How to Fill Out the Immigration I-901 Form
- 1). Check if the school you are attending in the United States has already paid your SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) I-901 fee. It only needs to be paid once per student, and many exchange programs elect to pay it for their incoming students. A receipt should have been sent to you in the mail. The record that your I-901 has been paid is kept electronically by the Department of Homeland Security, however it is recommended that you take a copy of the receipt with you when you apply for your visa.
- 2). Complete your I-20 or DS-2019 if you are a F-1, F-3, M-1, M-3 or J-1 student. You must complete one of these forms before you can file your I-901 fee.
- 3). Fill out the SEVIS I-901 fee form online at the website of the Department of Homeland Security. The application can be found by navigating the website's home page to the tab titled "Programs," from which you can take a quick link in the left hand side column to the section, "Students/Exchange Visitors." The electronic form will prompt you to choose whether you are a I-20 or DS-2019 filer. While filling the form online, take care to never use the back button on your browser, or to access websites in other tabs or windows. If you do so your session will end and you will have to start over. The fee is $200.00 for M/F visa applicants and $180.00 for J visa applicants, and can be paid online via credit, debit, or electronic funds transfer (Western Union). When you have completed the form, you will be prompted to print the receipt. You will need this receipt when you are applying for your visa.
- 4). Check the status of your payment. The DHS requests that you do not call them in order to check the status of the I-901 payment. Please refer to the "Check Status" button on the DHS website under the same section as the I-901 application. This will inform you of its progress.
- 5). File the I-901 by mail if you prefer to not complete the application online. You can print and fill out the form from the DHS website and send the application and fee in the mail. The form requires information on yourself in concerns to identification, U.S. school code, where you wish the receipt to be sent, and your SEVIS identification number. Send the completed 1-page form and $200 payment in the form of check or money order from a bank in the United States (write the name and SEVIS number of the student on the check) to:
I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee
P.O. Box 970020St.
Louis, MO 63197-0020
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