How to Pay the SEVIS Fee:

We strongly recommend paying the fee online or at a Western Union office or by mail and MUST be accompanied by a Form I-901. It can be paid by you or by a third party, inside or outside the US.

NOTE: A citizen of Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, or Cameroon, will not be allowed to pay the SEVIS fee online—you MUST pay either by mail or at a Western Union office (if accessible).

To Pay Online

1.    Look for the Form I-901 here.
2.    Fill up the form online and supply the necessary Visa, MasterCard or American Express information.
       Be sure to write your name exactly as it appears on your I-20 form.
3.    Print a copy of the online receipt.
4.    Save copies of your receipt with your other important immigration documents.

REMINDER: If you are a citizen of Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, or Cameroon, you MUST pay either by mail or at a Western Union office (if accessible).

To Pay at a Western Union Office:

1.    If you are choosing to pay via Western Union, you do not need to file the Form I-901 online.
2.    Instead, go to http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/wu_instr.htm, read through the guidelines and refer to the
       example of a completed Western Union form linked there.
3.    Physically visit a local Western Union Agent location and pay your SEVIS I-901 fee in your local
       currency.
4.    Proofread the Western Union form to ensure that the Western Union agent takes down your name,
       your SEVIS ID number and your date of birth accurately.
5.    Click here to find the nearest Western Union Agent location and choose a country, or contact the
       telephone number of the Western Union Commercial Services Network Agent in your country as
       listed in your phone directory.
6.    Check here to view your payment status after three business days. Print out the
       confirmation page once you see confirmation of payment on that website. The confirmation page
       will serve as proof of payment of the SEVIS I-901 fee and may be used for a visa interview at a
       U. S. consulate.

To Pay By Mail

1.    Download Form I-901 titled, “Fee Remittance for Certain F, J, and M Nonimmigrants” from this
       website.
2.    Fill up the Form I-901 and ensure that your name is written exactly as it appears on your I-20 form.
3.    Make ready a check, international money order OR foreign draft (drawn on US banks only) in the
       amount of $200 USD and ensure that it is made payable to “The Department of Homeland Security”.
4.    Send the completed Form I-901 including payment via postal mail to the address listed on the form.
5.    A Form I-797 receipt notice should be mailed within 3 business days of processing the fee. Save
       copies of your receipt, and file it with your other important immigration documents.

NOTE: Most foreign banks are able to issue checks or money orders drawn on a U.S. bank.  Your options as to where you would be able to obtain a check: 

a) a bank chartered or operated in the United States;
b) a foreign subsidiary of a U.S. bank, or
c) a foreign bank that has an arrangement with a U.S. bank to issue a check, money order, or foreign draft
    that is drawn on a U.S. bank.

Click here for further information on the SEVIS fee.