Advisory on SEVIS Fee Rule for J-1 Students

Effective September 1, 2004, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will require the collection of a SEVIS fee from certain J-1 Exchange Visitor students. This fee is being collected to fund operation of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program Office, which has oversight for SEVIS - the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. Please note the exceptions to the collection of the SEVIS fee, as stated below.

Remittance of the fee: Certain persons seeking to obtain non-immigrant status as J-1 students in order to participate in an Exchange Visitor Program are required to pay a $180 SEVIS fee to DHS in advance, with the following exceptions:

1. Continuing J-1s: No SEVIS fee is due for J-1 students, whose program began BEFORE September 1, 2004, maintains that status, and whose initial DS-2019 was issued before September 1, 2004.
2. J-1s sponsored by the U.S. federal government: No SEVIS fee is due for a J-1 student who is coming to the United States as a participant in an exchange visitor program sponsored by the U.S. federal government (i.e., Fulbright or East West Center).
3. J-2 dependents: The J-1 student must pay the SEVIS fee in order to obtain the J-2 visa for his or her dependents. However, the J-2 dependent is not required to pay a separate SEVIS fee in order to obtain J-2 status or during the time the J-2 remains in that status.

Time of payment of SEVIS fee: A J-1 student, who is subject to payment of the SEVIS fee, must remit the fee directly to DHS by completing Form I-901 electronically using the Internet or by mail, or by completing the Western Union Quick Pay form, as follows:

1. Applying for the J-1 visa abroad: The SEVIS fee must be processed by DHS at least 3 business days prior to the consular interview. Fees will NOT be payable at the consulate. The following steps are a guideline for procuring a J-1 visa from abroad:

   a.	Receive DS-2019 from the Exchange Visitor Program.
   b.	Make visa appointment with U.S. Embassy/Consulate.
   c.	Submit SEVIS fee payment in time to allow DHS to process payment at least 3 days prior to visa interview.
   d.	Print SEVIS fee payment receipt from Internet OR wait to receive form I-797 receipt from DHS via mail AND submit receipt with visa application.
   e.	Receive J-1 visa stamp in passport from U.S. Embassy/Consulate.
   f.	Enter U.S. up to 30 days PRIOR to the start date indicated on the DS-2019 and no later than 30 days AFTER the start date indicated on the DS-2019.
   g.	Report to the Office of International Student Services to validate program no later than 30 days AFTER the start date indicated on the DS-2019.

2. Being exempt from visa requirement: The SEVIS fee must be processed at least 3 business days prior to applying for admission at a U.S. port-of-entry by non-immigrants, who are exempt from the visa requirement (i.e., citizens from Canada, Bermuda, and other island countries listed in 8 CFR 212.1).
3. Change of J-1 category: A J-1 student applying for a change of category within the U.S. (i.e., J-1 student to J-1 research scholar) must pay the SEVIS fee prior to being granted the change.
4. Changing status to J-1: A non-immigrant in the United States seeking a change of status to J-1 student must pay the SEVIS fee prior to submitting the application for change of non-immigrant status.
5. Applying for reinstatement: A J-1 student, who is applying for reinstatement after a substantive violation or who has been out of program status for longer than 120 days, but less than 270 days during the course of his or her program, must pay the SEVIS fee prior to applying for reinstatement to J-1 status.

Circumstances where no new fee is required: J-1 students, who have previously paid the SEVIS fee prior to obtaining his or her current status, are not required to pay a new SEVIS fee in connection with:

1. An application for an extension of stay in the current program.
2. An application to transfer between programs in the same J-1 student category where no differential fee exists (i.e., transfer between two non-fee-exempt exchange visitor programs or transfer between two fee-exempt exchange visitor programs).
3. A re-application for visa following denial of visa application by consular officer, as long as the re-application occurs within 12 months of the original denial notice.
4. A motion to re-open a change of status application, which was previously denied for reasons other than failure to pay the SEVIS fee, as long as the motion occurs within 12 months of the original denial notice.

Procedures for payment of the SEVIS fee:

• On-line submission of Form I-901 (https://www.fmjfee.com/index.jhtml) to DHS using a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express accepted).
• Mail-in submission of Form I-901 to DHS address on form, along with the $180 SEVIS fee paid by check, money order, or foreign draft drawn on a financial institution in the U.S. and payable in U.S. currency. Phone number to use when sending SEVIS fee via courier is 314-418-8833.
• Western Union submission of I-901 fee to DHS by completing the Western Union Quick Pay form at any Western Union location and submitting the $180 SEVIS fee to Western Union. Detailed instructions available at www.ice.gov/sevis.
• Third-party payment, either in U.S. or abroad.
• “Bulk” (group) payment processed by institutional sponsors.
• General questions about I-901 fee payments can be addressed to fmjfee.sevis@dhs.gov or to 785-330-1048.

Now available on-line at http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901::

• Verification of SEVIS fee payment
• Date of issuance of payment receipt

Receipts: DHS will issue and mail an official paper receipt (Form I-797) acknowledging every payment regardless of payment method. Express delivery service for the Form I-797 receipt may be requested at an additional cost. Anyone who submits an individual fee electronically will be able to print out an electronic receipt immediately at the time of payment for use in advance of the mail delivery of the official paper receipt.

Although SEVIS fee payments will be recorded by DHS in the J-1 students’ SEVIS records and may be used by government officials to document the SEVIS fee payment, it is recommended that a SEVIS fee receipt be used to request any status-related benefit (i.e., application for visa, admission at U.S. port-of-entry, application to change status).

NOTE: DHS will not refund the SEVIS fee if J-1 students are not granted a visa or choose not to come to the U.S. after their visas are granted.