SEVIS Fee for USA Student Visa: What is it and How to Pay?

SEVIS Fee for USA Student Visa: If you intend to study in the USA, then it is important to understand what the SEVIS fee is. A central computerised system called the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is in charge of maintaining and managing information about foreign students, exchange visitors, and their dependents while they are participating in a programme in the United States. The Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) keeps an eye on SEVIS.

The US government created SEVIS, which employs an electronic system to gather data on all F, M, and J non-immigrants, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in 2013. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of the United States is in charge of running it. The system's goal is to maintain tabs on foreign exchange and student visitors.

Briefly put, it is a database of all non-national students and exchange students who visit the USA. It keeps track of everything you say, even the purpose of your vacation to the USA. Sponsors (in this example, the institution) must register with the department. Here's all you need to know about the SEVIS fee for USA student visa and how to pay it. 

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What is SEVIS FEE for F1 Visa?

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is a website that collects and stores information and data for international students and exchange visitors in the United States. It is the Department of Homeland Security's greatest technology website. In a nutshell, it monitors and tracks overseas students and exchange guests.

In the following ways, the SEVIS fee is acceptable:

• It is permitted in all universities and schools.

• Students on F-1 and M-1 visas studying in the United States (as well as their F-2 and M-2 dependents).

• The exchange visitor programme is sponsored by the US Department of State.

• Participants in the J-1 Visa visitor exchange programme (and their J-1 dependents).

How to Pay the SEVIS Fee?

The majority of SEVIS fees are paid online. The following are the two payment options that international students may check:

Option 1: Western Union Quick Pay

Paying the I-901 SEVIS fee is simple with Western Union Quick Pay. Western Union will collect the form I-901 charge in your local currency and transmit both payment and form I-901 information to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Making the payment entails the following steps as mentioned below:

• Step 1: Visit www.fmjfee.com and fill out Form I-901.

• Step 2: Make a check or money order payment for the charge.

• Step three is to print the coupon.

• Step 4: Present the printed coupon to a Western Union agent.

• Step 5: Fill out the Quick Collect/Quick Pay Form with the necessary details.

• Step 6: Send the Quick Collect/Quick Pay Form together with your payment to the Western Union agency for processing.

Points to Remember:

• Remember that payment verification will be accessible immediately at www.fmjfee.com.

• If you are paying on behalf of an applicant, Western Union may request your name and address.

• Applicants must enter their SEVIS ID.

• After making the payment, please send an email to fmjfee.sevis@ice.dhs.gov with the subject "INFO CHANGE" and include your SEVIS ID.

Option 2: Pay with a Credit or Debit Card Online

You can pay online using Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or debit cards bearing the Visa or MasterCard logo. Paying with a credit or debit card entails the following steps:

• Step 1: Visit www.fmjfee.com and fill out Form I-901.

• Step 2: Choose a credit or debit card payment method and enter your credit or debit card information.

• Step 3: Pay the bill.

• Print the ‘SEVIS I-901 Payment Confirmation’.

Note: In most cases, processing your I-901 SEVIS fee payment takes two or three business days. After you have completed all of the steps, print the ‘SEVIS I-901 Payment Confirmation’ and bring it to your student visa interview.

SEVIS Fee Amount

The I-901 SEVIS fee varies depending on the organisation. The fee for each individual group is listed in the table below:

Source: Official Website of the Department of Homeland Security

Note: Dependents of students or exchange visitors with (F-2, M-2, or J-2) visas are exempt from paying the charge.

Aside from the above-mentioned fee, there are additional fees that must be paid if you choose any of the following programmes:

Source: Official Website of the Department of Homeland Security

How to Check the Status of SEVIS I-901? 

On the website for paying SEVIS fees, fmjfee.com, you may check the status of your SEVIS I-901 fee payment. This is how you do it:

• Visit fmjfee.com to access the SEVIS fee payment portal.

• On the front page, click the "Check I-901 Status" button.

• Fill up the blanks with your SEVIS ID number, last name, and birthdate.

• Select "Submit" from the menu.

• You will receive a summary of your SEVIS I-901 fee payment history, along with the date, time, and payment method utilised for each transaction.

You will get a notice stating that your payment has been verified once your money has been received and processed. You will get a notification stating that your money is still waiting if it hasn't been received or processed.

Let us say you have trouble paying your SEVIS I-901 charge, for example, your payment wasn't completed or you needed a payment confirmation. If so, you may get help from the SEVIS Help Desk by calling 1-212-620-3418 too.

Validity of the SEVIS Fee for an F1 Visa?

The SEVIS fee for an F1 visa is valid for the duration of your F1 status. The fee is valid for 12 months after payment. If you have not secured a visa within 12 months, you must pay the SEVIS fee again. You must preserve all receipts, acknowledgements, and other payment records on hand. When you go to the F1 visa interview, you may be requested to produce these documents. It is recommended that you keep the receipts until you have completed your degree in the United States.

All prospective international students and exchange visitors are required by federal rule to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee upon receipt of Form I-20 or DS 2019 and before booking visa appointments with US consulates overseas. OGS encourages students and exchange visitors to pay the SEVIS fees personally rather than through a third party.

How to Get a Refund for the SEVIS I-901 Duplicate Payment? 

If you unintentionally pay the SEVIS I-901 charge more than once, you can be entitled to a refund. Here's how to ask for a refund for a SEVIS I-901 payment duplicate:

• Call the SEVIS Help Desk as soon as you can to report the duplicate payment and ask for a refund at 1-800-892-4829 (from inside the US) or 1-212-620-3418 (from outside the U.S.). To assist the SEVIS Help Desk in locating the duplicate payment, please include your name, SEVIS ID number, and payment information. Additionally, you may email them at fmjfee.sevis@ice.dhs.gov.

• Your payment history will be examined by the SEVIS Help Desk, which will then determine whether a duplicate payment was made. If a payment was made twice, they would provide you with information on how to get a refund.

• Fill out the SEVIS I-901 Refund Request Form, which may be downloaded from the SEVIS fee payment website at fmjfee.com, to submit a refund request. Your name, SEVIS ID number, payment information, and a succinct justification for the refund request must all be included.

• Send the completed Form together with any necessary supporting materials (such as payment receipts) to the address shown on the Form. The Form can be delivered by mail or fax.

• Your refund request will be examined by the SEVIS Help Desk, which will then let you know the results. Within 7 to 10 business days after the request is processed, the SEVIS fee payment processor will credit the original payment method with the refund.

It is vital to remember that the SEVIS fee payment processor may potentially automatically detect duplicate payments and reimburse them. However, you should get in touch with the SEVIS Help Desk to ask for a refund if you think you paid twice and have not yet received it.

Still have doubts about the SEVIS fee? Write your queries to abroad@collegedekho.com and get help from our experts!