Filing Fees | USCIS
Filing Fees
Alert Type info
Alert
Litigation Update on
Ms. L. v. ICE
and Applicability of Certain HR-1 Fees
USCIS is pausing the collection of certain fees required by Pub. L. 119-21 (“HR-1”) from
Ms. L.
Settlement Class members and their Qualifying Additional Family Members (QAFMs) as of Feb. 5, 2026, pursuant to a decision issued in
Ms. L. v. ICE
, 18-cv-00428 (S.D. Cal.). The Department does not concur with this decision and is evaluating its options.
If you are a
Ms. L.
Settlement Class member or QAFM who received a notice informing you that you are required to pay one of the below-listed HR-1 fees, and you did not already make a payment prior to Feb. 5, 2026, the payment notice is rescinded and you are not required to pay the HR-1 fee. USCIS will notify you if any further information is necessary to continue processing your application.
If you are a
Ms. L.
Settlement Class member or QAFM, you are not required to pay the following HR-1 fees as of Feb. 5, 2026:
Immigration Parole Fee (8 U.S.C 1804)
Parolee Initial Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Fee (8 U.S.C 1803(b)) (Form I-765 based on a category (c)(11) initial EAD)
Parolee Renewal EAD Fee (8 U.S.C 1809) (Form I-765 based on a category (c)(11) renewal EAD, or Form I-131 when requesting re-parole under Part 1, category 10.G and selecting the EAD checkbox in Part 9)
Asylum Application Fee (8 U.S.C 1802)
Annual Asylum Fee (8 U.S.C. 1808)
Please see
www.together.gov
and the
Ms. L.
Settlement Agreement
for information on who may qualify as a
Ms. L.
Settlement Class Member or QAFM. Individuals must register on together.gov or juntos.gov and be confirmed by the Family Reunification Task Force Research Committee to qualify as
Ms. L.
Settlement Class members.
Note for Asylum Applicants:
If you are applying for asylum with USCIS as a
Ms. L.
Settlement Class Member or QAFM,
you must write “Ms. L Settlement Class Member” or “Ms. L. Settlement QAFM” on the top of the first page of your paper Form I-589
and mail your paper application according to the
Form I-589 filing instructions
in order for USCIS to process your application without the HR-1 Asylum Application Fee.
Do not file your Form I-589 online. If you file your Form I-589 online, we may reject it.
See
Applying for Asylum with USCIS for Ms. L. Settlement Class Members
for more information.
Alert Type info
Alert:
USCIS no longer accepts payments made by personal or business check, money order, or cashier’s check for forms filed by paper unless you qualify for an
exemption
. When filing by mail, you can pay using a credit, debit, or prepaid card by completing
Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions
, or you can make a payment directly from a U.S. bank account by completing
Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions
Before sending your package to USCIS, watch
What and How to Pay
for additional guidance on how to file at the USCIS Lockbox with the correct payment.
USCIS continues to accept payments made through
Pay.gov
for applications and petitions
filed online
Many immigration forms require a filing fee. If you do not submit the correct fee, we will reject your form.
Our Fees
We periodically adjust our fees. For a complete list of all USCIS fees, see our
Fee Schedule
For filing fees and any other applicable fees, you can use our
Fee Calculator
to determine the exact filing fee required.
How to Pay USCIS Filing Fees
How you pay your USCIS filing fees (including biometric services fees and other fees, if applicable) will depend on whether you are inside or outside of the United States.
If you live outside the United States or its territories
If you live outside the United States or its territories and you want to file your benefit request where you live, go to the
Forms
section of our website to determine whether you can file your form at an international office. We do not accept all forms of payment outside the United States. Check the appropriate
International USCIS office
webpage or contact the
U.S. embassy or consulate
for information on how to pay USCIS fees.
If you are inside the United States
Depending on the form you are submitting, you may pay your fees:
Online using a credit, debit, or prepaid card, or through an ACH debit transaction; or
By mail by completing
Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions
, or
Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions
Under certain circumstances, you may be eligible for a paper fee payment exception that will allow you to pay with a
personal or business check
drawn on a U.S. bank and payable in U.S. funds. If you qualify for a paper-based payment exemption, you will need to complete Form G-1651, Exemption for Paper Fee Payment. See the USCIS
Emergency Travel
page and
Form G-1651, Exemption for Paper Fee Payment
, for more information.
