Release Date: Release Date – 12:45 AM, Sunday – November 6th
Be prepared to show your payment receipt during your visa interview as proof of your I-901 SEVIS fee payment.
Hello readers! In last week’s column, we discussed biometrics and visa appointments and what to bring. Today, we will discuss SEVIS fees.
Some important acronyms are:
• SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System): A platform for processing information about foreign/exchange students and their families before and during the United States.
• SEVIP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) administers SEVIS
• ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement): The agency to which SEVIS belongs.
Every international student seeking higher education in the United States must pay the SEVIS fee prior to the visa interview. The student must ensure that the payment has been processed and appears in SEVIS so that the consular officer administering the interview can see that the student’s payment has been confirmed.
SEVIS fees can be paid online at http://www.fmjfee.com/, the only official website that charges SEVIS fees. No separate SEVIS fee is required if the student will be traveling with a spouse or child.
Here are some other key points about SEVIS fees:
• Do not pay the SEVIS fee until you receive the I-20 or DS-2019 form (for J-1 visa applicants)
• Always pay the SEVIS fee before your visa interview to ensure payment has been processed
– If paying electronically: interview at least 3 working days in advance
– If paid in kind (by mail): at least 15 days in advance of the interview date
• Be prepared to show your payment receipt during the visa interview as evidence of your payment of the I-901 SEVIS fee.
SEVIS rates:
• F and M international students: $350
• For certain J visa categories: $200
For more information on SEVIS fees, visit: http://www.ice.gov/sevis/index.htm.
This concludes our discussion on “Step 4: Applying for a Student Visa” Next week we will move on to “Step 5: Prepare for departure”.
If students have specific questions, they can write to support-india@ustraveldocs.com. Follow the U.S. Embassy in India on Twitter and Facebook (https://twitter.com/usandindia?lang=en and https://www.facebook.com/India.usembassy/) for updates.
Appointments can be found on our website: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/en. Visa FAQs: https://in.usembassy.gov/visas/top-10-frequently-asked-questions/
– US Consulate General Hyderabad
