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SEVIS I-901 Fee

SEVIS I-901 Fee Process

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SEVIS I-901 Fee Assistance

SEVIS I-901 Chargeback Compliance

A chargeback occurs when a credit card holder disputes a charge that appears on his or her credit card statement. After a brief investigation by the credit card company, the charge is determined to be either legitimate or not legitimate. If the charge is not legitimate, the credit card company subsequently refunds the money to the credit card holder’s account while at the same time deducting the amount from the merchant’s account. The credit card company also charges the merchant a penalty fee.

If you received a letter titled, “Notice to Students and Exchange Visitors,” regarding SEVIS I-901 Fee payment fraud, the notice gives instructions on how to avoid having your SEVIS status terminated or cancelled. If you do not remit payment within 30 days, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and the Department of State (DoS) will proceed with the following actions.

  • For ACTIVE, TERMINATED, NO SHOW or INACTIVE Status Students and Exchange Visitors
    • SEVP will terminate the SEVIS records of those nonimmigrant students and DoS will terminate the SEVIS records of those exchange visitors who did not make payment within the allowed 30 days provided by the notice. SEVIS records will show TERMINATED with reason code, “Other” for J-1s and, “Otherwise Failing to Maintain Status” for F-1s/M-1s.
    • The comments accompanying this termination will note, “Fee Payment Fraud Alert.” A flag will be placed on the student’s or exchange visitor’s name and SEVIS record to alert the Customs and Border Protection officers at the ports of entry that the nonimmigrant student or exchange visitor has a Fraud Alert for failure to make a fee payment.
    • The Counter Terrorism and Criminal Exploitation Unit (CTCEU) reviews all terminated records to determine if further investigation is required. Students and exchange visitors who do not remit the regulatory mandated I-901 fee after receiving a notice are subject to investigation, possible arrest, detention, deportation, denial of requested benefits and may be barred from future entry into the United States.
  • For INITIAL Status Students and Exchange Visitors
    • A list of the nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors who have not yet entered the United States will be sent to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Each record will be marked either cancelled (if F-1/M-1) or invalid (if J-1). Additionally, a flag will be placed on the student’s or exchange visitor’s name and SEVIS record to alert CBP officers at ports of entry that the nonimmigrant student or exchange visitor has a fraud alert for failure to make a fee payment. CBP will issue entering nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors a Form I-515 A allowing them 30 days to remit payment for the SEVIS I-901 Fee. If payment is not received within the allotted 30 days, the cancelled and invalid status records will be forwarded to the CTCEU for investigation and possible removal.
    • Upon receipt of payment from the student or exchange visitor and the subsequent processing of the payment, all flags are removed and the SEVIS record will be cleared of comments and updated to reflect payment confirmation.

You may check your current SEVIS status by contacting your designated school official (DSO) or responsible officer (RO). For inquiries, send a detailed e-mail to fmjfee.SEVIS@dhs.gov.

 

SEVIS I-901 Fees
Description Amount
SEVIS I-901 F-1/M-1 visa applicants (full payment) $200
SEVIS I-901 J-1 visa applicants (full payment) $180
SEVIS I-901 Special J-visa categories (subsidized payment) $35
SEVIS I-901 Government visitor (no payment) $0
  • For schools petitioning for initial SEVP certification:
    • Petition fees increased from $230 to $1,700.
    • Site visit fees increased from $350 to $655 per campus.
  • For schools that are already SEVP-certified:
    • Petition fees for change of ownership increased from $230 to $1,700.
    • Site visit fees for addition of a campus increased from $350 to $655.
    • There is no fee for recertification.

    • The following information resources provide detailed background information concerning the current fees:

    • Fee Rule Text (PDF | 145 KB)