NOTE:
Applicants filing for emergency advance parole on
Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Record
, need to call the Contact Center to make an appointment. We accept in-person payments with an appointment for Form I-131 by credit, debit or prepaid card with
Form G-1450, or Authorization for Credit Card Transactions
; from a U.S. banking institution using
Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions
; or, if you are eligible for an exception to the electronic payment requirement, with a business or personal check using
Form G-1651, Exemption for Paper Fee Payment
. Payments made at a field office cannot be split between multiple credit, debit or prepaid cards.
For more information on filing your specific form, go to the USCIS
All Forms
page. Please see our
News
page for the latest updates.
Multiple Applications or Methods of Payment
We recommend that you pay each filing fee separately for each benefit request you submit for the following reasons:
When you provide a payment for a filing package that contains more than 1 application, we must reject the entire package if 1 of the applications is defective. For example, if your filing package includes 2 Forms N-400, and 1 is missing a signature, we must reject both if you only provide 1 payment. However, if you provide a separate payment for each benefit request, we can accept the complete Form N-400 and reject the Form N-400 that is missing a signature.
We are changing some technology and may use different systems to process different requests and their fees. As a result, we may need to reject your entire package if you submit a single, combined payment for multiple forms. For example, even if Form I-539 and Form I-129 are submitted together, we may process them in different IT systems. If both forms are paid with 1 combined payment, we may need to reject both forms.
You must pay for
each
benefit request you submit using a
single payment method
(credit card or ACH withdrawal) and not a combination of payment methods.
We may reject your package if:
You submit Form G-1450
and
Form G-1650 in the same package;
You submit a Form G-1650 and you do not mark business or personal account on the form;
You submit a Form G-1650 and you do not mark checking or savings account on the form;
You do not authorize USCIS to charge or withdraw the correct payment amount; or
You file Form G-1650 and you do not provide the correct routing
and
account number.
Examples of how to properly submit payments:
If you submit…
And wish to pay with…
Then you must…
One benefit request
One credit card
Pay the entire fee for that benefit request using 1 Form G-1450
One benefit request
Prepaid credit card
Pay the entire fee for that benefit request using 1 Form G-1450
One benefit request
One Authorized ACH Transaction
Pay the entire fee for that benefit request using 1 Form G-1650
One benefit request
One or more paper-based payments (personal or business check, money order, bank draft or cashier’s check)
Be eligible for exemption and complete
Form G-1651, Exemption for Paper Fee Payment
, and pay the fee for that benefit request using 1 or more paper-based payments that combine to equal the total payment required
One benefit request
A single payment method, dividing the total payment across multiple cards or if using ACH to process your transaction, you can use multiple bank accounts.
Complete 2 Form G-1450s, 1 for each card, and specify the amount you wish to pay with each card.
Note: Make sure the amounts on the 2 Forms G-1450 add up to the correct total. We will reject a filing with an incorrect payment amount. Complete 1 Form G-1450 for each card and make sure that payments entered on each form combine to equal the total payment required. (For example, a $400 filing fee can be split between 2 credit cards in the amount of $200 on each. Always make sure that payments entered on each Form G-1450 combine to equal the required filing fee. The total payment amount between all Forms G-1450 for 1 benefit request must not exceed $24,999.1)
Three benefit requests filed together
One credit card
Submit 3 Forms G-1450, 1 for each benefit request.
Three benefit requests filed together
ACH payment
Submit 3 Forms G-1650, 1 for each benefit request.
Five benefit requests
One credit card for 2 of the benefit requests
ACH payments for 3 of the benefit requests
Submit 2 separate packages—
First package: 2 benefit requests and 2 Forms G-1450.
Second package: 3 benefit requests and 3 Forms G-1650.
See the Treasury Financial Manual at
Pay with U.S. Bank Account – ACH Transaction
If you are paying with a U.S. bank account using Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions, provide a separate payment for each benefit request you submit.
