Paying the F & J SEVIS Fee
Who must Pay the F or J SEVIS Fee
New F-1 students, J-1 students and J-1 scholars entering the U.S. for the first time in F-1 or J-1 status must pay a SEVIS fee. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) require proof of payment of the SEVIS fee before issuing a visa or approving any benefits of status. We recommend that you pay the fee as soon as they receive your immigration forms from BU (I-20 for F-1 students or DS-2019 for J-1 students/scholars) to allow sufficient time for DHS to update the fee payment in your electronic SEVIS record. Please refer to the Student and Exchange Visitor website for more information.
Students who have studied in the U.S. in the past, as well as J-1 scholars who have performed past academic activities in the U.S., will still need to pay a new SEVIS fee before commencing a new program.
Citizens of Canada are exempt from the requirement to possess a visa to enter the U.S., however, they are still required to pay the SEVIS fee and show proof of SEVIS fee payment (SEVIS fee receipt) when entering a U.S. Port of Entry.
Who is exempt from the F or J SEVIS Fee
F-2 and J-2 dependents are not required to pay the SEVIS fee. The SEVIS fee is not required from students currently in the U.S. in valid F or J immigration status who need to renew their F-1 or J-1 visa. Similarly, the fee is not required from students and scholars transferring to a new school or changing to another program sponsor without a break in F of J-1 status or academic activities.
How do I pay the SEVIS Fee
The fee can be paid by the student, scholar or a third party (inside or outside the U.S.) The fee can only be paid in one of the following three ways but cannot be paid at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate appointment nor at a U.S. Port of Entry:
- Over the internet with an electronic application form (Form I-901) and a credit card
- By mailing a paper application with a check or bank draft drawn in U.S. dollars to a processing center in the U.S., or
- By making a payment at a participating Western Union in your area.
We strongly recommend that you pay the fee online with a credit card whenever possible to secure an immediate receipt.
All students or scholars who pay the SEVIS fee should print the payment confirmation provided at the www.fmjfee.com website after the payment is made. Physical receipts are not mailed. Although fee payments may be noted in the student’s SEVIS record, it is strongly recommended that students retain the printed fee receipt with other important immigration documents to use as needed.
If you have been accepted to more than one school in the U.S. or are choosing between various program sponsors to teach or conduct research, it is strongly recommended that you select the school to which you will enroll or perform academic activities before paying the SEVIS fee as you must include the unique SEVIS ID number and school code found on the SEVIS Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 issued by the appropriate school. Although DHS has confirmed that a fee payment made on one SEVIS ID number can be applied to another SEVIS ID number issued to the same individual, it could complicate a visa application and should be avoided whenever possible.
Unfortunately, due to recent processing difficulties, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is currently unable to accept credit card payments made on behalf of students and scholars from Ghana, Nigeria , Cameroon or Kenya. Students and scholars from these countries must pay by cashier’s check, money order or Western Union transfer.
To pay the SEVIS fee online:
- Visit the SEVP website and follow instructions.
- Complete the Form I-901 online. Make certain to type your name exactly as it appears on your SEVIS Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 and complete each section accurately. Make certain to include the SEVIS ID number (located on the upper right hand corner of your Boston University SEVIS document) and the Boston University school code (BOS 214F 00056000 for F-1 or P-1-00576 for J-1). Indicate that you will use a credit card to make the payment. You must supply the necessary Visa, MasterCard or American Express information to submit the online payment.
- Submit the electronic Form I-901 and electronic payment.
- Print a copy of the online receipt and bring that with you to your visa appointment and when you travel.
To pay the SEVIS fee by mail:
- Visit the SEVP website and follow instructions.
- Complete the Form I-901 online. Make certain to type your name exactly as it appears on your SEVIS Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 and complete each section accurately. Make certain to include the SEVIS ID number (located on the upper right hand corner of your Boston University SEVIS document) and the Boston University school code (BOS 214F 00056000 for F-1 or P-1-00576 for J-1). Indicate that you will pay by check or money order. Print payment coupon.
- Obtain a check, international money order or bank draft made payable to “I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee.” The check should be for the exact amount plus amount required if you wish for USCIS to return the receipt to you via courier service.
- Mail payment coupon and check or money order to one of the addresses listed on the payment coupon depending on the mail service you use to send the materials to the processing center.
- After your payment is processed, you will visit the SEVP I-901 website to retrieve and print your payment receipt.
The mailing addresses for paying by check or money order using the paper Form I-901 are:
| P.O. Box address for regular mail service: |
Street address for courier/express delivery: |
I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee
P.O. Box 970020
St. Louis , MO 63197-0020 |
I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee
1005 Convention Plaza
St. Louis , MO 63101 |
To pay the SEVIS Fee at a participating Western Union Agent location:
- Visit the ICE website and follow “SEVIS I-901 Fee Payment by Western Union Quick Pay Instructions.”
- Print out and bring a copy of the instructions from this website along with a copy of the sample form from the same site to a local participating Western Union Agent location.
- Travel to the nearest Western Union A gent location. Use the Agent Locator or call the telephone number of the Western Union Commercial Services Network Agent in your country.
- Complete a “Blue Form” at the participating local Western Union Agent location. This form may show words such as “Payment Services” or “Quick Pay” printed in the applicable local language, however, all Quick Pay forms will be blue. Fill out all appropriate information. Make certain to include your name exactly as it appears on your SEVIS Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 and complete each section accurately. Make certain to include the SEVIS ID number (located on the upper right hand corner of your Boston University SEVIS document) your date of birth and the Boston University school code (BOS 214F 00056000 for F-1 or P-1-00576 for J-1) exactly as it appears on the sample form.
- Make the payment at the Western Union Agent location.
- Retain the Western Union receipt to use as temporary proof of payment until you receive the Form I-797 receipt.
- After your payment is processed, you will visit the SEVP I-901 website to retrieve and print your payment receipt.
If you do not have access to the internet, please contact the ISSO immediately and we will forward a paper I-901 to you. Please note that the SEVIS fee is non-refundable. However, if your visa application is denied by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, you will not be required to pay a new SEVIS fee if you reapply for a new visa within 12 months of the denial. Please contact the staff of the ISSO at issogac@bu.edu if you have any questions regarding the payment of the SEVIS fee.
