In order to gain initial F-1 or J-1 visa status, a student or scholar must pay a one-time required SEVIS fee of $350. Please use this link to make payment online when needed, (https://www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/index.html) Receipt of this payment will be requested at the time of the visa interview. (For citizens of Canada or Bermuda, receipt of payment will be required when crossing the border or at the immigration counter in the airport.) The student does not need to pay this fee again for the duration of the F-1 or J-1 status.
Other persons who need to pay the SEVIS fee are students who change status to F-1 or J-1 within the U.S., students applying for reinstatement to F-1 or J-1 student status, and students re-entering an academic program after having been out of the U.S. for more than five months (not including study-abroad students who are still considered active students during their study abroad, or students in programs with short-term residencies who remain active in their programs).
There are three methods of paying the SEVIS fee:
Upon receipt of the I-20 or DS-2019, a student or scholar may go to the website at www.fmjfee.com to submit the Form I-901 along with credit card payment. Debit cards, also known as check cards, may also be used if they have the Visa or Mastercard logo. You should print out two copies of the receipt screen before logging out. Keep one copy with the visa documents, and another in a safe place in case one is lost. As with all documents you receive, keep copies and never throw anything away.
a. Internet-generated payment coupon – The student or scholar completes the electronic form on-line at www.fmjfee.com, but selects “check or money order” as the payment method. Proceed to a Payment Coupon screen, that prompts you to print the coupon. Then mail the coupon along with the check or money order.
b. Paper I-901 option – The student or scholar goes to the website www.fmjfee.com and downloads a copy of the I-901 form, fills it in and mails it along with the check or money order. Make checks or money orders payable to : I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee
Mail to: I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee
P.O. Box 970020
St. Louis, MO 63197-0020
By courier or express delivery to:
I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee
1005 Convention Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63101
Please Note: The check or money order must be drawn on U.S. currency. Some international banks are able to offer this service even though they are not inside the U.S.
The student goes to a Western Union office that offers Quick Pay service. The Western Union office collects the SEVIS I-901 fee in local currency, along with the needed Form I-901 data, and electronically submits the payment and data to the US Dept. of Homeland Security. The Western Union office then issues a receipt that serves as proof of payment for a visa interview (or at a US port of entry).
Other important notes about the SEVIS fee payment:
1. To pay the SEVIS fee, a student must know his/her SEVIS number, located at the top right of the I-20 form or DS-2019.
2. Please print a receipt of your I-901 fee payment immediately after payment is made. Remember this receipt must be presented at the time of the visa interview.
3. Payment of the SEVIS fee can be made by a third party.
4. If a student or scholar is unable to pay the SEVIS fee by any of the three methods listed, he/she should contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services at Eastern University.
5. The visa will be denied if the student or scholar has not paid the SEVIS fee. Entrance into the US may be denied if the student or scholar requests a refund of the fee after visa approval.
6. If the visa is denied for other reasons after having paid the SEVIS fee, he/she may re-apply for a visa in the same category within 12 months without having to repay the SEVIS fee.
7. If a student applied to more than one school and has more than one I-20 or DS-2019, he/she only needs to pay the SEVIS fee once, using the SEVIS number of the document issued by the school he/she decides to attend. If a student pays the SEVIS fee and then changes his/her mind about which school to attend, it is possible to request the fee be transferred to a different SEVIS number for the same individual person. Consult with OISSS for instructions.
Questions?
Please contact Eastern University Office of International Student and Scholar Services
Phone: (610) 341-5870
Email: international@eastern.edu