You may pay filing fees and any other applicable fees with an ACH transaction from a U.S. bank if you are filing:
An application, petition, or request with a
USCIS Lockbox
An application, petition, or request with a USCIS service center; or
An application, request, or form that is accepted at a USCIS
field office
Acceptable ACH Transactions
You must use a U.S. bank for your ACH transaction. We cannot process an ACH transaction from a foreign bank. Make sure your account’s daily limit can cover the fee and that your account has sufficient funds to cover the required payment. We will reject your benefit request if, when completing the form:
You do not indicate whether it is a business or personal account on Form G-1650;
You do not indicate whether it is a checking or savings account on Form G-1650;
You do not provide the correct payment amount; or
You do not provide the correct 9-digit bank routing number and account number.
How to Pay with an ACH Transaction When Filing by Mail
To pay with an ACH Transaction, follow these 2 steps:
Complete and sign Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions.
Place the form on top of your benefit request when you file it.
When filing Form G-1650 with a Lockbox or Service Center, you may split the payment for
1 form
across multiple accounts that add up to the correct total. Complete 1 Form G-1650 for each account. In all cases, the ACH transaction must be from a U.S. financial institution and payable in U.S. funds.
We cannot accept payment for 1 form that is a combination of different payment types. For example, we cannot accept payment for a Form I-765 filed with both Form G-1450 and Form G-1650 as payment, even if the total equals the correct amount of the fee for the benefit request. If we accept your filing, we will debit funds for the proper amount.
You will see a charge from USCIS on your bank statement.
Declined ACH Transactions
If an ACH payment is declined for any reason other than insufficient funds, we will not try to process the payment again. We will reject your benefit request for lack of payment.
Declined ACH Transaction- Insufficient Funds
If an ACH transaction is declined because of insufficient funds, we will resubmit the payment to the institution
1 time
. If the institution returns the form of payment as unpayable a second time or if the payment is initially rejected for any other reason, we may reject or deny the filing. We will not resubmit payments returned for a reason other than insufficient funds.
ACH Debit Block
Some bank account owners may have placed an account debit block to prevent unauthorized individuals from withdrawing funds using an ACH transaction. If you have a debit block on your account, you must contact your bank and give them the appropriate USCIS agency location code (ALC) to unblock our transaction or ‘whitelist’ USCIS before you file. This will ensure that we can successfully process your payment.
This table lists the location code for each Lockbox. Give the appropriate code to your bank to unblock/whitelist the USCIS Lockbox:
Lockbox Location
Phoenix / Tempe
Dallas / Lewisville
Chicago
Elgin / Carol Stream
Montclair, California
Bloomington, Minnesota
ALC Code
7001010330
7001010331
7001010335
7001010390
700101031F
700101031J
Bank Statement Notation
USCIS Phoenix Lockbox
USCIS Dallas Lockbox
USCIS Chicago Lockbox
USCIS Elgin Lockbox
USCIS WFC
USCIS MTC
If you are filing your benefit request with any other USCIS office, you will need provide the following ACH location codes to your bank to unblock/whitelist before filing:
700101031B, 700101031D, 700101031E, 7001010333, 7001010325, 7001010326, 7001010327, 7001010328, 7001010329, 7001010371, 7001010372, and 70010103X5.
Security
We use the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Pay.gov Trusted Collections Service to process credit card and ACH payments. Trusted Collections Service is a web-based application that allows government agencies to process electronic payments. You cannot pay the fee directly to Pay.gov.
The Department of the Treasury ensures that Pay.gov is Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard compliant. This security standard is a set of requirements designed to ensure all companies processing, storing, or transmitting credit card information maintain a secure environment.
Third-Party Payments
Anyone holding a bank account or a credit card may pay for your benefit request. The account holder must complete Form G-1650 or G-1450, sign it, and give it to you to submit with your filing.
Rejection Notices
If we reject your filing, we will send you a notice explaining why we rejected it.
If you file a corrected application, petition, or request, and wish to pay again by credit card, you will need to include a new Form G-1650.
Avoid Immigration Scams
Learn how to protect yourself from common immigration services scams, and where to report suspected fraud, at
Avoid Scams
And remember, the current versions of all USCIS forms are always available for free at
uscis.gov/forms
Pay with a Credit or Debit Card
You may use Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and prepaid cards from the same card networks. Make sure the card’s credit limit can cover the fee. We will reject your application, petition, or request if the card is declined, and we will not try to process your credit card payment a second time.
