-1 visas must pay a fee of $100 USD. This fee helps pay for the cost of maintaining the SEVIS system which U.S. schools use to produce the I-20 and DS-2019 forms. Please note that this fee is in addition to the visa application fee. So if your I-20 is dated on or after September 1, 2004, then you will have to pay this fee.

When do I pay the SEVIS fee?
You must pay the fee before you apply for your visa.

Can I pay the SEVIS fee at a university, consulate, or port of entry/airport?
No.

How do I pay the fee?
You can pay the fee through the Internet, through Western Union Quick Pay Service in your home country (if available), or by mail/post. You must include Form I-901 with the fee. A family member or friend can pay the SEVIS fee for you inside or outside the U.S.

What about my F-2 dependents?
F-2 dependents do not have to pay the fee.

Do I have to pay the fee if a U.S. visa is not required for my entry into the U.S.?
Yes, you must pay this fee before entry into the U.S. (This includes Canada, Mexico, and some adjacent islands.)

Will continuing F-1 students in the U.S. have to pay?
No, unless the student is out of status for more than 5 months or is outside the U.S. for more than 5 months.

Do I have to pay if I stay in the U.S. but transfer to another school or if I change levels of study?
No.

If I have already paid the SEVIS fee for one school and then decide to attend another, do I have to pay the fee again?
If you have been accepted to more than one institution and paid the fee using the SEVIS ID number of an institution that you will not be attending, you do not have to pay the fee again. Bring both I-20s, as well as your SEVIS fee payment receipt, to the consulate (or port-of-entry if you don't need a visa.)

Pay Your SEVIS Fee Through the Internet (strongly recommended)

	1. Find the form I-901 at: https://www.fmjfee.com/index.jhtml
	2. Complete the form online and supply the necessary Visa, MasterCard, or American Express credit card information. Be sure to write your name exactly how it appears on your I-20 form.
	3. Print a copy of the online receipt.
	4. Make an extra copy of your receipt and keep it with you other important immigration documents.
If you pay the SEVIS fee by Internet, you can print a receipt directly from your computer at the same time. This computer-printed receipt can be used to prove to any U.S. official that you have paid the fee. If you lose your computer-printed receipt and are relying on the electronic record of payment, then you must wait 3 business days before applying for a visa.

Pay Your SEVIS Fee Locally by Western Union Quick Pay Service
This payment option is available only in countries where Western Union offers its Quick Pay service.

	1. Find the form I-901 at http://www.FMJfee.com and print it out.
	2. Complete the form. Be sure to write your name exactly how it appears on your I-20 form.
	3. Go to the SEVP (Student/Exchange Visitor Processing) web site at www.ice.gov/sevis select the I-901 Fee option on the right hand side, choose "Payment by Western Union Quick Pay Instructions" and read the instructions for this payment option. Print these instructions and the sample of the completed Western Union form (on the same web site page; follow link under Western Union Quick Pay International F and M Visa Instructions (PDF)).
	4. Bring the printed instructions and the sample of the completed Western Union form to the Western Union agent in order to correctly process your payment.
	5. Western Union will collect the SEVIS fee in your local currency and will electronically transmit the payment and your personal data to SEVP.
The properly completed Western Union receipt serves as immediate proof-of-payment for a visa interview at a U.S. Consulate and for admission at a U.S. port of entry.

Pay Your SEVIS Fee by Mail/Postal Service
We recommend that you use this option only if you are unable to use either of the two options above.

1. Find the form I-901 at http://www.FMJfee.com and print it out.

2. Complete the form. Be sure to write your name exactly how it appears on your I-20 form.

3. Prepare a check, international money order, or foreign draft drawn on a U.S. bank, foreign subsidiaries of U.S. banks, or foreign banks that have an arrangement with a U.S. bank in the amount of $100 US made out to The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

4. Send the completed I-901 form and payment.

Send your payment by regular air mail to:		OR	Send your payment by Express Courier to:
	I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee P.O. Box 970020 St. Louis, MO 63197-0020 USA			I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee 1005 Convention Plaza St. Louis, MO 63101 Tel: 1-314-418-4393

If you mail the fee, then you must wait at least 3 business days after DHS receives your payment before trying to apply for your visa. (This could be tricky trying to judge when DHS has received your mailed I-901 and payment.) You should eventually receive Form I-797 receipt confirmation notice. Be sure to make a copy of this receipt notice and keep it with your other important immigration documents. In addition to a paper receipt, there should also be an electronic record of your fee payment in the US Consulate's database. If there is an electronic record of fee payment in the database, you will not need to show your paper receipt (I-797) to apply for the visa. However, we recommend that you wait for a copy of the paper fee payment receipt before making a visa application. The paper receipt is mailed to the address you wrote on the Form I-901. If you want to pay more, you can ask DHS to send the receipt by express courier.

Fee payments should be entered into your permanent immigration SEVIS record, but we recommend that you keep a copy of your fee receipt (Form I-797) to use in the future.

For more information contact Anne Doyle at 1-800-670-4769 or email International Student Services at isp@hawkeyecollege.edu.