If you are paying by credit or debit card through Pay.gov or with Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, we recommend you provide a separate payment for each benefit request you submit. There is a daily transaction limit for credit cards of $24,999.99 per credit card per day set by the Department of the Treasury. We allow an exemption to this limit of up to $99,999.99 for H-1B registrations and petitions submitted online using 1 credit card. See
H-1B Electronic Registration Process
for more information.
You may pay filing fees with a credit, debit, or prepaid card issued by a U.S. bank in U.S. funds when you are filing a benefit request with a USCIS Lockbox or a USCIS service center. We cannot accept a credit or debit card issued by a foreign bank. There is no additional cost if you pay using a credit, debit, or prepaid card.
We do
not
support payment by
gift cards
How to Pay with a Card When Filing by Mail
To pay with a card, follow these 2 steps:
Complete and sign
Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions
Place the form on top of your benefit request and supporting documents when you file them.
When filing Form G-1450 with a Lockbox or Service Center, you may split the payment for 1 form across multiple credit, debit, or prepaid cards that add up the total payment required. Complete 1 Form G-1450 for each card. However, you may use only 1 Form G-1450 when requesting emergency advance parole from a USCIS field office. In all cases, the credit, debit, or prepaid card must be from a U.S. financial institution.
You will see a charge from USCIS on your credit card statement.
There is a daily transaction limit for credit cards of $24,999.99 per credit card per day set by the Department of the Treasury. We allow an exemption to this limit of up to $99,999.99 for H-1B registrations and petitions submitted online using 1 credit card.
Security
We use the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Pay.gov Trusted Collections Service to process credit card and ACH payments. Trusted Collections Service is a web-based application that allows government agencies to process electronic payments. You cannot pay the fee directly to Pay.gov.
The Department of the Treasury ensures that Pay.gov is Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard compliant. This security standard is a set of requirements designed to ensure all companies processing, storing, or transmitting credit card information maintain a secure environment.
Third-Party Payments
Anyone holding a bank account or a credit card may pay for your benefit request. The account holder must complete Form G-1650 or G-1450, sign it, and give it to you to submit with your filing.
Declined Credit Cards
If a credit card is declined, we will not try to process the credit card payment again. We will reject your application, petition, or request for lack of payment.
Rejection Notices
If we reject your filing, we will send you a notice explaining why we rejected it.
If you file a corrected application, petition, or request, and wish to pay again by credit card, you will need to include a new Form G-1650.
Avoid Immigration Scams
Learn how to protect yourself from common immigration services scams, and where to report suspected fraud, at
Avoid Scams
And remember, the current versions of all USCIS forms are always available for free at
uscis.gov/forms
How to Request an Exemption for Paper Fee Payment
Generally, we do not accept paper-based forms of payment (personal or business checks, bank drafts, certified checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders) to pay fees associated with benefit requests. Benefit requestors may request an exemption if they meet 1 of the following 4 criteria:
You do not have access to banking services or electronic payment systems;
Electronic disbursement would cause you undue hardship as discussed in 31 C.F.R. Part 208;
Non-electronic transactions are necessary or desirable for national security or law enforcement reasons; or
There are other circumstances as determined by the secretary of the treasury and reflected in regulations or other guidance.
If you are filing a
Form G-1651, Exemption for Paper Fee Payment
, you must mail your check, bank draft, cashier’s check, certified check or money order together with your benefit request form to the correct filing location. You cannot combine a paper-based payment with any other payment methods. For example, we will not accept a money order and a G-1450 in the same package even if they total the correct fee amount. Refer to the form instructions for more information. Please see our News page for the latest updates.
To request an exemption, you must submit a completed Form G-1651, Exemption for Paper Fee Payment, with your payment and benefit request. If you are eligible for an exemption, you may pay fees with bank drafts, cashier’s checks, certified checks, personal or business checks, and money orders. Paper-based payments must be:
Drawn on a U.S. financial institution;
Payable in U.S. funds;
Made payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and
Dated within the previous 365 days.
Note:
If you are filing Form I-131 directly with a USCIS field office in the United States to request emergency advance parole, you can only pay with a single credit card or debit card, make a single ACH payment using Form G-1650 from 1 bank account, or if you qualify for paper-based payment exemption, make a single payment with a
personal or business check
. If you are paying in person for your Form I-131 at a USCIS field office, you cannot split your payment between 2 different credit cards or bank accounts for 1 benefit request, even if you use 2 different G-1450 or G-1650 forms.
If you are paying your fees by check, please be aware of the following:
Authorization for an Electronic Funds Transfer
: By submitting your check, you authorize us to convert your check into an electronic fund transfer. We will use the account information from your check to make an electronic fund transfer from your checking account for the amount of the check. If the transfer cannot occur for technical reasons, you authorize us to process the copy of your original check through normal paper check procedures.
Insufficient Funds
: The electronic fund transfer from your account can occur faster than normal processing for a paper check. If your check or other financial instrument is returned as unpayable, we will resubmit the payment 1 time. If it is returned as unpayable a second time, we may reject or deny your filing.
How to Write Your Check
Personal checks must be preprinted with your name and your bank’s name. Your address and phone number must be preprinted, typed, or written in ink.
Provide the date when you are completing the check in U.S. date format: month/day/year, for example: May 15, 2025= 05/15/2025 or 5/15/25, or write the date out in full, as shown in the illustration.
On the “Pay to the Order of” line, write “
U.S. Department of Homeland Security”
(not “USDHS” or “DHS”).
Use numerals to show the exact dollar amount of your payment. In the example, the amount is “$760.00.”
Spell out the exact dollar amount of the payment and write the “cents” portion of the amount as a fraction over 100. In this example, the amount is “Seven hundred sixty and 00/100.”
Write a brief description of the purpose of your payment. In this example, it is “N-400 application.” Include the applicant’s name on the memo line if it is not on the check itself (for example, if you are paying the fee for your child).
Sign the check in ink using your legal name.
If your check is not dated within the previous 365 days, we will reject the filing.
If You File Online
If you
file your form online
, the system will guide you through the process of paying your fees with a credit, debit, or prepaid card. Bank account withdrawals are also available when paying online. Once you are ready to submit your form, the system will automatically direct you to the secure Department of the Treasury site, pay.gov, to pay your fees online.
We only use pay.gov to process fees. Always check the website address before you pay. Beware of scam websites and scammers who may pretend to be a USCIS website.
If You File by Mail
If you mail your form to a USCIS Lockbox facility, you may pay your fees with a debit, credit, prepaid card or with an ACH transaction. To do so, follow these steps:
Choose
ONE
method of payment.
For a payment by credit, debit, card or prepaid cards, complete and sign
Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions
For a payment using an Automated Clearing House transaction from your bank account, complete and sign
Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions
Complete a separate payment form for each benefit request you submit, using the same type of form, either G-1450 or G-1650, but not both. If your package contains both types of payment it may have to be rejected.
Place the form on top of your application, petition, or request.
Mail the entire package to the appropriate USCIS Lockbox.
If we accept your filing, we will charge your card or account for the proper amount and you will see the payment on your bank statement.
For general filing information, see the
Form Filing Tips
webpage.
Unfunded or Dishonored Payments
If we approve your petition, application, or request and the payment has not been properly funded or you subsequently dispute payment of the fee, we may revoke, rescind, or cancel the approval with notice (for example, by issuing a Notice of Intent to Revoke). We will not separately bill you for the unpaid fee. If you receive a Notice of Intent to Revoke, you may respond with payment of the correct fee amount.
Refund Policy
When you send a payment, you agree to pay for a government service. Filing and biometric service fees are final and nonrefundable, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition, or request, or if you withdraw your request. Please refer to the form you filed for additional information, or you may call the
USCIS Contact Center
at 800-375-5283 (for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability: TTY 800-767-1833).
Fee Waiver Guidance
We are funded largely by application and petition fees. Recognizing that some applicants cannot pay the filing fees, we established a fee waiver process for certain forms and benefit types. We will approve a fee waiver only if you clearly demonstrate that you are unable to pay the filing fees. We carefully consider the merits of each fee waiver request before making a decision. Visit the
Additional Information on Filing a Fee Waiver
page to learn more.
Last Reviewed/Updated:
02/12/2026
US